Original Wit in Netflix’s ‘Prank Encounters’

Netflix recently introduced the second season of Prank Encounters, which is a television prank show that calls two people in and makes them think they are auditioning for a paid role in a film or being hired for a job. 

Prank Encounters is a fairly new show that started production in 2019. The second season of Prank Encountershas just aired April 1 of this year, making it one of Netflix’s hottest commodities right now. Prank Encounters will surely have viewers invested after watching the first episode. 

The key of the show is that the individuals chosen to participate are there to complete a task. What they don’t know, however, is that there is a prank waiting for them. The pranks start with a problem that is introduced to the person that is casted. The person that is casted is in charge of solving that particular problem, but the catch is the pranks are hosted in horror themed places such as haunted mansions, abandoned themed buildings or vacant cemeteries. Unknown to the person that is being casted, the prank is to scare them and is in fact not an audition or job role. 

After watching the first episode of season two, I was not disappointed. Prank Encounters is filled with thrilling storytelling that draws the audience at first glance. The cast demonstrates excellent acting that completes the scenario and leaves the guest and audience guessing what is going to happen. 

There has been speculation about Prank Encounters resembling too much like the earlier famous Syfy show, Scare Tactics, which aired in 2003. Prank Encounters has received negative reviews and backlash due to its lack of originality. Reviews left about the show highlighted how some viewers found it to be disrespectful because of its mocking of actors trying to find real paying jobs. Overall the show has proved its authenticity through its story lines. The story lines are full of raw comedy while also giving the audience a sense of reality, which distinguishes it from Scare Tactics.

To add to the many jump scares and surprises that engage the audience, Stranger Things stars Gaten Matarazzo as the show’s host. The show also brings in other celebrities from different backgrounds to pose as actors such as Peter Giles, Mary Gallagher and Julian Gant. 

After watching Prank Encounters, this show provides a good laugh, mystery and suspense that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Although Prank Encounters has been compared to many prank shows, this show does not lack originality or humor, in the least bit.