The Haunting

When you accept from the beginning that Mike Flanagan (see also the excellent Oculus) is using a horror framework for the purpose of relating a suspenseful narrative about dealing with family traumas, finding trust (the story of a woman who no one believes repeatedly falls victim to attacks, which is very up to date), overcoming fear and the search for a home (i.e. unlike in other horror films, family history does not serve only as pretext for the scares – it is the main subject; fear comes from outside), you can then enjoy this psychologically compelling drama with its layered narrative structure and smooth (visual and audio) transitions between the past and present, facts and imaginings, as well as “old school” scares, based on the intra-shot montages and disturbing movement in different parts of the picture. Though some scenes are shot in a rather run-of-the-mill manner (shot/counter-shot dialogue scenes) and the conclusion with a loosely formed metafiction level is somewhat negatively affected by excessive ambitions and runtime (each of the episodes, usually bound to the point of view of one of the main characters, has its purpose, but many of them could easily have been shorter), The Haunting is excellent overall in terms of acting and directing, and one of the most pleasant surprises of this year among series. The sixth episode, consisting of several multi-minute shots that are complex choreographically and in terms of meaning, ranks among the best that high-quality TV has to offer with respect to craftsmanship. (15.10.2018)

The essence of the best that ghost horror stories have to offer. An excellent premise, interesting treatment, some episodes are examples of almost perfect filmmaking – some of the most interesting ones are roughly in the middle of the series. It’s simply a treat… it hasn’t happened to me in a very long time that I would be watching a TV show every day, looking for moments when I could watch another episode. I’m glad that this feeling still exists. The Haunting of Hill House convinced me it does. (04.12.2018)

After the second season, my satisfaction somewhat dropped and Gerard Butler wasn't around to save the day, as he often does with similar flops. As for Hill House – in the moments when it wasn’t trying to scare the living hell out of me, the screenwriters came with a well-written drama about a dysfunctional family; in Bly Manor I often missed both the scary parts as well as the quality drama. Nevertheless, my final rating is not that bad, because the filmmakers did an excellent job in the first season. I just wonder what Victoria Pedretti did to make the creators so mad, since the way they treated the characters she portrayed was borderline bullying. (28.01.2021)

I consider the horror genre to be one of the most challenging to perfect. Balancing a well-constructed story with a heavy horror atmosphere spiced with scares that don’t come off as cheap or obvious is nearly an unrealistic task for most horror creators. But director Flanagan succeeded brilliantly. In fact, I haven’t seen a better horror drama yet (and that includes feature films). The Haunting of Hill House shone in every aspect; I honestly couldn’t find a single flaw to critique, which I find astonishing. The narrative, set in the present with flashbacks to 26 years ago, initially seemed quite chaotic, but as the series progressed toward its finale, all the raised questions were answered in a way that must have satisfied every viewer. I haven’t seen such a powerful family story on screen before. Many actors have gained incredible visibility from this project, and I believe it will boost their careers, and we’ll see them in many more projects. The child actors were astounding, shedding any fears of public acting and delivering performances that left me in awe. Everything is complemented by incredibly stylish music, captivating and high-quality visuals, excellent cinematography that keeps the viewer engaged, and a chilling atmosphere that burrows deep into your bones (a few scenes almost gave me a heart attack). Besides episodes five and six, which are rightly praised to the skies, the final two episodes blew me away. Whether through the precise conclusion of this gripping story, outstanding dialogues that will resonate with you for a long time, or the emotionally intense moments that will have you reaching for tissues, this series left a deep impression. Mike Flanagan is a name that has etched itself in my memory under the heading PERFECTIONISM IN EVERY ASPECT. And that’s not going to change. For me, it's 100%. (26.10.2020)