Netflix’s hit series Archive 81 is full of twists, turns, and the occasional occult encounter. Based on a podcast of the same name, Archive 81 follows Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), a conservator who is hired to restore a series of VHS tapes that were damaged in a fire. The tapes were created by Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), a PhD student in 1994 working on her dissertation project about the history of an apartment building called the Viser. Melody discovers that the Viser might be hiding a dark and sinister secret, while Dan works to uncover what happened to Melody and the Viser nearly 30 years after the tapes were filmed.
The podcast that inspired the Netflix series was created by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger. It ran for three seasons and launched two miniseries. Archive 81 was developed for TV by Rebecca Sonnenshine, who also directed four episodes of Season 1.
After premiering in January of 2022, the series shot to the top of the Netflix trending list. Even a couple of months after its release, the show continues to enjoy a considerable fanbase despite Netflix canceling the series after just one season. So to make up for the lack of a Season 2, check out some of these shows that are similar to Archive 81 for your mystery fix.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Based on the Archie Comics series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a show full of spooky witchcraft and demonic hijinks. Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) is a young girl living a dark double life, as she is half-witch and half-mortal. On her 16th birthday, Sabrina must give herself fully to her education as a witch. However, the headstrong Sabrina has never been one to do as she’s told. She’ll (quite literally) raise hell to get what she wants, and nothing is going to stand in her way of keeping both her human and witchy lives. Now she must fight to keep her loved ones safe as she dives deeper into the dangerous world of witchcraft and uncovers sinister secrets about her past.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a coming-of-age story with the perfect mix of horror, comedy, and suspense. Like Archive 81, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a show that heavily features witches and the occult. If you’re looking for another eerie series to dive into, be sure to add The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to your watchlist.
The Haunting of Hill House
Adapted from Shirley Jackson’s horror novel of the same name, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House is about the Crain family’s experience with the spooky Hill House. Directed by Mike Flanagan, the show follows the Crains as they move into Hill House for the summer to renovate and sell it. However, the young family comes to find that their new home isn't as innocent as it appears. Faced with ghosts lurking around every corner, the Crains will have to work together to escape a house that doesn’t seem to want them to leave.
With dual timelines that explore grief and trauma through the lens of a classic haunted house story, The Haunting of Hill House will have you laughing, crying, and jumping out of your seat with fear all in one episode. This Netflix horror series is a great pick if you’re looking for a solid scary story with plenty of heart.
The Order
Created by Dennis Heaton, The Order is a horror drama series with a secret magical organization at the center of its enthralling story. The show follows Jack Morton (Jake Manley), a college student who finds himself invited to join a secret society known as the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose. The members of the group practice magic and share their knowledge with each other, opening Jack’s eyes to a supernatural world he never knew existed. As Jack gets deeper into the society, he discovers that his family might be hiding dark secrets that have been kept from him his entire life. On top of that, a magical war is brewing, and now Jack is caught in the middle of it.
The Order is perfect for anyone looking for another show about a magical cult after finishing Archive 81. Both seasons are available to stream on Netflix, so be sure to add The Order to your queue.
Sense8
The Netflix Original Sense8 was created by The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and J. Michael Straczynski. It features a cast from around the world and combines an action-packed story with a message about the importance of empathy and acceptance. The series revolves around a group of eight individuals across the globe who one day discover they share a psychic connection to each other. Their group is called a “cluster”, and each member is able to telepathically communicate with one another. They can also access each other's skills, knowledge, and languages. Things become dangerous when the cluster discovers they are being hunted by a man named Whispers (Terrence Mann) and a menacing organization called BPO. Together, the cluster must use their connection and abilities to solve their own problems and avoid being captured by their new enemies.
Sense8 and Archive 81 both feature a secretive company investigating the supernatural, people discovering special abilities, and psychic connections across time and space. With two seasons and two feature-length specials, Sense8 has plenty of content for you to binge on.
Yellowjackets
Everyone is buzzing about the Showtime series Yellowjackets starring Melanie Lynskey and Juliette Lewis. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the show follows a high-school girls’ soccer team that has been left stranded in the wilderness after their plane crashed on the way to the national tournament. Two timelines show the girls as teenagers fighting to survive in the forest and their adult counterparts 25 years after their rescue. Tensions run high amongst the team as relationships are tested, secrets are revealed, and the struggle to stay alive grows harder and harder each day. As adults, the crash survivors have to deal with what they did as teens to stay alive and how their experience in the woods has changed them forever.
The mystery that is unraveled in Yellowjackets through two interwoven timelines will be sure to excite Archive 81 fans. Yellowjackets’ well-rounded characters, unexpected twists, and the beginnings of a deadly cult make this series perfect for your next binge-watch.
Orphan Black
Tatiana Maslany stars in Orphan Black, a sci-fi thriller about clones, identity, and what it means to be human. When Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) witnesses the death of a woman who looks exactly like her, she learns that she is just one of many clones created in an illegal experiment. The clones, including Sarah, are being hunted down by both the organization that created them and a secret religious cult. Now Sarah must find and team up with her fellow clones to discover where they came from and avoid being captured by the groups that want to see them dead.
Maslany’s Emmy-winning performance as 14 different clones is enough to warrant giving Orphan Black a watch on its own. The series of suspense, mystery, and a large cast of characters you will be sure to fall in love with. If you loved the sci-fi and mystery elements of Archive 81, you will definitely enjoy streaming all five seasons of Orphan Black.
Midnight Mass
Created and directed by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass is a horror miniseries that brings religion and the supernatural together for an introspectively frightening tale. Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns to his hometown to start fresh after spending four years in prison. The sleepy fishing village of Crockett Island is also joined by a new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), who comes to town as a temporary replacement for their aging former priest. Riley and Father Paul aren’t the only new additions, as a mysterious dark force begins to wreak havoc and terrorize the town during the night. As both miracles and tragedies befall Crockett Island, the people of the town will have to grapple with their faith in the face of a monstrous horror.
Like Flanagan’s The Haunting anthology, Midnight Mass is a unique take on the horror genre. While it is certainly not short on spine-chilling moments, the series really shines through its layered characters and nuanced take on concepts like grief and religion. Add Midnight Mass to your watchlist if you’re looking for a creepy series that will leave you thinking about it long after the last episode.