Hosted by 'Stranger Things' star Gaten Matarazzo, 'Prank Encounters' is an elaborate hidden-camera reality series that fuses spine-tingling horror movie tropes with side-splitting practical jokes. In each episode, two complete strangers are brought together under the guise of an ordinary first day on a new freelance gig or temp job, completely unaware that their shared workplace is about to spiral into supernatural chaos and terrifying, cinematic distress. From haunted mansions and biological containment breaches to alien encounters and cursed artifacts, the production employs Hollywood-grade practical effects, lifelike makeup, immersive production design, and a dedicated troupe of improvisational actors. As the targets find themselves thrust into bizarre, escalating crises, their survival instincts kick into high gear, delivering genuine fear, confusion, and high-tension comedy. Matarazzo oversees the operations from a high-tech surveillance van, narrating the chaos and giving cues to his ensemble cast to ratchet up the tension until the terrifying climax. Just when the unsuspecting victims believe they are facing genuine paranormal horrors or life-or-death peril, Matarazzo bursts into the scene to break character and reveal the elaborate prank, turning spine-chilling horror into collective relief and laughter.