It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of horror. I spent Halloween night watching “Final Destination” (2000) and dressed up as Chucky from “Bride of Chucky” (1998) for a Halloween party the night after. Hence, I’m using my first opinion article of the year to tell you about the most impressive and talented horror director currently on the scene: Mike Flanagan.
The horror genre often gets a bad rap, and isn’t often considered worthy of awards or critical analysis. Thankfully, that’s been changing in recent years, and horror is being recognized for what it can be at its greatest: a way of processing and exploring grief, trauma and social issues.
Horror is about fear, of course, but not just the automatic physical reaction of being scared. Horror often asks: What if the worst thing that could happen to you happened? What if you had to face your greatest shame or darkest secret? What would you do if the world as you know it collapsed around you?
No one asks those questions better than Mike Flanagan, a writer and director best known for the original TV shows he’s created for Netflix, including “The Haunting of Hill House” (2018), “The Haunting of Bly Manor” (2020) and “Midnight Mass” (2021).
What Makes Flanagan’s Horror So Compelling
Flanagan is a master of horror; instead of relying on gore and jump scares to instill fear in the audience, he builds an increasing sense of dread through narrative and cinematic techniques. His narratives are also character-driven – the viewer gets to know the characters and empathizes with them, making the psychologically horrifying turns in the story all the more devastating.
Flanagan has also written and directed several movies. My favorite movies of his are “Hush” (2016) and “Gerald’s Game” (2017). “Hush” is one of the first horror movies I ever loved, spurring my interest in movies that take place in a single location. “Gerald’s Game” is a good example of how Flanagan writes horror about experiencing and processing trauma – I’d recommend looking up trigger warnings before you watch that one.
However, where he shines is making TV shows – I think because there’s enough time to really develop the characters, build suspense and tell multifaceted stories. Again, Flanagan has a knack for telling stories about characters processing trauma. His first show, “The Haunting of Hill House,” follows an estranged family stricken by grief, forced to face each other and their shared past, which may or may not involve ghosts.
Flanagan combines real-life horrifying scenarios – like suicide and addiction, in the case of “Hill House” – with classic horror elements such as ghosts, vampires and devils. He takes exceptionally difficult topics and converts them into tangible experiences his characters must acknowledge, face and overcome. People who see themselves or their struggles in his stories can find hope, reassurance and validation, while those who don’t can gain awareness and empathy.
“Hill House” is just one example. “The Haunting of Bly Manor” manifests haunting memories as actual ghosts that, once accepted, can be lived with. Flanagan’s least-talked-about Netflix series, “The Midnight Club” (2022), is about teenagers with terminal illnesses who tell ghost stories as a form of escapism. The way he weaves themes of trauma and resilience with the supernatural makes for compelling and moving stories.
Reimagining Classic Gothic Horror
One of Flanagan’s trademarks is reimagining classic literature – “The Haunting of Hill House” is based on the 1959 gothic horror novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson, and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is based on Henry James’ 1898 gothic horror novella “The Turn of the Screw.”
I know I complain a lot about remakes – seriously, like a lot – but I don’t feel that way about Flanagan’s shows. I think that’s because they aren’t “remakes” necessarily. His shows use the source material as a framework or jumping off point, but differ greatly in terms of characters, plot and themes. By using classic literature as inspiration, Flanagan entices fans of the classics to watch his shows, and inspires fans of his shows to read the classics.
This summer, I read several of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, which I wouldn’t have done if I’d never seen Flanagan’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” (2023), his fifth and final Netflix miniseries. In addition to being named after a Poe short story, nearly every episode title is the name of a story or poem by Poe, with the episode including elements of its namesake. I loved the miniseries, and wanted to read the literature it was based on. I’m glad I did; it’s the kind of thing that I would want to do, but have trouble finding the motivation for.
Flanagan provided me with that motivation, and not only have I gained cultural knowledge that it’s important for an English major and horror fan to have, but I gained additional context and understanding of the miniseries I loved.
Of course, now I want to rewatch “The Fall of the House of Usher” and appreciate it with my new Poe expertise. After that, I’ll probably want to read the stories again. Flanagan has trapped me in a never ending Poe cycle.
I haven’t yet read “The Haunting of Hill House” or “The Turn of the Screw,” but I want to because of Flanagan’s shows. I think there’s a ton of value in reading classic literature, so it’s awesome that Flanagan is bringing these narratives back into cultural consciousness and inspiring younger generations to read the older stories.
Casting the ‘Flanaverse’
Another one of Flanagan’s trademarks is casting the same actors in many of his works. There are over a dozen actors who are in two or more of Flanagan’s projects, a handful of whom are in four or more. This has the effect of making his works – especially his TV shows – feel connected in a way that other directors’ filmographies don’t.
The overlap in casting across the TV shows, along with the fact that they’re all Netflix originals, and all horror, has led fans to refer to Flanagan’s canon as “the Flanaverse.”
Not only does this pattern make Flanagan’s work stand out, but fans have grown to love the recurring actors in his works, and often look forward to seeing them play yet another role when another of his works is announced.
Two years ago, in anticipation of “House of Usher” coming out, I created a slideshow that maps every actor with multiple roles and what those roles are. Was this a productive use of my time? No, probably not, and I won’t bore you by listing every actor.
The only person I’ll mention is Kate Siegel, an actress who’s had roles in seven of Flanagan’s projects, more than any other actor. It might have something to do with them being married. Crazy plot twist, I know! But don’t worry, this nepotism is founded – Siegel absolutely kills every single one of her roles. All the recurring actors do; I’ve yet to grow bored of seeing any of them, because they play such different characters every time, so it doesn’t feel like you’re watching the same person.
What the Future Holds
After getting a new Mike Flanagan show yearly for four years – 2020 through 2023 – it hurts my heart that it’s now been over two years since his last TV show was released. I know why this is: He had a contract with Netflix to create “television projects,” which ended after “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and he now has a similar contract with Amazon.
Fortunately, we do know what’s coming next from Flanagan: a miniseries called “Carrie” (2026), based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, being released by Amazon sometime in 2026. I will spend another year rewatching and anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new Flanagan TV series.
To be fair to Flanagan, he did write and direct a movie that came out this summer: “The Life of Chuck” (2025). While it’s based on a novella by Stephen King, it’s not in the horror genre, so I haven’t been in a rush to see it.
My hope is that your future holds watching something made by Mike Flanagan. If you like horror, character-driven stories or retellings of classic literature, you need to tune into both his works and what you feel inside while watching them.
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