Sam and Colby: Paranormal Investigators Review

The series releases one episode every Wednesday and Sunday, which I consider a perfect schedule. It leaves viewers enough time to stay hooked without abandoning them with too long of a gap between ‘Hell Week’ episodes; I know we have all been annoyed by one show or another releasing weekly episodes.

With over 16 million subscribers, Sam and Colby are undoubtedly very popular creators with a die-hard fanbase. This fanbase easily transfers to Netflix, as audiences can now watch their content more easily, especially the ‘Best Of’ episodes, which feature fan favourites like ‘Surviving the World’s Most Demonic Island’. In this episode, they investigate Poveglia, a small island between Venice and Lido. The island has a starkly dark history, as it was a site of mass graves, quarantine for victims of the Black Plague, and a psychiatric asylum. It is strictly closed to tourists, so the duo (and their guest) were trespassing illegally, which puts their content in a grey area.

In my opinion, though, such ‘adventures’ help us, as consumers, understand the world around us by answering many questions about paranormal phenomena that are otherwise largely unexplored. Although it is understandable why it may be viewed as unreasonably dangerous, there is little reward for such an expedition if someone is injured or arrested (again).

One of my favourite episodes of this year’s ‘Hell Week’ was ‘Dracula’s Castle: The Night That Made Him Believe’. Along with other YouTube sensations, Dan and Phil, the group explored Corvin Castle in Romania. It is considered one of Europe’s most haunted medieval castles, with a reputation built on torture and dungeons. From a cursed well where three Turkish prisoners dug a 30-meter well for 15 years in exchange for freedom, they were then executed instead and carved the phrase “you have water, but no soul” on a wall. Visitors reported hearing ghostly cries near the well, and local folklore claims Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned in the castle’s dungeons for seven years. As a result, the castle has a deep history which I find particularly interesting and is one of the show’s main draws.

The group gathered stark evidence that the castle was haunted using EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors, which supposedly tracks spirits through electromagnetic spikes, and a spirit box, which captures unexplained voices as it rapidly scans radio frequencies. They also used motion sensors such as the ‘dead bell’, which they could hear moving when it wasn’t coming from the group itself. Alongside this, they used their signature Estes Method to contact spirits, in which an investigator is placed in sensory deprivation through a blindfold and noise-cancelling headphones. In this, Phil was captured responding automatically to questions the group answered despite not being able to hear them speak, saying things such as the spirit was tortured “slow” and that home was “safe”.

Understandably, however, they are often criticised as potential frauds as well as overdramatising parts of the series for entertainment. In my opinion, this isn’t as big of an issue as the internet controversies make it out to be, because the show’s purpose is to entertain, not necessarily to provide accurate information. The authenticity of their clips is therefore debatable: fans see their footage as genuine proof of an afterlife, while sceptics see it more as a hook for engagement. To me, it doesn’t matter much; it’s entertaining content, and you should take anything online with a grain of salt.

All in all, I’ve enjoyed watching all the episodes of Paranormal Investigators (so far). They offer a unique insight into afterlife theories that you don’t see in many other TV shows, which may lean more towards fiction than fact. They carry on the legacy of paranormal TV from iconic shows such as Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, while incorporating a light air of comedy that overall creates an entertaining mix of educational and engaging viewing.

★★★★ ½