Spooky SZN isn’t done just because Halloween is.
You might assume that because Halloween has passed, it’s time to rush straight into Christmas. But I’m here to tell you that spooky season will last as long as there are orange leaves and leaves on trees. Here is a list of all of Mike Flanagan’s television shows to help you stay in that mindset. There’s no doubting Flanagan’s talent. Regardless of whether you know him from the eerie movies, “Gerald’s Game” (2017), “Oculus” (2013), or “Hush” (2016). Like Christopher Nolan, Flanagan recycles the finest of the greatest, so you can expect to see the same actors and actresses you admired in his earlier roles. So in honour of Mike Flanagan himself and all things spooky, here’s my ranking of Flanagan’s works:
- The Haunting of Hill House
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The Haunting of Hill House is based on Shirley Jackson’s book of the same name. The Haunting of Hill House, which launched everything and exposed us to Mike Flanagan’s brilliant mind, naturally holds the top rank. The seven members of the Crain family, whose lives were irrevocably altered when they acquired the summer home, are the subject of this narrative. The five Crain siblings are Steven, Shirley, Theo, Luke, Nellie, the twins, and Steven. We saw how the catastrophic night that resulted in the Crain’s current circumstances permanently altered their lives. This moving tale illustrates how trauma, loss, sorrow, and family dynamics can impact an entire community. Every episode centres on a different Crain sibling and the circumstances leading up to everything that happened on that fateful night. Before giving up on this drama once you’ve reached episode 5, you’ll be happy you stayed for the unexpected conclusion.
- Midnight Mass
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The first in the eerie series features the behind-the-scenes of Flanagan’s mind. This choice may be a contentious decision since many did not enjoy it as much because it had a lot of monologues. However, in my opinion, the best sequences and elements of The Haunting Universe are the monologues themselves. We are given fresh insights on ideas we believed we understood, in addition to witnessing a master class in acting that is undoubtedly something everyone should see and enjoy. The focus of our story is on Riley, who upon his release from prison, returns to his village to witness the advent of a new, charismatic priest who works miracles and revives the town’s fading religious spirit. Not to ruin the surprise, but if you enjoy heartwarming, tragic tales with a vampire twist that are also riddled with fantastic displays of acting and beautiful monologues you should definitely check out Midnight Mass.
- The Fall of the House of Usher
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In each episode of The Fall of the House of Usher, a Netflix series directed by Mike Flanagan, stories by Edgar Allan Poe serve as inspiration. Although the episodes don’t exactly follow the stories, they touch on some of Poe’s themes. The Flanagan Universe’s most recent instalment chronicles the lives of the Usher name. With a supernatural twist, this show is similar to the television series Succession. We are introduced to a man who, like in that show, develops his company from nothing and produces privileged kids whom we both love and hate. This is evident from their ability to stand in for the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, lust, and sloth. Being aware of Flanagan’s methods, we may expect to hear his occasional monologues and the nearly three-minute “lemon” speech from episode 3. In a speech that lasts about two minutes, Roderick Usher discusses the truth behind the proverb “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” by essentially saying before you even attempt at making lemonade you must first roll out a media campaign that ensures everyone wants to buy their lemons from you while simultaneously creating a supposeded scarcity problem which is a perfect example of how cutthroat and suited the Usher family is to live in the world that they built.
- The Haunting of Bly Manor
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The Haunting of Bly Manor,” which is based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, tells the tale of a woman named Dani who takes in a group of highly intelligent siblings Miles and Flor who had tragically lost both their parents and, as it seems, their previous nanny has up and vanished. The season’s first few episodes move quite slowly as we get to know our characters, but the second half—the best part—picks up speed as all of our questions are eventually addressed without the ambiguous scenes from the first half. This universe has a more romantic drama-like feel to it, with supernatural and horror elements present only incidentally. Bly Manor has some important moments, albeit none of them are as memorable as those in its predecessor, Hill House. Episodes 5 and 8 stand out as particular highlights for this season, and I still find myself reminded of some of them. Overall The Haunting of Bly Manor is perfectly splendid!
- The Midnight Club
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The Midnight Club is an adaption of Pike’s book of the same name. Six of Pike’s previous books are also referenced in “The Midnight Club.” In order to understand the actual meaning of life and death, this story follows a group of teens who are terminally sick as they get to know one another at their midnight club. Without a doubt, the novel has an intriguing premise, but regrettably, it seems to linger on and develop the plot’s central ideas slowly. As for me, it took a few weeks to finish because I wasn’t as driven and interested in it. Although there are some notable moments, I was determined to finish the work because it is a Flanagan work. However, I didn’t find the cheap jump scares to be that effective, and most of the plots ended up being completely abandoned or insignificant.
Even with these rankings, there are so many outstanding acting performances in every story in this universe that I find myself eagerly anticipating every year to see what Mike Flanagan will create next (p.s. it appears that Stephen King’s The Dark Tower will be his next major project). Here’s to hoping that more and more people will be waiting alongside me!