‘Ghost Files’ Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara Are the Best Ghost Hunters in the Biz

The Big Picture

• Ghost Files, created by Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej, departed from traditional ghost-hunting shows by focusing on their personalities and relationship dynamics rather than heavily relying on paranormal evidence. Their contrasting worldviews provide comedic banter and entertaining moments for viewers.
• The success of Ghost Files lies in the balance between the eerie environments and Ryan’s belief in the paranormal, and Shane’s skepticism and reliance on science and reason. This dynamic allows for hilariously absurd moments and a voice for skeptics in the room.
• The production value of Ghost Files has significantly improved compared to BuzzFeed Unsolved, including aesthetic design, CGI, equipment, and the inclusion of fan-submitted testimonials. The Watcher Entertainment umbrella has provided artistic freedom and elevated the series to feel like a labor of love.

Ghost hunting media is nothing new. Shakespeare had a tendency to include specters in his work (most famously in Hamlet), accounts of supernatural encounters have been reported in print media stretching back to the 18th century, spiritualism saw a rise in the 19th and 20th centuries, and shows like Unsolved Mysteries and Ghost Hunters have become staples of television on certain cable channels. In a 2019 poll sampling the American population, nearly half of respondents aged 18 and up said they believed in ghosts. While an interesting figure, it still leaves a slight majority of the population who do not. That’s a lot of people who have been widely ignored by supernatural entertainment, at least until a few years ago. In 2016, Ryan Bergara and friend Shane Madej joined as the creative team behind Buzzfeed Unsolved: a supernatural and true crime anthology series that quickly became a coveted show for millions of viewers. After departing Unsolved in 2021, they embarked on their own independent creative venture Ghost Files, with their premiere episode on September 23 racking up millions of views on YouTube and now with a Season 3 on the way. Understanding the circumstances of why they rose to such acclaim, however, lies in the format of the shows themselves.

‘Ghost Files’ Is Vastly Different From Other Ghost Hunting Shows

The formula for BuzzFeed Unsolved is a masterclass in engaging serial entertainment. Most ghost-hunting shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Nation, and many others tend to blend together stylistically. A group of very self-serious paranormal investigators pulls out all kinds of pseudo-scientific gadgets to uncover what would otherwise be damning evidence of paranormal existence. That would be the case, however, if the results weren’t most likely staged. Where Unsolved, and now Ghost Files, depart from this formula is how they do not put the burden of entertainment on the evidence, instead focusing on the personalities and relationship dynamics of Shane and Ryan.

Ryan, the figurehead of the fan-named “Boogaras,” is a staunch believer in the paranormal. His “Rosebud” moment, Ryan has explained, occurred as a teenager during a stay aboard the supposedly haunted H.M.S. Queen Mary. He has said that after being poked in the face all night with nobody else awake in the room, a video of him brushing his teeth shows a small bag of toothpaste falling to the floor in an act that he claims is supernatural.

Shane, on the other hand, has not had any such toothpaste moment. A skeptic through and through, Shane doesn’t flinch even in the face of the most insidious supposed ghouls. He falls back time and again on science and reason of the physical world around him, and this is where the main entertainment value of the show emerges. The tension between their views leads to hilarious banter and equally amusing moments of action. Investigating a demon? You bet that while Ryan’s trying his best not to sprint out of the room, Shane’s laying down on the pentagram and imploring the ghouls to possess his mortal form.

‘Ghost Files’ Works Because Ryan and Shane Have Opposing Views

Unsolved is a format that can only function with such contrasting worldviews, but also one that could only work with Ryan and Shane specifically. In the best possible way, they’re allowed to say and do hilariously stupid things that are heightened by the tone they establish. It’s a balance between the eeriness of Ryan’s explanation of the sites and the creepy environments they are in that is constantly undercut by Shane’s indomitable disbelief in anything supernatural. Half of the population who are also skeptics (or “Shaniacs”) finally have a voice in the room — and he’s not taking this investigation seriously either.

Because the majority of the entertainment value comes from their personalities, not nearly as much stake is put in the evidence as in other ghost-hunting shows. Remarkably, almost nothing remotely supernatural happens in most of the episodes. Sure, the spirit box might spurt out some muddled message or Ryan will claim he’s seen an orb, but this establishes much more credibility to their investigations than other paranormal shows achieve. That means when something genuinely odd does happen, you know the Ghoul Boys didn’t fake it because they don’t have to.

This philosophical conflict between Ryan and Shane becomes an example of 19th-century foundational thinking called the Hegelian dialectic. According to the Stanford Library of Philosophy, the dialectic is a method of reasoning in which contradiction between a thesis and antithesis ultimately leads to a synthesis of higher thought. The Ghoul Boys’ tools, arguments, and evidence become similarly more advanced, resulting in increasingly entertaining and intellectually stimulating final products.

As the two have been ghost hunting for years, Ryan has become more accustomed to the supernatural environments they visit. That isn’t to say that he is completely immune, as the right piece of evidence at the right time still sends Ryan reeling, his eyes wide and alert staring breathlessly into the space around him. It’s also this dynamic that provides some of the best comedic moments of the show. A perennial rule of comedy is the “straight and absurd” character dynamic. Ghost Files is structured in a way where that status is easily swapped between the two, with Shane as a wacky usurper of Ryan’s serious tone easily giving way to Ryan’s panicked state and Shane’s stability. You might as well be watching one of Abbott and Costello’s outings with the classic movie monsters.

‘Ghost Files’ Is an Improvement on ‘Buzzfeed Unsolved’

The “Taylor’s Version” of BuzzFeed Unsolved — or the refined descendant of the Ghoul Boys’ ghost hunting format, Ghost Files, has everything you could ask for in a worthy successor. The production value has clearly spared no expense including the overall aesthetic, scenic design, CGI renderings, and equipment all receiving a huge step-up. The framing device of the show is a bit Ghostbusters-esque: the opening shot of each episode depicts Shane and Ryan answering a literal phone call to investigate a supposedly haunted location. The most prominent addition, however, is the inclusion of fan-submitted testimonials of haunted occurrences in the specific sites. Not only is this a nice way to include fans in the series, but it provides fuller context for supposedly haunted occurrences at the specific site.

Certain mainstays have also been streamlined or enhanced in this new series. The infamous spirit box has two new methods: a less obnoxious version cutting out most of the grating static and a second technique using either Shane or Ryan to channel and repeat what they hear as the other asks questions. The final solo investigations of the night also now consist of Shane hiding a walkie-talkie for Ryan to find, creating active tension and variety in a segment that would otherwise have the potential to stagnate after too much repetition. An important feature that some viewers might not notice regards the Ghoul Boys’ dedication to producing quality evidence. The sites that the team visits are smaller scale, often lesser-known haunted locations because certain spots like haunted hotels would have a high capacity for interference. Who knows if that bump was a ghoul or a customer dropping their luggage?

The end product of a Ghost Files episode feels more artistic than its predecessor. Rather than an output of a multimedia company like BuzzFeed, the Watcher umbrella allows for directors, producers, editors, and more to all pursue a singular creative vision. Watcher Entertainment has carved out a production model which allows for endless artistic freedom while not stooping to certain flashy YouTube pitfalls. It’s television caliber entertainment, and Ghost Files might be the best example of that.

Ghost Files feels like the two looked at their existing format, identified both pain points as well as places to incorporate even more fun, and fixed those spots to make Ghost Files not just an imitator of BuzzFeed Unsolved, but an improvement upon it. The tension between their views on the supernatural is still paramount, and as such, the show retains everything that worked in the previous series. Back in 2016, Ryan and Shane created a truly inspired formula for ghost-hunting content, something that cannot be replicated by any other two paranormal investigators. The company the two founded alongside Steven Lim, Watcher Entertainment, has clearly allowed the team the creative freedom to pursue their innovative passion projects. Because of this, Ghost Files is not only honing a winning formula but permeates an energy of being a labor of love. The series is elevated from its predecessor to feel like something personal to Ryan and Shane, and it truly shows. The paranormal has fascinated audiences for centuries, and the team behind Watcher has raised the bar on the format. The mystery of Ryan and Shane’s success is not something that will remain unsolved.

Ghost Files releases new episodes weekly every Friday on Watcher.

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