REVIEW: ‘Agents of Mystery’ Is A Unique Reality Series

Six players are tasked with solving bizarre mysteries that see them squaring off with the likes of a satanic cult and an undersea monster. In order to get through the myriad puzzles ahead of them, they must use deduction, observation, and teamwork. With only six hours to get through each scenario, Agents of Mystery will test them to their fullest in this unique reality TV series. 

This series creates an odd presentation for its audience. The six players try to buy into the scenarios they are tasked with each story, but not to the fullest. There is never any doubt that the players are as aware that this is a harmless TV show as the viewer is. As the dangers of the series present themselves, Agents of Mystery feels more like adult make-believe than an attempt to sell a genuine narrative. This leaves the series with a unique and sometimes intriguing energy about it, but not really engaging.

The show’s six episodes are split into two three-episode tales. The first deals with a cult in an abandoned warehouse, while the other sees the group investigate a deep-sea mini-sub researching marine life. The group is sent out with a couple of objectives to complete each time and a six-hour window in which to complete them. From the moment the investigation begins, Agents of Mystery loses any suspension of disbelief.

As the group enters each room, they quickly begin checking every cupboard, closet, and dry-erase board for clues, useful tools, or other potentially important items. This approach makes sense but clashes with the rest of the story being told. The obvious reminder that this is all an elaborate game comes to clash with the players frantically hiding from roaming guards, acting as if they are genuinely scared. They know what is going on, otherwise, they would be far more surprised by the overly elaborate locking mechanisms on doors only found in video games.

This back-and-forth between fantasy and reality is the show’s greatest hurdle. It’s impressive how much the players try to embrace the narrative when they are confronted with obviously dummy corpses or B-movie-style monsters, but all their other actions actively work to betray the scenario that unfolds.

How the players interact with the narrative may struggle, but how they bond with each other is thoroughly enjoyable. Agents of Mystery’s strongest element is how well the group gels together. Running jokes and close bonds between the players develop in wonderfully organic ways. Despite the short, six-episode count, you feel like the group comes together in a way.

The only thing that some reality TV fans may miss from the cast is any sort of tension. There is no butting heads or players competing to be lead investigator. Everyone gets along with each other, bringing no drama to the group dynamics.

Despite struggles with how the cast interacts with narratives, those narratives themselves are generally interesting. While the broad strokes for both stories will be familiar to horror fans, there are enough little twists to keep them from feeling overly cliche. The group’s run-in with the cult in the first half of the series is the best of the two stories. The final solution used to prevent the cult from bringing hell to earth was ingenious and fun. Love seeing a maniacal cultist get what’s coming to him.

Agents of Mystery also has a handful of great visual moments. A couple of clever special effects sequences bring some extra life to the series. The “teleporter” used to transport the group to their assignments is particularly fun. These standouts are not the norm, however, as many of the show’s elements are nothing short of cheesy. Clearly, rubber corpses litter the submersible of the second story, as does a less-than-convincing monster.

While I don’t regret watching Agents of Mystery, nothing in it would’ve held my interest enough to finish it if I didn’t need to write this review. Its cast has charm, and some creative elements in the story keep things interesting, but its inability to sell its stories as a whole makes it hard to become invested in what is happening.

Agents of Mystery is streaming now on Netflix.