The Haunting of Hill House is yet another triumph in horror for director Mike Flanagan who in recent years has delivered movies like supernatural horror Oculus, home invasion thriller Hush, and the second movie in the Ouija franchise.
With the series, he delves into the lives of the Craine family, who in the 90s lived in the infamous Hill House, which was haunted and eventually claimed the life of their mother.
As they navigate the trauma of their childhood, another trauma comes forcing them to come to terms with exactly what happened in the house. Every episode feels like a short film that balances horror and a family drama perfectly.
The Haunting of Hill House takes full advantage of its miniseries form. It has a solid driving plot that is well-paced throughout the series, but it uses the extra time it has over the episodes to dig deep into its themes and characters without feeling like it's dragging. It truly blurs the line between movie and series. Here's how we would rank each episode of the first season:
For the first five episodes of The Haunting of Hill House, each of the five Craine siblings has an episode dedicated to their storyline. With Luke's, more than any other, it feels disconnected from the main storyline. His drug addiction feels litigated within the first three episode and while there are some important plot points, thematically and tonally it feels a bit off from the rest of the series to that point.
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After the powerhouse sixth episode and profoundly sad seventh episode—we'll mention both later on—”Witness Marks” feels like a step back. It feels like an episode that is meant to connect act two of the season to the final act, which makes it less exciting than other episodes. It still deals with some interesting character dynamics and has the best scare of the entire season, but it lacks the emotional strength and oppressive atmosphere of the other episodes.
When kids are exposed to death at a young age there's a struggle to help them process and understand it. The Haunting of Hill House portrays that struggle to process it beautifully with “Open Casket.” It also begins to work through the show's theme of grief. However, it doesn't delve into the theme as profoundly as other episodes, which is what prevents it from being truly great.
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Of the episodes that focus on one of the Craine kids, “Touch” has the most successful B-plot as Theo deals with a case as a child psychologist. Both that plot and the main plot add a layer of how kids compartmentalize trauma as a theme, which elevates the entire episode as a whole. Plus, it successfully continues to explore the theme grief that the first few episodes touch on.
“Eulogy” probably has the least horror of all the episodes of The Haunting at Hill House. And that's because the plot lends to that lack of horror. The episode is an opportunity for Hugh to get some much-needed redemption as his character is framed as the villain for much of the first few episodes. And the form that the series brings that about it beautiful and heartbreaking. Plus, Mr. Dudley's monologue is a high point for the series as a whole.
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The season finale of The Haunting at Hill House is an encapsulation of everything that is good about the series. “Silence Lay Steadily” has effective tension-based horror, strong character interactions and growth, and a deep exploration of its themes of grief, parenting, and trauma. It is a satisfying finale that I wish had more of an epilogue, but overall its a great wrap-up to a great series.
What makes The Haunting of Hill House so successful is its balance of horror with a family drama, specifically about grief. And that's what makes episode five of the season one of the best. Not only does it propel the main narrative forward and offer genuinely chilling scares. It delves deeper into the theme of grief and adds a layer of dealing with mental illness and how family can offer a safe space from the real-life horror of it.
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The first episode of The Haunting of Hill House sets up the tone and mood for the entire series without feeling like it's bogged down by exposition. The family dynamics, both past and present, are outlined clearly and the central mystery of it all is setup. Plus, the horror in it is atmospheric and tense and genuinely terrifying. It's a well-balanced and nearly flawless pilot.
Olivia is at the center of the mystery of The Haunting of Hill House and in “Screaming Meemies” we finally get to see the events of the house from her perspective. It's exciting to finally learn exactly what happened “that night,” but the heartbreaking truth of it (and Carla Gugino's Emmy-worthy performance) make this episode more than just horror. It shows the disintegration of a strong woman and how her husband failed her.
“Two Storms” is not only the best episode of The Haunting of Hill House, it may be one of the best episodes for drama ever made. Told in what is essentially four single takes spanning both the past and the present. It's a technical marvel and the staging is impressive, but what makes this episode so successful is that it is so rooted in its characters and allows them to just litigate the past.
The episode doesn't further the plot, but it furthers the characters and becomes a turning point for the season. Not to mention the pure tension from both the horror and family drama that makes it impossible to turn from the screen. “Two Storms” is where The Haunting of Hill House goes from good to great.
How would you rank the episodes of The Haunting of Hill House? What was your favorite moment of the season?
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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
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