Podcasting and crime drama converge in psychological thriller 'Something Undone'

Two podcasters try to uncover the truth behind a decades-long small-town murder mystery. But as the couple soon discover, some secrets want to stay buried.

A man and a woman peer down at something out of focus in front of them. The woman is wearing a beanie and the man a coat, suggesting the weather is cold.

Michael Musi and Madison Walsh in Something Undone. Credit: 4AM Film Studios / Little Mama Media

Back in 2015, when the podcast phenomenon Serial was in every listener's ears and all anyone could talk about on TV was Robert Durst’s jaw dropping revelation on The Jinx, you’d be forgiven for thinking the true crime genre had reached its cultural zenith.

But in more recent times, we’ve witnessed an altogether different type of melding of these two audio and visual mediums - where fiction and non-fiction combine, drama is integral to the narrative, and podcasters become the protagonists in a new style of storytelling.

We’ve seen this clever conceit put to good use in the likes of 2018’s Halloween remake, the hit comedy Only Murders in the Building, and in new crime series Something Undone, which may just be the scariest thing to come out of Canada since Skinamarink.

The plot of this edgy drama, which

started life as a web series

before becoming a television series, centres around Farid (Michael Musi) and Jo (Madison Walsh), two halves of the creative team behind a successful true crime podcast series. Each brings their own unique set of skills to the table – Farid as host and narrator and Jo as the resourceful foley artist bringing it all to life (a foley artist creates sound effects, adding those 'everyday' sounds that make film, video or podcasts so realistic).

A man in a dark caot and beanie stands in a dim outdoor setting. Buildings can be seen, our of focus, behind him.

Farid (Michael Musi). Credit: 4AM Film Studios / Little Mama Media

While Farid travels to the small town of Briddus, Newfoundland, in hopes of uncovering the truth behind the long-dormant case of a family of five who were gruesomely murdered 30 years earlier, Jo sets to work recording the soundscape that will accompany the show's narration, while living in and preparing her deceased mother’s country home for sale.

Over the course of the series, Farid and Jo – who are a couple as well as podcast partners – are challenged at every turn by a looming deadline, a town unwilling to dig up the ghosts of its past, and their own inner demons, which pose a threat not only to their journalistic endeavours, but also their state of mind.

What makes Farid and Jo’s quest for answers so fascinating is the way in which we, the audience, have a degree of familiarity with how these types of podcasts are put together – from following up on leads and constructing a compelling narrative to producing an immersive soundscape.

And it’s this meta approach to the soundscape which is perhaps the show's greatest strength, bringing to mind old films like Blow Out and The Conversation in which sound plays an integral role.

A woman sits at a table in a cluttered kitchen, holding a mug in both hands. A box of tapes, an old tape player and a pile of black and white photographs sit on the table in front of her.

Jo (Madison Walsh) in her mother's house. Credit: 4AM Film Studios / Little Mama Media

In particular, the way Jo is slowly haunted by the memory of her dead mother is reminiscent of the 2012 cult classic Berberian Sound Studio, where the lead character's paranoia is fed by the recordings they must scrutinise with forensic detail. Something Undone places us firmly in the characters’ heads by using only very minimal music and allowing us to experience all manner of unsettling sounds exactly as they do.

This is not only an effective way of providing us with an insight into Jo and Farid’s deteriorating mindset, but also helps create a generally unsettling atmosphere that is only heightened by the icy cold setting of Newfoundland, where much of the action takes place – a desolate corner of Canada that has more than a hint of a certain other snow set drama series. Indeed, fans of another tense and often chilly Canadian drama, Cardinal, will recognise actor Billy Campbell, who plays a mysterious pastor in this series.

A man in a blue shirt stands side-on, looking down. Another man can be seen behind him.

Billy Campbell in 'Something Undone'. Credit: Enzo Romero / 4AM Film Studios / Little Mama Media

But while the cheerful demeanour of the local law enforcement officers Farid deals with in the series are at times eerily reminiscent of Fargo’s colourful characters, the isolated nature of this small town makes them far less trusting of outsiders.

As Farid and Jo close in on the truth behind Briddus’ dark past, and their relationship becomes more frayed than ever, there is a very real sense that the case, and their story, may never come to pass.

Something Undone isn’t a series you want to watch alone at night with the curtains drawn, unless of course you are the type who enjoys a good jump scare or two. But if you are looking for an intriguing drama that is more about how murders are portrayed rather than how they are solved, this is a visual and aural treat.

Something Undone is streaming now at SBS On Demand.