Find the door
Close Your Eyes review
Production company – Cryptic Radio
Rating – 
This podcast seems to have appeared I’m my subscription list quite of its own accord. I honestly don’t remember how or where I heard of this and yet here it is. I had no idea what it was about, who made it, or why I should have added it in the first place (other than my insatiable appetite for new podcasts). So relax, close your eyes, and focus only on my voice. The review will start in 10…9…8…
So what’s it about?
Episode 1 kicks off with a rather sinister sounding hypnotic induction or maybe a guided meditation. After going off the rails rather quickly, we jump forward to meet our two protagonists. Dylan, a business savvy salesman, and Morgan, the host of a podcast that looks into all manner of mysteries.
After Dylan receives a series of texts from his estranged brother Caleb, he starts looking into a mysterious organisation/cult called Ignotia. He meets up with childhood friend Morgan and they are soon falling down the rabbit hole of shell companies, online message boards and FBI investigations.
As he infiltrates Ignotia and progresses through the group, the stakes are raised ever higher, and Dylan realises just how much danger he’s in. Surely Ignotia can’t really do what they claim though. Can they?
Is it any good?
When I first started this podcast, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. It seemed similar to other shows I knew, some I liked, some not so much. I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong though. And I’ll always give a show a fair try. Thankfully, I was wrong. Well, mostly.
As the story progresses, the feeling of Dylan’s paranoia becomes increasingly palpable. I can’t remember a series that actually makes me feel so nervous. This is where the series really stands out, and it is by far the strongest element of the show.
The voice acting and characterisation is pretty good. There are no real weak links, and the more clichéd characters toe the line well, and are still believable. Morgan can’t help but repeat taglines for her podcast whenever she meets someone new. We all know someone a bit like that don’t we?
The actual cast is very limited. Despite Ignotia being (apparently) a very large group, you never get the impression that there’s actually more than a few people in any one scene. This just occurred to me, but I actually quite like that. It keeps everything focused on the main characters and I’m sure that’s what helps build the tension.
Final thoughts
It’s refreshing to hear a podcast that puts its opposition to AI front and center of every episode. As someone who is a writer, and an artist/designer I am increasingly skeptical of the reliance on AI. I penalised a previously reviewed podcast for its use of AI art, and even background voices. I am increasingly conflicted whether criticise a show for using AI art, but then a lot of my favourite shows would score a lot lower than they perhaps should.
This is an audio drama that is well worth your time. Season 3 is only just underway, so there are plenty of episodes to sink your teeth into here.
You can get Close Your Eyes here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods