Common Sense Media Review
By Robert Yaniz Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Supernatural mystery pod has ghosts and spirits.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Listen
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
ORIGINS UNKNOWN tells the story of 16-year-old podcaster Max Emerson. Max has moved with his mom and younger sister to the small town of Copper Heights, Ohio. It doesn't take long for Max to discover something strange is going on in his new neighborhood. Along with his friends Cassidy and Colby, he investigates the arrival of mysterious packages delivered to their neighbors and their possible connection to a string of recent disappearances. But these teens might not be the only ones hot on the trail of this seemingly supernatural mystery.
Is It Any Good?
Origins Unknown is an engaging spooky mystery for fans of scary ghost stories. It adheres to the top-notch production standards fans of Pinna's library of audio content are used to. The initial setup – small-town teens investigating strange occurrences – feels like Scooby-Doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Stranger Things, but the story itself features plenty of twists and turns that keep it feeling frightfully fresh and new.
The scares live up to the hype, particularly for the age group Origins Unknown is targeting. Parents should listen before deciding if this podcast is appropriate for their kids and their specific sensibilities. Origins Unknown is the perfect stepping stone for budding horror fans, especially since it's audio only, with no scary images.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Origins Unknown depicts the dynamics between kids and adults. There's a general sense of mistrust between kids and their parents and certainly kids and the police. How does this theme raise the stakes of the story? Is there a negative impact to depicting authority figures as unreliable?
One theme running through Origins Unknown is grieving the loss of a loved one. What does the podcast say about the process of moving on with one's life after such a tragic event? How can you relate to this?
Origins Unknown features an evil spirit who enters the world through relics of the past. Is the show making a commentary about how these items might be haunting the present just as the spirits themselves do? Can you think of some cultures that celebrate items from the past and loved ones that have passed?
Podcast Details
- Release date : August 29, 2020
- Genre : Storytelling
- Run time : 20 minutes
- Production Companies and Networks : Pinna , Wonkybot
- Pricing structure : Free to try, Paid (Free sampling is available, as is the first episode of 'Origins Unknown.' Subscription plans start at $5.99 per month, billed annually.)
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , Fantasy
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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