Fix: paranormal drama, haunted houses, ghosts, telekinesis, spooky season, Canadian actors
Platforms: Hulu
Hulu Summary:
Aided by his own remarkable abilities and an eclectic team of associates, real estate agent Luke Roman specializes in clearing and closing haunted houses.
FYA Summary:
Luke Roman sees dead people, but more importantly, he and his boutique residential real estate brokerage specialize in selling “metaphysically engaged” properties, aka haunted houses. Accompanied by a tech whiz inventor, a paranormal researcher defrocked priest, and a savvy office manager, they successfully sell the houses that typically scare would-be buyers away. In the pilot, the agency brings in a new agent, a “people person” with a special skillset that’s perfect for the Roman Agency. As she gets up to speed on what makes her new employer different, and the office dynamics are tested, spooky hijinks ensue.
With a typical monster-of-the-week format in the form of haunted houses and/or possessed family members, plus an over-arcing season Big Bad in the form of one house so ominous, it’s impossible to believe someone chooses to live there, SurrealEstate is pretty standard network fare. But since it’s cable, at least they get to curse! Originally premiering on SyFy, the show was canceled after season one only to be uncancelled a few months later, which is possibly why it’s taken a full two years for the second season to debut. Which means this is the perfect time for you to get caught up!
Familiar Faces:
Sarah Levy as Susan Ireland and Tim Rozon as Luke Roman
Sarah Levy (and her amazing hair) was last seen dating Tim Rozon (with a questionable beard) on Schitt’s Creek before she lost him to Alexis. In my house, Tim Rozon is also best known for playing Doc Holliday on the belovedly weird genre show, Wynonna Earp. Suffice it to say, these folks have good chemistry. Here, Susan is Luke’s perpetually chipper new hire who gets tossed into the deep end of the pool on day one.
Maurice Dean Wint as August Ripley, Adam Korson as Father Phil Orley, and Savannah Basley as Zooey L’Enfant
August is in charge of the tech gear that helps the group do their job (for some reason, most of it looks hella steampunk), while Father Phil is in charge of historic records and occult rituals. Zooey is the snarky fun one of the group who keeps things running smoothly.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Buddy System
Love Zillow? Can spot a haunted house from clicks away? Me too! Like Bedlam before it, SurrealEstate is the perfect watch for people who are into creepy real estate but are too chickenshit to commit to full on horror movies. Which means you can watch it solo in broad daylight, but if you’re a wimp like me, you require a buddy for night viewings. So, find a genre-loving friend who appreciates a nice wine vintage enough to go down into the creepy wine cellar to grab it for you.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Liquid Courage
As previously mentioned, this show is creepy! Plus, there’s enough atmospherically dismal weather and coat porn onscreen to really help you lean into those cozy vibes while peeking out from under your blanket. That’s definitely a good enough excuse for some autumnal cocktails, spiked tea, Fireball, whatever sets the mood. Hey, I don’t know your life.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Spooky Season
I love a seasonal watch, but since I’m also the person who needed two tries just to get through Jennifer’s Body, I’m not exactly a horror aficionado. SurrealEstate is a great pick for an October binge, plus, it’s just a fun show. It’s full of quirky characters with interesting backstories, some fun mysteries, and a good amount of occult trivia if that’s your jam. The writing and acting do a decent job of getting viewers invested enough to care about the employees of the Roman Agency and why they’ve chosen the careers they have and how they relate to each other. It’s a little bit of a take on the found family trope that I love, but with a twist – found co-workers! So, pull up your cozy throw blanket (and jack down the A/C if you’re in the south) and toss a splash of whiskey in your teacup, and settle in for some paranormally challenged residential properties.
We published this review during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. This work would not exist without the labor of actors, and we support their goals.
