With “The Fall of the House of Usher ” arriving on Netflix earlier this month on Oct. 12, it’s time to reflect on the newest addition to Mike Flanagan’s horror universe—what many call the Flanaverse—and take a look at how this show compares to others in the collection viewers have been going back to every year.
Flanagan’s collection gained popularity from the very start, with “The Haunting of Hill House” gaining wide recognition in 2018. Now, there are a total of five Netflix originals altogether, and the returning cast members tie everything together for a fun watch. Each show has its own twist, and with the broad range of horror shows Flanagan has made, there is something for everyone. With these shows ranked based on shock factor and creativity, you can find your next Flanagan obsession to binge-watch this Halloween.
5. “The Midnight Club”
With a primarily young cast, this show beautifully brings the younger generation of horror actors to the table. Based on “The Midnight Club” novel by Christopher Pike, this show is set in a hospice, following a group of terminally ill teenagers as they grapple with the idea of death and meet at midnight to tell ghost stories to each other. When Ilonka arrives, she begins to see ghosts, and a dark history of the hospice is revealed.
While this story may be very different from the others and is often criticized for lacking in comparison, its fresh young cast makes the show memorably scary, breaking the safety net that children and teens typically encounter in horror films and TV shows. If you’re looking for a great ensemble cast and a story filled with horror anecdotes, this cult horror is definitely worth the watch.
4. “The Haunting of Bly Manor”
When Danny takes a job as the new nanny of Bly Manor, she thinks it is just a typical job that will allow her to escape into the countryside as she cares for children recently orphaned by the death of their parents. However, when the kids start to display odd behavior, Danny must grapple with the strange atmosphere and a haunting past of her own.
Succeeding “The Haunting of Hill House”, this “The Turn of the Screw” inspired series uses an eerie atmosphere and layered storytelling to push its narrative to the fullest. It bounces between generations to show the history of Bly Manor and how its curse persisted over decades. This show very much follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, using many similar scare tactics while still being able to capture an original story that is worth the watch for fans of classic horror.
3. “The Fall of the house of usher”
Within two weeks, all six heirs to Roderick Usher have died in tragic accidents. The show follows the Usher family as Roderick recounts how this has happened and how his past ties into the mysterious deaths of his children.
Described as a love letter to Edgar Allen Poe, this show blends various works of Poe into a singular narrative. While the show falls into predictability—even for people who have not read Poe before—it has a shock factor that will keep viewers hooked and wanting to know what happens after each episode’s cliffhanger. If you are a fan of real-life horror and Poe’s classics, this is the perfect fit for you this Halloween.
2. “midnight mass”
The story follows Riley as he returns home from prison to the slow life of Crockett Island. He is not the only new arrival, however, with a mysterious young priest appearing and bringing along odd behavior, phenomena and mysteries to the small, dying town. With its unpredictable twists and plot development, this slow-burn religious horror will leave you speechless by the end.
If you’re looking for philosophical monologues, cult horror and an extreme shock factor that will leave you wondering what you just watched, this is the show to put on this Halloween, and it is by far one of the most jarring and well-done shows in the Flanaverse.
1. “The Haunting of Hill House”
When a family moves into a mansion in the middle of nowhere to renovate and sell it, sanity begins to spiral as ghosts and strange occurrences haunt the family. Ultimately, one night at the house changes their lives forever. Despite moving out and growing older, the ghosts—and seemingly the house itself—follow them decades later. Flashing between the past and present lives of the family, the show creates an eerie atmosphere filled with high tension and jumpscares that are some of the most unpredictable of the entire Flanaverse, leaving the show that started it all to remain on top.
The success of “The Haunting of Hill House” is undeniable, with the Shirley Jackson-inspired series holding a 93% Rotten Tomato score from critics. At the time of its release, it skyrocketed to being one of the highest critically acclaimed horror shows and its popularity among horror fanatics goes to show why. If you’re looking for strong emotional investment, well-written themes of family and a classic scary story to keep you up at night, this show is exactly what you should binge-watch this Halloween—if you’re not too scared.