Paranormal is Netflix’s upcoming Egyptian horror mystery series created by Amr Salama (Excuse My French). It’s based on the extensive ‘Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa’ (Paranormal) series of novels by the prolific Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, the first of which was published in 1993 and the eighty-first in 2014, shortly before his death in 2018. A medical professor, poet, and author, he’s credited with over two hundred novels and is regarded as one of the most influential contemporary authors in the Arabic-speaking world.
Set in 1960’s Egypt, the series introduces hematologist Dr. Refaat Ismail (Ahmed Amin) who, along with his colleague Maggie McCaleb (Razane Jammal), gets dragged into investigating the world of the paranormal when he starts experiencing mysterious events that he can’t explain.
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
Refaat Ismail (Ahmed Amin), a cynical hematology professor with a dark sense of humor, has his world turned upside down and his lifelong scientific convictions questioned after he begins to experience paranormal activities. Along with his university colleague Maggie (Razane Jammal), they enter the paranormal world and try to save their loved ones from the immense danger that surrounds them.
Let’s take a look:
What immediately stood out to me is the poetic use of language in the voice over. I loved the way he expressed the idea of robbing the wind of its power to move a curtain to empower a supernatural monster, it’s a beautiful turn of phrase. If you don’t mind a bit of reading, assuming you don’t speak Arabic, this looks like a decent horror-mystery series. It seems well-directed, and it’s got all the requisite horror staples like monsters hiding in the dark, creepy kids, and jump scares.
What do you think?
The six-episode-long first season of Paranormal is due for release on Netflix on 5 November. It also stars Ahmed Dash, Samma Ibrahim, and Aya Samaha.
Last Updated: October 6, 2020
