Unsolved Mysteries (2020– ) User Reviews

Ominous and unsettling indeed.

[heavensnight-88203 · 8/10 · 1 July 2020]

A very well made reboot of the iconic series, Netflix does generally seem to be very good at crime documentary's. Six episodes in Vol. 1 and these first six cases are bizarre and completely intriguing.

The production is sleek, low key and emotive. I also really like the reimagining of the theme tune.

If you like true crime and a mystery, I would highly recommend this new series. I can't wait for Vol 2.

I should also state that you need more of an attention span than that of a goldfish to truly enjoy these cases, as they are singular and focused. Unlike the original series. A change that I think here works for the better.

Great stuff.

One story per episode???

[laughing_cat · 7/10 · 4 July 2020]

As others have said, this new format feels like Dateline. What happened to 4-6 mysteries per episode? We already know they are unsolved, so 52 minutes is a LONG time to spend on something with no closure. I do not see this one lasting very long unless the pace is improved.

It doesn't quite "Stack" up to the original

[Osibob · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

Someone commented that the revamped version of 'UM' reminds them of "Dateline," which I find to be an apt comparison. Though I will say the first and fifth episodes are exceptions; the latter for more obvious reasons. The former episode was great and reminded me of the original series. Yes, it was a whodunit, but other aspects were brought in. For example, how was the victim killed? It was under very unusual circumstances and shrouded by mystery, oh and the Freemasons!!! Despite them going down a more "Dateliney" path for most of the other episodes, I still enjoyed the program overall and give them kudos for trying something different. 7/10...Good, not great.

UFO episode?

[freddy_3 · 7/10 · 2 July 2020]

Is this meant to be part of a different series? Comedy perhaps? Hardly an unsolved mystery. A very stereotypical American take on UFO's appearing in small towns. Ticked just about every cliché in the book. Particularly enjoyed the part where the chap talks about getting sucked up by a beam!

Give me more!

[rdoubleoc · 10/10 · 2 July 2020]

Finally, good content is being made again, or so it seems. They did good with this show, but future episodes need to be just as interesting. Please don't have so many murder episodes, though.

Netflix should open the floodgates and produce as many high quality episodes of this show as possible. Along with Space Force and a few others, I'd say Netflix has the best shows right now, alongside HBO. Keep it all coming, please!

So... there are two main reasons I've watched two episodes. Wait, make that three:

[amsterdamjen · 6/10 · 6 July 2020]

1. There's someone actually named Pistol Black- Cool. 2. The men that found human remains in the woods had planned to meet up and "eat biscuits" together. 3. The theme song.

First episode Spoilers

[radaja · 8/10 · 1 July 2020]

I've only watched the first episode but you can see the direction the series will lead. The cases will be interesting but there will be a lot of filler clips of sad videos, pictures, etc. For instance, in episode 1, we saw clips of the wedding video at least 3 times. The wedding was unrelated to the case. Also, the news reporter making jokes and laughing was completely inappropriate and shouldn't have been part of the show. SPOILER:

My very first thought after they found the body and they could not ascertain where Rey Riveria supposedly fell/jumped/pushed from was that he was in a helicopter. How else do you fall from the height that inflicted so many injuries to his body if a rooftop is not probable? It could also explain the cause for the medical examiners reason for listing the cause of death as undetermined due to the broken bones around his shin. His leg could have hit the bar at the bottom of a helicopter or even one of the ornate and crumbling moldings on the outside of the Belvedere Hotel. I'm not in law enforcement, I do not know the family, nor have I ever been to Baltimore but it makes me wonder why this obvious possibility wasn't mentioned in the show.

Needs some work

[justicejvm · 7/10 · 15 July 2020]

No narrator was a disappointment, couple of the episodes where grueling long feel like they could have made each story 30 mins.

More please!

[corissadanny · 10/10 · 29 January 2022]

We'll done revamp of the original but there are so many cases to be solved across the US that I am shocked there are not more episodes and seasons are slow rolling to create. This show is an amazing way to bring crimes to light and provide public ability to reach out if they know anything. Hope this show continues as over the years it has helped so many.

Not the Old Show but Still Very Inreresting and Compelling.

[t_mack-84817 · 7/10 · 2 July 2020]

Not here to compare the old with the new. Obviously the prior speaks for itself and is iconic. That being said, the newer version still delivers the mystery, suspense, and Eerie experiences each episode. I recommend approaching the new installment with an open mind.

Don't get the hate...

[elenaiulianaaldea · 8/10 · 2 January 2021]

Why are people complaining that there is no host? It's always better to hear the story from friends and family members. Just take it as it is and stop comparing it to the old series. I personally like slow paced shows/movies, so I have no issue with that. I guess people these days are used to instant gratification and no longer have patience to wait for a build up. The way this was edited and put together is quite alright. On some stories the police investigation seems quite weird, like they didn't really look into it that hard. But then again we do not have all the details. Overall a good series.

Episode 1... HELICOPTER?!

[jakebrann · 6/10 · 4 July 2020]

Why was there no mention the entire time of the possibility of him being dropped out of a helicopter? That would completely explain being able to fall through that metal roof and all the damage to his body. His vehicle could have been moved to that hotel and then his cell phone and glasses thrown over by the hole from the parking garage. That case was irritating that the police department was so stupid and just called it a suicide. Unreal...

My God season 2 is boring!

[dannair · 5/10 · 20 October 2020]

Season 1 was excellent with a diverse range of topics and mysteries that had you talking for weeks. However season 2 is just the opposite, its boring and having to call some of them a "mystery" is a bit of a stretch.

Interesting.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 15 August 2020]

An interesting watch, I find this kind of storytelling quite strange, maybe because I'm British, but the thought of sensationalising real life crimes does seem somehow distasteful, but I'm sure we'd all want answers to questions concerning the death of a loved one, particularly when those answers aren't available.

The crimes are all fascinating, the first few in particular truly had my attention, the UFO story was BS, and felt really out of place here.

Entertaining as someone looking from the outside, but I feel for those on the inside, apart from the one guy, who has guilt written all over his face.

Not for people wanting nostalgia from 30 years ago

[Road966 · 9/10 · 17 April 2022]

It is unfortunate that this was titled after the original series since, based on some of the reviews, that has created wrong expectations. It is not a series of short clips for short attention spans to time warp back to the 90's. For this new series, each episode goes in depth about one case only. For crime fans, this is excellent as several of the cases are especially unusual. Unfortunately, in trying to keep somewhat to the original, weird ghost and UFO episodes are included but those are easy to skip through. Overall, the first two volumes/seasons kept me in an enjoyable binge watching mode.

Feels more like a generic Netflix true crime show.

[nickcassidywork · 6/10 · 21 October 2020]

The switch to long form, single case, episodes can really drag if the topic is a dud, which pretty much everything in the second volume is.

Most of these episodes explain the "mystery" then it's 45 minutes of drone shots of depressing small towns and forests, interspersed with people in poorly lit rooms being quietly sad.

It's also so true crime heavy that when they do ham in a paranormal episode it feels extremely disjointed and out of place.

Nothing to do with the original

[jonschaper · 19 July 2020]

The only thing this show has in common with the original series is the opening credits and title. There are minimal dramatic re-enactments (and I'd barely call them that), no narration, only one story poor episode, poor pacing, and (for well over half an episode) little more than shots of slowly speaking people who knew the victim walking around and brooding, etc. Even ignoring the disappointment of not getting to watch a new Unsolved Mysteries (and the additional disappointment of now being denied that opportunity by having that franchise name exploited by producers who probably couldn't otherwise sell their series) it remains a highly mediocore crime documentary series when there are many better shows out there.

It's a good show!

[Just-A-Girl-14 · 8/10 · 6 November 2020]

I found this show to be very interesting. It's very sad to see so many unsolved mysteries but I think it's important people watch this because in many cases a person can have information and not even know about it. The opening music is amazing, gives me the chills every time. Highly recommended.

Interesting and captivating but missing something

[markwha · 7/10 · 2 July 2020]

After watching 4/6 episodes currently available on Netflix I'm certainly pleased with the nostalgic feeling of interest and captivation accompanied by the original music and themes of the classic show hosted by Robert Stack. The recipe is missing an important ingredient however, in that there is no host to introduce, comment and conclude the stories. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this was done as the creators and Netflix felt that there couldn't be a replacement for such a perfect and iconic host, but this type of program isn't near as effective with the absence of some kind of a narrating voice to help the story along. This absence is especially felt in episode 3 which is completely in subtitles as well as episode 5 where some witnesses of a UFO and alien abduction on their own seem rather... unconvincing to say the least..

This won't deter me from watching the series in its entirety.. eventually. There just no shaking the feeling that you're watching a collection of true crime documentary like shows with nothing to tie them together aside from the opening and closing theme music, so rather than waiting anxiously for the next volume to come out or wanting to watch all the episodes back to back, I'm satisfied knowing that I'll be able to return and finish them up when there's nothing else I'd rather watch or do.

Overall I'd award this show somewhere between 6 and 7 out of 10. If it were titled differently and didn't contain the nostalgic elements I just may have gone harder on it, so I may have a slight bias here but none the less, it's certainly worth watching in my opinion.

The XDDL Episode (#3, House of Terror), as Example of What Must Be Fixed

[hilaryjrp · 10/10 · 3 July 2020]

The stories of Allison Rivera, Pistol Black, the Brooks' family, and Lena Chapin's elder sisters are heartbreaking and scary as heck, but I'm concentrating on the "French episode." I want to demonstrate what Unsolved Mysteries *must* address next season (other reviews here seem to agree). Disclaimer: I might watch Unsolved Mysteries even if the Second Coming were broadcast on a competing network.

First, the use of drones. It is to this decade's cinematography what shaky-cam was to the last. Overuse kills the immediacy Robert Stack brought to the series. Some actors are irreplaceable, and Stack, who appears in homage in silhouette in the credits, is one. Drones make this rebooted Unsolved Mysteries TOO S-L-O-W. Stack's "Untouchables" aura and appeals for tips to the 800 number gave the original series an urgency lacking in this. Mystery is destroyed by dreaminess. "God-shots" from drones and slow-motion cinematography work at cross-purposes to why Unsolved Mysteries fanatics watch. We wanted to feel that just maybe, we could do something *right now.*

Second: the wildly popular French series Non Elucide has done at least one episode on XDDL (as the psychotic father is known in his country). Another wildly popular French series, Faites Entrer L'Accuse, also has covered this story. As with Robert Stack, two charismatic presenters narrate the story with the agitation this horrific story requires. Yet "House of Terror," Unsolved Mysteries' take on a John List-style family annihilator, flows at the pace of a Jane Austen romance. In addition to wasting time, concentration on cinematography works to the detriment of the story by forcing the omission of elements essential to solving this mystery. De Ligonnes' mother's and sister practiced cult-like Christianity; Tomas had to be drugged miles away *in an Angers restaurant* for his father to bring him back to Nantes; above all, there's a very real possibility De Ligonnes' good looks and reputation as a womanizer (well-established before the family annihilation) make it likely some deranged mistress has been hiding him out for the last decade.

In 2018 and 2019, first in a monastery in southeastern France, and then in Scotland, "breaking news stories" announced De Ligonnes' capture. The saddest was of the French monk, a dead-ringer for De Ligonnes, whom several sincere locals believed was the killer taking refuge in a monastery, a possibility anyone who *really* knows the story will recognize as eminently probable.

But Unsolved Mysteries 2020 doesn't seem to "get it." Possibly drone footage is cheaper these days than other kinds. The Netflix generation of viewers will always demand faster, higher, more intense everything--which Netflix better watch, if it wishes to maintain a consistent audience over the age of 16. I am older and subscribe when "grown-up" material appears, because I have no interest in a streaming service devoted to superhero teens who travel through time. I rated this first season of Unsolved Mysteries "10" because I'm a diehard fan. I hope Cosgrove-Meurer, the fantastic production company whose call-center created a kind of internet before the internet, will bring back a tough old guy in a trenchcoat and a faster pace next year. Maybe even a French one.

I don't know

[kenyae-cagle · 6/10 · 3 July 2020]

First of all I didn't like that each episode only focused on ONE story unlike the original talking about multiple stories. Next, The stories NEED tangible and identifiable evidence in my opinion. Alonzo Brooks needs to get full justices.

We feel addicted

[deepakpatali · 9/10 · 1 July 2020]

Once you start watching this documentary you will get addicted to it you won't stop till all is finished. The mysteries that will make you question HOW ? And WHY ? Beautifully explained, I liked the UFO part more because the alien secret was hidden from the public. When I thought of watching this I thought it will be boaring or this is crime show but when I started to watch I finished all episodes in 1day .

Needs to be a bit more like the original....

[SeaSludge840 · 7/10 · 7 July 2020]

I LOVE that they've used basically the same theme song, might be a little updated, but it gave me chills. Such a great theme. As for the show, I was entertained by most of the episodes, some much more than others, but I felt like there were too many murder mysteries.... that weren't super mysterious. No Ride Home and Missing Witness, although technically unsolved... don't really seem super mysterious. I think it's obvious what happened in both cases, so didn't really seem suited for this show. I enjoyed the UFO episode because I like UFO stuff quite a bit, but it did feel maybe thrown in because they realized the series was heavy on the murder investigations. More paranormal, haunted areas, more actual weird mysteries or disappearances along the lines of Elisa Chan. There are TONS of unexplained UFO type things, could probably cover a few in a single episode, or the story Dorothy Izatt. The show is well made and very enjoyable, lots of potential, just hope future episodes focus less on murder "mysteries"

I'll solve the missing salon owner episode for you

[robertlee-95845 · 2/10 · 2 July 2020]

At the end it said call the tip line, It...was...her...husband

Jesus, is that police dept so backward country they couldn't figure that out!? He had the funeral home director arrange her skeleton, he walked around with her head, he slept with it and then acted all dramatic when he dug the ashes back out.... trying too hard to be emotional

Maybe the show should now be called "Almost resolved cold case files".

[groundzero-273-397110 · 6/10 · 12 November 2022]

I just finished season 3 the other day, and I was really disappointed... Season 1 was the best season for sure. I remember two years ago, after watching season 1, that I was pondering a alot. Pondering about the mystery of the episode, for days or even weeks. The "Berkshires UFO" episode was the weakest of the season.

Season 2 was also good. Maybe not as good as the first season, but at least I had some thoughts and pondering afterwards. The "Tsunami Spirits" episode was sooo bad though.

The first two seasons had 6 episodes each. Now, season 3 arrives with 9 episodes. Season 3 was not at all as good. 6 of 9 episodes was about people that are missing or homicides. Basically "cold case files" that has not been resolved yet with a lot of interviews with the families of the victims. Families talking about how sad they are, and how much they miss the person that has been murdered or gone missing. It is tragic for sure, but it is not what I want the episodes to consist of. I want it to be focused on the mystery, to have that same feeling that I had after watching season 1, pondering about the mysteries. Also, it felt like these cold case episodes was almost resolved by the end of the episode. I don't remember if season 1 & 2 also had these issues, but season 3 was the worst and did not feel like Unsolved Mysteries. The episodes could have been shorter as well. Maybe the show should now be called "Almost resolved cold case files".