“Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal” Bewitches

Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal (Mark Duplass/Jay Duplass, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars

There is a plethora of cold cases around the world left untouched for decades. This is nothing new, and many TV shows have taken advantage of these and attempted to explore them further. Many of such cases have spawned wild conspiracy theories over time, often due to a maddening lack of evidence.

While many of these theories are entirely baseless, could some of them be true? Beyond the simple whodunnit, are there inhuman forces at work in some of these cases? Hulu’s new series, Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal explores this notion.

The mini-series contains eight episodes, each with a different subject. They all hold one common thread. though: they feature a crime or mystery that has links to a paranormal phenomenon. Whether it be UFOs, cryptids, or ghosts, each episode focuses on a particular urban legend and a real-life case that many eyewitnesses claim correspond to it.

The series features fascinating testimony from experts on the paranormal as well as the actual individuals involved with or surrounding any of these crimes or mysteries. The first-hand accounts from individuals and stories they tell are fascinating, specifically those from the eyewitnesses that have had encounters with spirits, cryptids, aliens, and the like. Together with subject experts, the series is able to paint a vivid picture of these legends.

Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal also does a good job presenting all facts in each situation. Many interviews involve naysayers and people that believe there is a simple explanation for what happened and denounce the supernatural arguments, many claiming them to be preposterous. This leaves it up to the viewer to decide what they want to believe: did a creature commit this crime or was it really only a human?

The visuals presented throughout the series are quite impressive. Many of these types of docuseries will overlay bland image after bland image in a quite boring fashion, but Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal spices it up a notch. Mixing beautiful on-location video footage with crafty animation, the series places you directly into the setting of each episode. Especially eye-catching are the transitions prominent in many episodes that switch from an animation of a location to an almost exactly matching real-life shot of the same location.

Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal also touches on some unexpected topics in several of its episodes. Many of these cases tie in to societal issues, such as politics, the justice system, racism, corruption, and more. The parallels between these cases, the supernatural, and these issues are fascinating, and at times saddening, to behold. I applaud the series for taking the extra step here and focusing on some topics that many similar shows might not.

As with any series, there are some episodes and some moments that fall a bit short compared to the larger series as a whole; not all are created equally, unfortunately. There are of course those that are enthralling, gluing the viewer to the screen. Then, there are some that are not quite as intriguing as they could be.

The series is at its best when it fully leans into the supernatural element while also presenting all viewpoints on what really occurred, leaving the audience unsure of what really took place and questioning their own beliefs. However, some episodes don’t lean into the paranormal enough at all, and instead provide heavy evidence of the logical conclusions with the paranormal theories serving as a mere sprinkle on top. It is these episodes that are the most lackluster, as they essentially play out as a typical “whodunit” cold-case investigation.

The episodes can be a bit all over the place, as well. There are several instances where supernatural material will be introduced, but then the show will take a long break from that and introduce more plausible causes, only to bring back the supernatural element very close to the end. A bit more equal, spread-out coverage of everything would be better here. For a series title that includes “Crimes of the Paranormal,” there are a frustrating few episodes that do not focus on that aspect enough.

Even so, every episode has some intrigue to it, even the weaker ones. The strongest episodes more than make up for some of the lesser ones, and the testimony and interviews in each and every episode are top-notch, as are the visuals. Overall, Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal is a compelling series that puts an intriguing spin on the typical cold case. I think audiences everywhere will enjoy learning about local legends and threats, and the dangers that are even closer to home.

Matt Patti

Matt Patti has enjoyed voicing his opinions on films from a young age. He has lived in the Baltimore, Maryland, area since 2015 and is a graduate of Stevenson University’s Film & Moving Image program. Matt is currently back at Stevenson University, working as the School of Design, Arts, and Communication's Studio Manager.