Buzzfeed Unsolved is one of the best-known ghost-hunting shows around, with a whopping 15 seasons of witty banter and some proving ghost evidence. The show was split into two parts: Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej trying to crack cold cases in the True Crime category and hunting ghosts and demons in the Supernatural seasons. The show began in 2016 and released its final season in 2021, to the disappointment of many fans, changing the ghost hunting and crime scene forever. The hosts, Ryan and Shane heard the cries of the long-time fans of Buzzfeed Unsolved and moved to their personal YouTube channel, Watcher, to sate the fan’s hunger for horror. 

The teasers dropped a month after Buzzfeed Unsolved ended and only made people more excited. As the weather got warmer, the teaser videos got longer and longer until a full-blown trailer was released with more to show than anything Unsolved has ever given us. It was clear that they were holding back their full potential while under Buzzfeed’s influence and this new ghost hunting show, labeled Ghost Files, put their full potential on display. Better equipment, new haunted locations, and a lot of interaction with fans were in store for the inevitable and well-awaited release of Ghost Files. 

On September 2, Watcher’s (wearewatcher) published an ominous post on Instagram in large neon green font with the Files logo. The only words on it were “22 DAYS”, which could only mean that the show that Watcher had hyped up was due to release on September 23 with a bang. As the sun rose on the morning of the 23rd of September, a countdown was posted on Watcher’s story, and sooner than later, a new era had begun.

The first Ghost Files video was filmed at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, a haunted tuberculosis ward that closed in 1961 after thousands of people died from sickness. Ryan and Shane spent hours revisiting the Sanatorium, which they had explored in their second season in Unsolved. Although they had already explored Waverly Hills, they expanded their hunting equipment, including a spirit box filter and something called the REM-Pod. This can detect temperature changes and emits an EMF, or electromagnetic field, that ghosts can manipulate to let their presence be known. Their camera game also increased, as each of them has a setup on a helmet that is used during solo investigations to capture all sorts of angles, no matter how unflattering they may be. This new equipment helped advance their hunting abilities by a large margin, but they still found a way to mistake a fart for ghost evidence. The gear also assisted in finding some compelling ghost evidence, well, at least Ryan thinks so.

Even though a lot of things changed in this new show and the future for Ghost Files is unknown, Ryan and Shane’s friendship and love for ghost hunting did not change at all. The banter between them is the same and their humorous comments during exploring have not changed. Shane continues to not believe that ghosts are real, while Ryan will believe any little thing is ghost evidence. Though their views contradict each other, it’s the fun tension needed to keep the show light to contrast against the dark history of the locations and evidence found. The show will continue for an unknown time, but its certain that Ghost Files will be sticking around on Watcher for a while. So whether you’re a Shaniac or Boogara, Ghost Files has already proved to be one of the most eventful and entertaining ghost hunting shows of this year and the near future.