Based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of the Crain siblings and their experiences regarding the terrifying mansion known as Hill House. Mike Flanagan; writer and director of Hush, Before I Wake and Gerald’s Game takes on the classic novel and makes it his own in a unique way that keeps you engaged no matter how scared you may be.
The show deviates from the books in numerous ways and one of the most interesting of which it does this is through the shows protagonists and their relationship, in the novel our protagonists lead by Eleanor/Nell are a small group of strangers thrown into Hill House as part of an experiment however the show creates an fascinating dynamic by having Steve, Shirley, Theodora, Luke and Nell make up the Crain siblings who as children spent one devastating summer living in Hill House with their parents Hugh and Olivia. In episode one the viewers initially meet the Crain siblings as children when Nell awakes from a nightmare, however the plot largely follows them as adults. Through the duration of the 10 episode season viewers slowly come to understand how being subjected to the unnerving, creepy and downright terrifying experiences of living in Hill House has become an integral part of each sibling going into adulthood as well as their often strained relationships with one another and their father.
Another way the show departs from the book is with the character of Theodora Crain (Kate Siegel, Hush), whilst the Shirley Jackson novel contains endless subtext suggesting Theodora is queer the show goes the whole way portraying Theodora is unapologetically gay. Theo’s sexuality lends itself in part to one of the lighter subplots of the show, this being her relationship with Trish a woman she meets at a bar in episode one. Theo also happens to be one of the more intriguing characters of the show partly due to an experience with a spirit of Hill House leaving her with an unusual ability, helping to create an amazing multi layered character who you’re constantly left wanting more of. The strength of the characters featured in the show is potentially one of the main reasons it has become such a huge hit globally. Let’s face it character driven dramas are in, they are captivating and fresh; The Haunting of Hill House expertly adheres to this formula with the house even becoming a character in itself.
Mike Flanagan has proven his skill for telling compelling stories in a horror setting and his debut into TV is no different. The Haunting of Hill House somehow manages to blend creepy, comedy, and full on terror perfectly through its highly impressive use of cinematography and score, it does this without being cliché and all whilst giving us three-dimensional enthralling characters we root for. This show is something new, something we haven’t seen before and it’s a refreshing take on Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel, so whilst it may be binge worthy you may be sleeping with the light afterwards.
The Haunting of Hill House is available to stream now on Netflix