Review: S-Town
I’m not the type of person who watches criminal minds or listens to murder mystery podcasts, but when a friend made me listen to the first episode of a podcast called “S-Town,” I knew I had to finish it.
You know something is worthwhile when it’s a page-turner. Whether it be a book, a movie, a tv series or a podcast, page-turners are few and far between. While “S-town” wasn’t a perfect podcast, it was interesting and had me listening to it nonstop.
The first thing I adored about “S-town” was its unpredictability. The turns this podcast takes are very impressive and unmatched by most podcasts. Why? Because it’s a real-life journalist investigating a real-life town in Alabama. When I started it, I thought “S-Town” was a murder mystery podcast, but if I would classify it as a mystery podcast now. When you listen to it, you’ll understand the distinction is critical.
Just second to the podcast’s incredible realistic unpredictable nature is the use of raw audio footage. Brain Reed serves as the host of the podcast and is the journalist investigating a possible murder in a small town, so all of the phone calls, emails and interview footage came straight from Reed’s investigation. There’s something truly powerful about listening to real, honest audio footage from real people in the midst of a mysterious investigation.
I couldn’t possibly get away with writing an honest review of “S-town” without mentioning John, who is the entire reason Brian Reed came to Alabama to investigate a possible murder. John is a frustrated man and a complicated one too. His character is a big reason why I couldn’t stop listening to the podcast. People like John are powerful.
I would like to note “S-town” included some graphic details of violence and sexual activity I did not enjoy. Not including those descriptions would have led to a less honest portrayal of events, but I don’t think everything included in the podcast was necessary. Still, if you do listen to this podcast be prepared for crude and offensive language from audio footage and violent and sexually explicit descriptions.
In the end— and explicit nature aside— I enjoyed “S-town.” It revealed several truths of humanity I hadn’t considered before and will be thinking about for the rest of my life. Brian Reed did an excellent job in his investigation and in creating a powerfully moving podcast.
“S-town” is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Happy listening!
Emily White is a junior studying English and broadcast journalism. She is currently serving as the senior writer for the Lifestyles section of the Statesman.
—emily.white@usu.edu