Unread
4.9/5
Critic Rating
One December evening in 2019, Chris Stedman noticed a new message in his inbox from his friend Alex, sent at exactly 7 p.m. He and Alex hadn’t talked in a while—was Alex writing to tell him off for being a bad friend? But it wasn’t that. “listen,” the note read. “i am writing to let you know that when you receive this scheduled email, i will no longer be alive.” At the bottom of his message, Alex included a link to a private SoundCloud account. “here’s Alice recordings,” he wrote. Alice. Alex had talked to Chris about her before. A Britney Spears s...
Critic Reviews
Score: 4.8
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Jul 14, 2021
"Unread is a peculiar little puzzle box. Much of Unread rolls out in gentle fashion — Stedman’s narration is writerly, essayistic — guiding listeners through the journey and its many moving parts with an elegiac thoughtfulness."
Score: 5
Áine Ryan • 9Honey • Jul 3, 2021
"While Chris takes us on an enjoyable journey, seeking answers about the mysterious Alice in the four episodes – each named after some of the singer's biggest hits – Unread is also an incredibly moving story about grief, mental health, friendship and finding community."
