NEED TO KNOW

  • The TikTok account @basincreekretirement features “residents” of a retirement home in funny Halloween costumes
  • One viral video shows a woman dressed in a sweater with spices taped to her chest, saying she’s a “spice girl,” with over 15.4 million views
  • The creators reveal on their website that Basin Creek Retirement Village isn’t real — it’s all made with AI

A series of viral Halloween costume videos showing seniors at a retirement home has captured attention across TikTok — but it turns out, none of it is real. The account behind the clips, @basincreekretirement, is completely AI-generated.

In one of the most popular videos, a woman stands with spices attached to her outfit. A voice off-camera asks, “Martha, what are you supposed to be?” She smiles and replies, “I’m a spice girl.” The lighthearted clip has racked up over 15.4 million views and 1.5 million likes.

Another viral moment shows an elderly man covered in watches, each strapped around his waist. A worker asks, “What are you supposed to be, Mr. Andrews?” He grins and answers, “I’m a waste of time.” That video alone has garnered 13.3 million views and 1.3 million likes.

In a third video, a woman wearing a pot on her head laughs as someone asks, “Mrs. Dalton, what are you supposed to be?” She proudly responds, “Oh, I’m a pot head.” The clip has earned more than 2.8 million views and 184,000 likes.

Despite the realistic look and feel of the videos, there’s no actual retirement home behind them. The account’s bio makes it clear: “Welcome to Basin Creek Retirement Village. Community, care & bingo every Thursday. A fictional world made with AI & a lot of 💛.”

The account has already attracted over 63,000 followers, many of whom originally believed the cheerful residents were real. But the creators behind the project confirm it’s entirely digital — and designed for fun.

The Basin Creek website doubles down on the idea, selling apparel to fans who want to support the creative effort. “Help keep the smiles (and the lights) on,” the site reads. “Grab a shirt and share a little Basin Creek joy with the world.”

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Their “About” page adds, “Basin Creek isn’t a real place — but we like to think it could be. Our residents, staff, and stories are entirely fictional, created to bring a little light, laughter, and joy to your feed.”

Still, not everyone online is laughing. One TikToker commented, “It should be mandatory to put an AI label….”

Another wrote, “Why are we using AI for anything. Especially this. Like what is the point aside from conditioning people to not be able to tell the difference.”

Others admitted the realism is starting to feel unsettling. “AI is getting harder to spot it’s scary,” one person commented.