Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan go on a cross-country paranormal adventure to some of Canada’s most haunted sites with their celebrity friends in CBC Gem’s Ghosting…
By Stephen Petar
We’re months away from Halloween, but for ghost hunters the quest to interact with restless spirits never stops…no matter how “unqualified” those ghost hunters are.
The unscripted paranormal comedy Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan is back with new episodes streaming on CBC Gem. The series, pitched as The Simple Life meets Buzzfeed Unsolved, follows horror genre actors Luke Hutchie (EZRA) and Matthew Finlan (Orphan: First Kill, EZRA) as they go off script and become real life ghostbusters. “We play brave on television, but are we brave in real life?” Finlan (he/him) teases to IN Magazine.
In each episode, the pair attempt to uncover the local lore of a place and determine if it’s haunted. With them are their celebrity friends, which this season includes Priyanka (Canada’s Drag Race), Joel Oulette (Trickster), Percy Hynes White (Wednesday), Nikki Roumel (Ginny & Georgia) and more.
In their investigation they lure ghosts with seduction, reenactments and stand-up comedy, while speaking to the spirits through various paranormal devices. They also meet a potentially homophobic ghost, get chased by a bat, mistaken historic objects for “douching bulbs” and release a demon. “The celebrity and dumbness element is what really elevates this show because we don’t know what we’re doing, but we are having fun,” Hutchie (he/him) says.
At the end, they deliver a verdict to decide if the place is haunted or not, which usually comes with a disagreement since Finlan is a believer and Hutchie is a skeptic.
A supernatural cross-country road trip
This season, Hutchie and Finlan pack their bags and paranormal devices, being stopped by airport security on occasion, and head nationwide to some of Canada’s most haunted places. The pair visit the Caribou Hotel (Carcross, Yukon Territory), Bell Island Mines (Bell Island, Newfoundland), Tuckett Mansion (Hamilton, Ontario) and Lunenburg Academy (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia).
As the creators, the two are responsible for choosing the locations. Their research starts by doom-scrolling TikTok and searching Google to find the most haunted sites in each region. “We wanted to make sure that we isolated the most popular hauntings that represented that province,” Hutchie says.
They also got help from local paranormal experts, many of whom appear in the show to speak about their encounters. “We had to rely on the expertise of paranormal investigative teams across the country,” said Finlan. “It broadened our paranormal knowledge, but also strengthened our ability to go into all of this history.”
While each investigation is different, the pair admits their exploration of Lunenburg Academy is one they can’t stop thinking about. “There is a bit of a smoking gun, if there ever were one in paranormal investigations,” Finlan says. “There are few moments in this show that gag everybody on set.”
While there are plenty of haunts across the country still to be investigated, the pair already have the final location for the series in mind. “Alcatraz is the finale. We need to end it where we started this,” Hutchie shared as the former maximum-security prison in California is what inspired the show.
A lesson in scaring your friends
Helping Hutchie and Finlan determine if a place is haunted are their celebrity friends, which sets the show apart from other paranormal series. “Every episode centres around our guest. They are not just a walk on, walk off…We tailor the entire investigation to them,” Finlan says.
Taking into account the place, its former use and history, the pair assign a location to their guests based on synergy. For Ginny and Georgia actress Nikki Roumel, Lunenburg Academy was a no-brainer. “Let’s bring her to a school because she plays [a character] in a school,” Finlan said.
Hutchie adds that their friends have no clue where they’re going until they arrive. “That part elevates the stakes for the guests. In season two we have a first impression where they walk in for the first time and see everything.” He calls out the reaction of actress Veronika Slowikowska (Davey & Jonesie’s Locker) who went to Bell Island Mines in Newfoundland.
The guest strategy is also a way to showcase Canadian talent, bringing faces we are familiar with and giving audiences a chance to learn more about their heritage and personalities. “Ghosting takes a chance on talent the same way the horror genre can take a chance on fresh talent,” Finlan states.
When asked about their dream guests, they noted iconic figures like Trisha Paytas, Justin Trudeau and Canadian scream queen Neve Campbell. “I would love, love, love to have Neve Campbell on the show…I feel like I would actually pass out if I met her,” Hutchie admits.
Why do queer people love horror?
As horror actors, Hutchie and Finlan know there is a special connection between the 2SLGBTQI+ community and horror. Many have analyzed this and have pointed out that like the genre many queer people don’t fit in with mainstream ideals and like the characters, they are usually classified as misfits or the other.
Hutchie looks to the “final girl effect” to explain this, which is when the lead actress survives even though viewers assumed she would have been killed. “That character is strong. She’s standing up for her friends…for what she believes in…you are just rooting for that person,” he passionately tells IN Magazine. “From my perspective of being a gay man, I root for those characters because I see myself and what it takes to feel confident enough to step up to the plate in those situations.”
Finlan builds off that noting the protagonist is often an outcast and is ostracized by their peers, a similar experience felt by queer people. “To see a narrative where often that character comes to power, even if it’s through witchcraft and sacrifices, you can relate to that,” he says.
Finlan also believes that the genre is a great equalizer that provides something everybody can relate to. “When you’re terrified that you’re being chased by someone with a chainsaw, it doesn’t matter what body parts you’re attracted to, what your religious beliefs are…you’re terrified.”
Both seasons of Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan are available to stream on CBC Gem.
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