All you scary movie lovers out there drop what you’re doing because this new Netflix original is just what you didn’t know you needed. With plenty of fright-filled moments and just enough psychological thrillers mixed in the loop, it’s a season that is sure to keep you on your toes.
This 10-episode season directed by Mike Flanagan is also known for many other films within the horror movie genre, such as “Hush”. “The Haunting of Hill House” is based on the novel by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959, and there is no doubt it has come a long way.
The back-and-forth time frame deals with the young Crain family as they live in Hill House, while the current version shows them as adults with careers and married lives. The different versions of the characters take some piecing together, so don’t look away for too long or you might miss something important.
The incredible cast is what makes the show, with the young versions played by different actors than their older counterparts. Young father Hugh Crain is played by Henry Thomas, while the mother, Olivia Crain, is played by Carla Gugino. The oldest of the siblings is Steve, played by Paxton Singleton, and the second oldest is Shirley, played by Lulu Wilson. The middle child, Theodora, is played by Mckenna Grace, and twins Nell and Luke are the youngest, played by Violet McGraw and Julian Hilliard.
The current version of the cast takes us into the lives of the Crain family after they’ve moved out of Hill House, and it shows how it has taken a huge toll on the family. The older version of father, Hugh, is played by Timothy Hutton, while wife Olivia is still played by Carla Gugino. Steve is played by Michiel Huisman, and Shirley by Elizabeth Reaser. Theodora is played by Kate Siegel, and the twins Nell and Luke are played by Victoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
The cast may be a lot to keep up with but once you have it down you are good to go. Unlike ordinary scary films, this one seems to project more of a psychological thriller feel. Director Mike Flanagan creates an intricate storyline that slowly pieces itself together without giving away too much.
A scary story is always more chilling when it is based on a true story, which in fact it was, or at least multiple stories compiled together. According to Publishers Weekly, when writing the book Shirley Jackson took from different experiences at different estates to compose, “The Haunting of Hill House.” The original author took “ historical accounts of haunted houses and pictures she collected of spooky estates– from the Castle Neuschwanstein in Germany to the Winchester Mystery House near her hometown in California,” says Publishers Weekly.
The series is definitely one you won’t want to stop once you’ve started. The Netflix original offers something for everyone, from jumpy scares to a suspenseful love story, plus a ghost every now and then. So go ahead, grab a cup of warm tea, some popcorn and make yourself comfy because once you hit play don’t count on getting up anytime soon.
