Haunted was an extremely short-lived series that debuted in 2002 on the struggling UPN Network. Dark, violent, and humorless, the series aired after Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and just wasn’t the right fit at the time, and didn’t have the good fortune to be on the right network. Haunted would have been much more successful on FOX, where X-Files and Millennium aired and were hits for the network. Haunted most resembles the Chris Carter series Millennium in tone and style. Mark Snow’s creepy score and the overall weirdo atmosphere add much to this unique series. Star Matthew Fox is effective as the brooding Frank Taylor, a private investigator who can communicate with spirits (often angry ones) and must help them find peace.
Matthew Fox (Lost, Party of Five) stars as Frank Taylor. Frank’s life is in ruin after his young son is kidnapped. He loses his marriage and his job on the Seattle police force. After being declared dead, Frank starts to see ghosts who need his help, but not all ghosts are friendly. The one Frank sees most often is Simon, a sociopath/serial killer/pedophile who Frank killed searching for one of Simon’s victims. Simon is effectively played by actor John Mann, is perfectly cast as the bald, demonic psychopath haunting Frank. Frank is hoping one of these cases will lead him to learn what happened to his kidnapped son, Kevin. Haunted has a few major problems, especially the fact that there really is no ending. The series was pulled after 6 episodes on the air and though this DVD set contains all 11 episodes that were shot, viewers are left in limbo as the series was meant to keep going. This doesn’t prevent Haunted from being a must-see though. The only shame is that the show wasn’t given more time to fully explore its dark themes and endless story ideas.
The pilot episode establishes the mood early on, with rain-soaked visuals out of the blockbuster flick Seven and a creepy atmosphere that help to make the show riveting but often oppressive to watch. Haunted also featured some knock-out twist endings that should blow viewers away. Not every episode is perfect, but the series deserved more time on the air to find an audience. Well-acted by the cast (especially Matthew Fox and nemesis John Mann), Haunted is worth your time. The DVD set has a passable picture quality (the grain is no doubt due to the show’s low budget) and the 2 DVD set has all 11 epsiodes from the series. For fans of creepy things that go bump in the night, Haunted is a can’t miss.
Grade: A-
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