What is Files of the Unexplained about? Netflix documentary explained

Here’s everything you need to know about Netflix’s latest documentary series, Files of the Unexplained. We’ve got a breakdown of what each episode is about and whether it’s worth watching at all. 

There are plenty of exciting new true crime documentaries to add to your watchlist this month. We’ve got the Jennifer Pan docuseries and the much-anticipated second season of one of the best serial killer documentaries, The Jinx.

Making its debut next is Files of the Unexplained. The show follows in the footsteps of real-life anthologies such as Encounters and Unsolved Mysteries revival. 

Files of the Unexplained is streaming on Netflix now, so here’s everything you need to know about the docuseries. And, we’ve even got a bonus rundown of the Lake Lanier mystery. 

What is Files of the Unexplained about?

Files of the Unexplained is an eight-part documentary series that details a different mystery in each episode, ranging from hauntings to UFOs… and gelatinous blobs falling from the sky. 

Check out the trailer below: 

Netflix’s description reads: “Each episode explores seemingly inexplicable tales told by those who experienced them — from apparitions witnessed by guests at a plantation to a series of drownings in Georgia. 

“The episodes review an alien abduction in Mississippi, the US government’s investigation of more than 650 unidentified objects and lights, severed feet washing ashore on the West Coast, and more.”

As well as examining the cases at hand, Files of the Unexplained puts these eerie encounters into context with news stories, documentation, witness testimony, and expert analysis. 

These real-life mysteries take place in areas across North America, including: Yuba County, California; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana; Lake Lanier in Georgia; Mount Shasta in California; Oakville in Washington; and the Salish Sea in British Columbia. 

Files of the Unexplained episode guide

Here’s your guide to each of the eight episodes of Files of the Unexplained and what they’re about: 

• Episode 1 centers on a 1973 fishing trip in Pascagoula, Mississippi, that resulted in two men claiming to have been abducted by aliens, leaving them searching for answers
• Episode 2 looks at The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is said to be haunted by ghosts from the site’s complicated and sinister history
• Episode 3 takes a deep dive into the Yuba County Five, a group of men who disappeared without a trace in 1978
• Episode 4 takes a look at the decades-long claims of various US military members who have reported unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and the Department of Defense whistleblower who came forward in 2023
• Episode 5 is a chilling investigation into Lake Lanier, a man-made lake in Georgia with a sinister past and present, having claimed hundreds of lives and sparked local ghost stories
• Episode 6 explores the mysteries of Mount Shasta, a sacred spot for the Karuk people, one of the largest Indigenous tribes in California
• Episode 7 examines the bizarre 1994 phenomenon in Oakville, Washington, that saw gelatinous blobs falling from the sky and causing illness among the locals
• Episode 8 takes us to the Salish Sea in British Columbia, where numerous severed feet washed ashore, leading authorities to suspect foul play

Files of the Unexplained: What is Lake Lanier?

Lake Lanier is a man-made, 38,000-acre lake in Georgia built between 1950 to 1957. Over the years, hundreds of people have died there, making it the deadliest lake in the United States. 

Local folklore suggests Lake Lanier is haunted, with many believing these apparitions are tied to the location’s racist history. 

Years before the lake was made, a nearby town called Oscarville was established by freed slaves after the Civil War. It had a vibrant community before it was ultimately submerged by the rising waters during the construction of Lake Lanier.

Netflix

In September 1912, a white woman named Ellen Grice claimed a black man had tried to sexually assault her. Later that month, another white woman, Mae Crow, was attacked and raped.

Although she never regained consciousness, the white community blamed three African American males, one of whom was killed without trial. 

This created a media frenzy, with white people driving out the African American community. They were forced out of their homes in the dead of night and had no other option but to cross Chattahoochee River, which would later become Lake Lanier. 

Not only was this a potentially fatal task, but the use of the bridge wasn’t permitted. It’s believed dozens, potentially hundreds of African Americans died crossing the river. 

Despite this dark history, approximately 10 million people flock to Lake Lanier every year, many of them attracted by the ghost stories. 

Since the release of Files of the Unexplained, viewers have shared their thoughts on the case. 

“Files of the Unexplained on Netflix is killing me right now. There’s an episode on Lake Lanier and these people are just NOT GETTING IT,” said one on X, while another wrote, “Last time I went to lake Lanier was in the 8th grade… do not fool with that sh*t.”

A third added, “Why would people even swim in Lake Lanier? If someone drowned in my apartment pool I would be hesitant.”

Is Files of the Unexplained worth watching?

Although it’s too early for a Rotten Tomatoes score, Files of the Unexplained has received some positive reviews so far. 

Decider recommended the show, saying: “Like this show’s predecessors, Files Of The Unexplained is designed to get you intrigued about the particular incidents in question and research them further if you’re interested. 

“Given that we had either not heard of or forgotten the Pascagoula incident before watching this first episode, and now we’re curious, the show did the job it set out to do.”

Elsewhere, Heaven of Horror wrote: “The fact that this docuseries comes from the creators of the Explained series which also focused on bite-size documentary shorts is perfect… they already have the format down and tend to be very good at focusing on more than one side of the subject or case.”

Files of the Unexplained is streaming on Netflix now. You can also check out more TV shows to stream this month and the best new movies coming out in April. If you like eerie goings on, you may also like our list of the best horror movies, and want to learn all about the Alien: Romulus release date.