REVIEW: The Dark Files explores real-life Stranger Things conspiracy at Camp Hero in Montauk

Have any of you Stranger Things fans ever wondered if something like Hawkins Laboratory could actually exist in real life? Could there be ways in which the government is using mind control without us even knowing? Might there really be a way of connecting to an alternate universe? HISTORY’s exciting docu-drama, The Dark Files, suggests this could be a lot closer to the truth than we think.

The Dark Files follows former CIA operative Barry Eisler, award-winning journalist Steve Volk and filmmaker Chris Garentano as they attempt to uncover the mythologies, conspiracies and accusations that surround an abandoned military base known as ‘Camp Hero’ in Montauk, Long Island. The site is known by most as an old military base that protected Americans during World War II. However, there are some who believe the radar tower hides a much bigger secret…

The US government engaged in a pattern of covert behaviour after the war through programs such as the Tuskegee Experiments and MK Ultra. These saw the conduction of experiments on innocent citizens. Now, with new rumours circulating of mind control experiments, time travel, acid tests and child abduction, investigators are wondering whether Montauk’s Camp Hero could be another government cover-up waiting to be exposed.

We all love a gripping conspiracy theory, and this one is as about shocking as they come. In fact, the show goes as far to suggest that the government applied technology given to them by aliens to create the ‘Montauk Chair’, which, not only could project human thoughts to remote locations, but also open up a vortex for time travel. Pretty out there, right?

Well, not necessarily. The show encourages the viewer to open up their mind to the unfathomable and see these ideas as genuine theoretical scientific possibilities. Even the hardest of sceptics may begin to question the truth.

As documentarian Chris explains, if we were to rewind back 100 years, humankind thought the limit of scientific discovery had been reached, but there has been copious scientific discovery and technology developed since then. Not only this, but so many of the discoveries made since that time have reflected earlier science fiction incredibly closely. With new sci-fi literature, films and TV shows emerging all the time, who’s to say these too could not get proven at a later date?

Tune in to The Dark Files tonight to see for yourself where the inspiration behind The Stranger Things came from… And decide for yourself whether there’s any truth in the tale.

Make sure to catch The Dark Files tonight at 9pm on HISTORY.