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 or interacting with supernatural powers or alternate universes without us even knowing? 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 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…

It is known that the US government engaged in a pattern of covert behaviour after the war in programs such as the Tuskegee Experiments and MK Ultra, that saw the conduction of experiments on innocent citizens. And now, with new rumours circulating of mind control experiments, time travel, acid tests and child abduction, could Montauk’s Camp Hero 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, to the point where 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?

Could we have our own Stranger Things case on our hands right now?

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