'Truth Seekers' Review: Is Elton a doorway between paranormal and real world? His ghostly past solves mystery
Amazon Prime’s latest series ‘Truth Seeker’ is a comedy-horror show that is more like a riddle than a cliche supernatural series. Its puzzling plot breaks the conventional one-horror-case per episode format. It delves deeper into creating a webbed plot where characters' personal backstories appear puzzling and isolated but are intimately connected and is revealed only by the end. The show has a stellar cast of funnyman Nick Frost (Gus), Simon Pegg (Dave), Samson Kayo (Elton), Malcolm McDowell (Richard), Emma D’Arcy (Astrid), Susan Wokoma (Helen) and Julian Barratt (Dr Peter Toynbee).
While fans of 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'The World's End' are expecting a lot from this eight-episode series, the show definitely does not disappoint. Its suspenseful plot is embedded with fear-triggering quaint settings of the United Kingdom, bonafide acting skills, meaningful allegories, ghostly imageries, geeky gadgets and vile cosmos activities.
The basic plotline revolves around ghosthunting where Gus and his new assistant Elton chase ghosts during their investigations. Almost every case is assigned by Gus’ boss Dave who runs broadband company SMYLE. Hence, in the garb of providing internet connection, the ghost investigators try to decode mysteries in haunted churches, underground bunkers and abandoned hospitals. They use an array of homemade ghost-detecting gizmos and share their adventures on an online channel through Gus’ Youtube channel. Their personal endeavors reveal the backstories of certain characters as the show reaches its climax to bust a conspiracy that could annihilate the human race through a dangerous game of cosmos piloted by Dr Toynbee.
The protagonist, Gus, spends his free hours strolling around quintessential British countryside for signs of the paranormal. This was of great interest to his late wife Emily. However, Gus is unable to spot ghosts until he gets a new assistant in Elton, which makes us wonder if Elton is the gifted guy who can see supernatural creatures? This turns out to be true as the plot reveals how it is mostly Elton who discovers hidden doors in spooky places during investigations.
While he is reluctant to be a part of the ghost chasing team, he somehow joins it and excels at the job. Be it discovering secret doors at hotel Portland Beacon or helping Astrid out during a cosplay convention and even helping her attain salvation, Elton does it all. Moreover, a lot of mysteries get solved when Gus realizes that Elton is the infamous boy who was touted as “Britain’s most haunted Boy” in the cover story of a paranormal magazine.
This hints towards a more fleshed-out role for Elton. We realize that Elton has been changing many places and jobs because he had a horrifying fire ghost encounter when he was a child. This lead to a brutal media trial that stigmatized Elton and made him fearful of his past. Moreover, Elton also has a connection with Gus’ late wife Emily, which is shrouded in mystery. In the end, the breakthrough moment in the plot comes when it is finally revealed that Elton personifies the doorway between the real and paranormal world and this is why there have been these many ghostly encounters. Will Gus help Elton quash his fears and what will he find out about his wife from Elton’s story? This makes the series worth a watch.
The most strikingly eccentric element of the series lies in its use of old technology. The gadgets that Gus makes are ghost detectors and radar pickers that help solve cases. Further, technology is used to transfer spirits in machines and creatures after deaths. Moreover, the novel idea of broadband connection providers deciphering ghostly activities and cosmos gameplay is a hitmaker.
The series fares well in debunking many notions. While hospitals personify the healing and well being of people, the show uses them to instill fear with ghosts. In another incident, a fun cosplay convention that holds a lively fancy dress event becomes a site of ghastly conspiracy. On an emotional level, the show makes one question what they perceive to be the reality. Be it Dave and Gus’ professional relationship or Elton and Astrid's bond, the climax holds some great cliffhangers that will turn our world upside down.
However, one has to admit that the show does not fare well on the humor element. Despite this, the series is a must-watch for its eerie settings, cliffhangers, riddled plot and breakthrough moments that are far more interesting than cryptic ghosts.
'Truth Seekers' is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video from October 30.
