A horror show, which has been described as a masterpiece, is available to watch on Netflix. The Haunting of Hill House is an American supernatural horror miniseries created and directed by Mike Flanagan.
It is loosely based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. The plot alternates between two timelines, following five adult siblings whose paranormal experiences at Hill House haunt them in the present day, and flashbacks depicting events leading up to the eventful night when the family fled the mansion. The ensemble cast includes Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, and Timothy Hutton. The Haunting of Hill House premiered on Netflix in October 2018. It received critical acclaim, particularly for its acting, directing, and production values. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Haunting of Hill House has a 93% critics rating based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10 from viewers.
The website’s critical consensus reads, “The Haunting of Hill House is an effective ghost story whose steadily mounting anticipation is just as satisfying as its chilling payoff.”
On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating “generally favourable reviews”. A reviewer on Reddit said it is the “best story” they have ever experienced, saying it is “masterfully crafted” and “hauntingly beautiful”.
Another said: “It’s a perfect ghost story mixed with an amazing plot that keeps eyes glued to your screen. It’s the scariest show I’ve ever seen, it doesn’t depend on jump scares but the how the story unfolds send creeps down your spine. It’s a genuine masterpiece.”
Corrine Corrodus of The Telegraph rated the series 5/5, calling it “the most complex and complete horror series of its time.” Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com praised the Netflix adaptation, describing it as “essential viewing” and that “[the show] contains some of the most unforgettable horror imagery in film or television in years.”
David Griffin of IGN gave the series 9.5 out of 10, calling it “a superb and terrifying family drama”, and Paul Tassi of Forbes described it as “absolutely fantastic” and stated that “it may actually be Netflix’s best original show ever.”
Flanagan’s follow-up series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, was released in October 2020. It features most of the same crew and some of the same cast, but a different story and characters.