UK indie horror icon Ayvianna Snow, who returns to the screen with three new films for the first quarter of 2024, including Punch, Burnt Flowers and Bogieville, shares some of her favourite spooky podcasts and why she loves them:
Mysterious Universe: For well-read, excellently researched paranormal discussion (which can often be hilarious, too), Ben & Aaron’s podcast is undoubtedly the best. With over 30 seasons of content, they cover the paranormal, UFOs, and Bigfoot, as well as science news, cults, folklore, and much more. They also occasionally cover events (like Contact In The Desert). It blows my mind how dedicated they are and how many books they must have read over the years; the research they do is incredible. You can also find some interesting articles on their website, www.mysteriousuniverse.org, and if the weekly free episode is not enough, subscribers can access extended episodes and a weekly bonus episode, too.
It’s impossible to talk about the paranormal these days and NOT mention Danny Robbins, the writer, broadcaster, journalist and purveyor of all things spooky! As much as I adore the short (and often terrifying) Uncanny episodes, I discovered Danny via The Battersea Poltergeist podcast series. Still, my favourite series has to be The Witch Farm. If you want to be immersed in terror (outside of a really good horror film, of course!), this series will have you switching the lights back on and experiencing a deep sense of unease long after you have finished listening. What a story! The fact it’s real life (just like all the material covered in Danny’s podcasts) makes it even more terrifying.
Wild Thing: Laura Krantz’s excellent podcast series covers science and society with well-informed and researched episodes. Season 1 focuses on Bigfoot and Season 2 on aliens. Laura found out that she was related to anthropologist Grover Krantz – a large part of his career was spent writing about and hunting for sasquatch, and this is the inspiration behind her creating the first series. Wild Thing is an informative and enjoyable listen.
It’s not spooky as in paranormal, but what list of creepy podcasts would be complete without a True Crime entry? Wondery’s Killer Psyche is worth checking out. Candice DeLong, a retired FBI agent, reveals what motivated these killers. What makes it more compelling is that she often talks about cases she was close to and shares criminal profiling techniques and other insider knowledge. This is a fascinating podcast.
Ghost Story: Another epic podcast from Wondery, Ghost Story is highly bingeable. Through some strange coincidences (which will make you catch your breath!), journalist Tristan Redman is inspired to go poking about in his wife’s family history, aiming to solve a murder from over 80 years ago. This is a slick podcast, and again, it’s real life. The twists and turns (and the concerned opinions of Tristan’s wife’s family) will keep you engaged as this fascinating tale unfolds.
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