When was the golden age of horror on television? Was it when Dark Shadows introduced the terrors of the Collins family or the chilling laugh of the Crypt Keeper? Maybe it’s when Skully and Mulder showed that, Sci Fi could also be terrifying. No, definitely when Stephen King got a new mini-series, right?
Golden eras come in waves, and horror has been riding that resurgence for a few years now, with no end in sight.
Netflix took the horror/thriller series concept and hit the ground running, with shows like Stranger Things, Squid Game, Archive 81, Slasher, and many more.
However, there is one writer/director who has stood out on the platform and graced us with five excellent horror mini-series. Mike Flanagan is an American writer/director who has brought us films such as Oculus, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and Hush (a personal favorite).
His work has shed a spotlight on his talents in elevating horror storytelling. It’s not always gore and blood spatter; it could be beautiful, haunting, and thought-provoking. Flanagan’s adaptations are clear love letters to some well-known horror authors of our time.
Each one of these series brought something special to the genre. Mike Flanagan definitely has a style he gravitates to, favoring heavy moods, jump scares, hidden ghosts or creatures, and dialogue you must pay attention to. I recommend using subtitles; you don’t want to miss a word. Flanagan loves to use monologues, Midnight Mass being a great example of this style choice.
Though I enjoyed all the shows, three of them stood out, asking for a rewatch. They delivered thoughtful storytelling, gorgeous camera work, and breathtaking atmospheres. Here are the top three that were better the second time around.
#3 The Haunting of Hill House- Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel
The Crain family is haunted years after leaving a house that their parents had purchased as an investment property. Now, as adults, Hill House calls for them to come back home.
Mike Flanagan took this classic novel and turned it into an exploration of family dynamics, how children can have very different views on their childhood based on their experiences, and how they are treated within the household. The Bent Neck Lady episode was the first idea and the pitch for the series; it would become Flanagan’s labor of love and why he chose to direct every episode himself. He was able to give us a lot of story within a limited run time. It was heart-warming, heartbreaking, and propelled the story towards the climax, and structured the series from the first episode to its very last. This series would introduce us to some extraordinary actors who will appear in future endeavors.
Flanagan took many well-thought-out liberties, yet still maintained the feel and the themes from the source material. Even using dialogue to pay homage to the novel.
#2 Midnight Mass – Inspired by various Steven King’s books
Crockett Island, a small, isolated community, is experiencing miracles brought on by Father Paul. Who plans on using Easter Sunday to show his true nature, as the Islanders will come to show him theirs.
Midnight Mass was Mike Flanagan’s dream project he had been working on for decades. It seemed like a story that may never be told. With the success of Hill House and Bly Manor, he finally got to bring this dark and thought-provoking series to life.
The book “Midnight Mass”, although not a real book, made an appearance in Hush and Gerald’s Game. Flanagan uses this series to explore topics such as unbalanced justice, perception of religion, and what is considered a miracle. It’s a dialogue-heavy slow burn, but once Flannagan hits the gas, the ride is intense, and everything happens so quickly.
Much like Salem’s Lot, all the different characters made the island feel real, like a small town, similar to King’s characters. Riley, the returning bad boy with a chip on his shoulder, Bev, the town’s bossy not-it-all, no one likes, Joe, the town drunk, and Father Paul, the town outsider who will be the island’s savior.
Nothing is what it seems to be on this island, and what should be good intentions are quickly proven otherwise. The gathering at Midnight Easter Mass was going to bring the community together, as Father Paul planned to share his gift of eternal life with God among the Islanders; however, a few of them had very different plans, and very little understanding of the real message Father Paul wanted to share.
Flanagan wrote great monologues, delivered by top-tier actors. A death scene that shook me, due to the screams of Kate Siegel, the battle between logic and faith, topped off with a very satisfying ending.
#1 The Fall of the House Usher – Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe
The Usher twins, Rodrick and Madeline, have built an empire doing unspeakable things and sold it as innovation. A woman from their past comes to collect her pound of flesh, and each Usher will pay it in horrendous ways. Check out our extended review of The Fall of the House of Usher.
A love letter to Edgar Allen Poe, Flanagan used various Poe writings to create a seamless story of a family consumed by greed and ill intentions disguised as being for the greater good. Each of the Usher Family members represents more than a couple of Poe’s well-known writings. From the choice of each character’s name, their story arcs, and yes, even through the dialogue, Flanagan uses Poe to dig into corporate greed, what drives ambition, the value of life, and what does your soul cost you? Is losing your bloodline worth all the money and things the world can offer?
Every death scene is constructed so elegantly and really sums up the episode it plays out in. Verna, aka The Raven, glides through each of the Ushers’ lives like an angel of death, giving them each an opportunity to change the way they die, but greed knows no bounds, and each family member is executed accordingly. The visuals in the series are so important to the story itself. The decay of the Usher house is a physical representation of the mental state of Rodrick and Madeline in the end.
Hands down, my favorite Flanagan series. I have seen this one three times, and it holds up. As a fan of Poe myself, I enjoyed every easter egg and use of the stories I loved as a teenager. He really understood Poe’s themes and style, then delivered them to us with precision.