How Mike Flanagan’s Netflix Masterpiece Perfected Horror TV

Horror on TV has gone through many highs and lows, but it peaked seven years ago with a Netflix masterpiece. The world of streaming has opened many doors to different creators, styles, and genres, giving freedom and creativity that traditional television doesn’t offer. Thanks to this, streaming has given us some of the best TV shows of all time.

The horror genre has had many great TV shows over the years, such as The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, and Evil. However, and just like in film, horror has gone through some tough times on TV where it hasn’t stood out. Luckily, horror peaked seven years ago thanks to Netflix, Mike Flanagan, and one of the best TV shows of the decade.

How The Haunting Of Hill House Perfected The Horror Genre

Nell (Victoria Pedretti) standing in front of a red door in The Haunting of Hill House. — Nell (Victoria Pedretti) in a scene from The Haunting of Hill House looking serious in front of a red door.

Mike Flanagan is one of the modern masters of horror, and he made a name for himself in the genre with movies like Oculus and Hush. In 2018, Flanagan branched out to TV thanks to a deal with Netflix that started with The Haunting of Hill House.

Loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name, The Haunting of Hill House introduces viewers to the Crain family: father Hugh, mother Olivia, and children Steven, Shirley, Theo, Luke, and Nell. The Crains move into the Hill House mansion to renovate it and sell it, but unexpected repairs keep them there for longer than originally planned.

Unfortunately, they all begin to experience increasing paranormal phenomena, with each of them dealing with them in different ways. Years later, when another tragedy hits the family, the surviving Crains reunite to confront their traumatic past at Hill House.

The Haunting of Hill House was a big success and currently holds a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Before its release, the horror genre on TV was a mix of jumpscares, the zombie trend, and adaptations (such as Hannibal), but The Haunting of Hill House arrived to refine it with impeccable writing and smart scares.

The Haunting of Hill House is, like most of Flanagan’s works, character-driven, and thanks to this, it leans more towards psychological horror than gore and jumpscares. The Haunting of Hill House is also heavy on drama and emotion, and this is key to its horror elements, focusing on the characters’ inner struggles and how these ultimately shape their lives.

The Haunting of Hill House took a simple and well-known horror concept (a haunted house) and turned it into smart horror, with complex characters, a layered story, emotional heaviness, and incredible cinematic language that helps make the show an immersive experience.

The Haunting Of Hill House Hooks You Even If You’re Not A Horror Fan

Hugh with his young kids scared in the car in The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House is, undeniably, a horror show, but it’s so well-done and with so many layers that it appeals even to those not into horror. As mentioned above, The Haunting of Hill House is also a drama TV show, with one of its main focuses being all the struggles of the Crain family.

From the moment the Crains arrive at the house up until the climax in the final episode, every member of the family goes through their own struggles, which later have a great (and sometimes tragic) impact on their lives. At its core, The Haunting of Hill House is a story about family (and individual) trauma, grief, loss, and death, and it masterfully explores each of these.

Mike Flanagan’s Best Netflix Miniseries Had More To Offer Than Just Jump Scares

Victoria Pedretti as Nell in The Haunting of Hill House

A big reason why The Haunting of Hill House appeals to those who aren’t into horror stories is that it doesn’t rely on jumpscares. Surely, The Haunting of Hill House has a couple of them, and one moment in particular stands out as its scariest one thanks to a jumpscare, but these aren’t what make the show terrifying.

Its themes, characters and their development, the way it was shot, and all the hidden ghosts in Hill House are what make the show so scary but also so fascinating and engaging, as well as approachable to a wider audience.

The Haunting Of Hill House Will Remain The Best Horror Miniseries For A Long Time

The Haunting of Hill House Nell and her father sitting on a bench

The Haunting of Hill House might be one of those once-in-a-lifetime perfect TV shows, which will make it very hard to match and, obviously, beat. Not even Flanagan himself has been able to surpass his own TV masterpiece yet, though he made some great follow-ups with The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Haunting of Hill House has emotional depth that is hard to find in horror TV shows, as many simply rely on jumpscares and shocking imagery to create impact. Flanagan’s masterpiece also has well-developed characters, which are, unfortunately, also hard to find in these shows, which more often than not have flat, underdeveloped, predictable, and even cliché characters.

The Haunting of Hill House’s suspense build-up is also masterfully made, entangling the audience in the story as it develops while also giving them context through flashbacks, but without revealing it all in one scene or episode. Flanagan’s attention to detail, both visually and in narrative, is incredible, with every single tease and detail eventually paying off.

Mike Flanagan set the bar very high with The Haunting of Hill House for the rest and for himself, and while there could be other horror shows that could match its success and quality, it might be a long time before another one completely dethrones it and impacts the genre as it did.