The Fades

The Fades, a British supernatural drama series from BBC America, graced the small screen in 2011. The narrative centers on high school student Paul, poignantly played by Iain De Caestecker, known for his role as Leo Fitz in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. However, unlike most teenagers who worry about grades or friends, Paul is vexed by his haunting dreams that are increasingly becoming unsettlingly real. He’s coming to realize he has the burdensome ability to see "the Fades," spirits of the deceased trapped in a sort of purgatory unable to move to the afterlife.

While the premise of ghostly sights is appealing to supernatural aficionados, The Fades takes it a notch higher by bestowing Paul with an even more disconcerting ability as his nightmares begin to bleed into the real world, foretelling coming events of menacing nature. Paul isn't just seeing these trapped spirits; he’s got a part to play in their world, which teeters between a chilling, otherworldly plane and ordinary small-town existence, straddling a mystery that unravels throughout the series.

Paul’s foray into this eerily terrifying other dimension is not a solitary journey. Accompanying him is his best friend, Mac, played by Daniel Kaluuya. Mac acts as the comedic relief against the untamed dread that rides the series. His constant quips, pop culture references, and witty retorts bring momentary lightheartedness without minimizing the ever-present tension that shadows the show. The stark contrast between Paul’s burdensome call to navigate between the real world and the Fades, and Mac’s seemingly simple high school life, amplifies the pressure on Paul, underlining the sheer scale of Paul’s predicament.

Further lending depth to the narrative are Paul’s strained relationship with his therapist sister, Anna, played by Lily Loveless, and the unexplored spiritual realm's older handlers, Neil and Helen, enacted by Johnny Harris and Daniela Nardini, respectively. While Anna epitomizes an unstable force in Paul's life due to her skepticism, Neil and Helen become mentors, teachers, and protectors, guiding Paul as he grapples with the disquieting task set for him.

The Fades, while being fundamentally a teen horror, also doubles as a coming-of-age narrative. It brings to life the metaphor of teenage isolation, alienation, and external transformation, cleverly weaving them with themes of supernatural demonology and cryptic unworldly secrets. It’s an exploration of earthly adolescent engagements blended with otherworldly responsibilities. It’s about grappling with high school crushes while struggling to keep a spectral apocalypse at bay. It’s about first kisses and unearthly battles all rolled into one.

Set under the backdrop of a small UK town, The Fades also brilliantly employs a grim, almost spooky, atmospheric tone. The lighting and set design reflect the dual nature of the world in the series, playing between normalcy's drudgery and the petrifying darkness of the unseen. The sound design, too, adds another layer of haunting dimension, lending to the building suspense and terror.

At a technical level, the characteristics of both the living and the Fades differ in innovative camera techniques and special effects, reflecting a tangible air of eeriness and demarcating the line between earthly reality and spiritual purgatory. The use of special effects in depicting the otherworldly Fades manages to hit a harmonic balance, conveying the visual details without overdoing it.

The show, penned by Jack Thorne, who later gained more recognition with his work on the stage production 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,' offers a striking balance of horror, wit, and existential musings. The Fades, a BAFTA award winner after its first season, is an undeniable proof of Thorne's knack for weaving a narrative that's thoroughly engaging while unsettling and filled with visual dread.

In essence, The Fades is a cleverly packed series that explores supernatural elements intertwined with the inescapable struggles of teenagehood. Its appeal lies in its creepiness and its unpredictability, holding the viewers in suspense throughout. Its characters are relatably flawed, and its narrative, replete with metaphors making it a unique and intriguing watch. If you have a penchant for shows with the supernatural spectrum and teenage angst's complexity, The Fades is a compelling narrative with a chilling undertone.