Day 1: The Haunting of Hill House: A Timeless and Unforgettable Netflix Classic
Let’s kick off the spooky season with this banger right here… too good. Where do I even start?
Mike Flanagan, my guy. For those who don’t know, he’s an American filmmaker who has mastered the art of horror. He wrote, directed, produced, and edited Hush (the first movie of his I fell in love with), Before I Wake, and Ouija: Origin of Evil, just to name a few. On Netflix, he gave us The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), and Midnight Mass (2021).
The Haunting of Hill House is based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 gothic horror novel. It has been adapted into films and plays before, but Flanagan’s version takes it to another level. The show moves between past and present, following five siblings who grew up in Hill House. As adults, they are still haunted by what happened there. Flashbacks slowly reveal the terrifying night in 1992 when their family finally fled the mansion.
The cast is top tier: Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, and Victoria Pedretti as the grown Crain kids, with Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas as the parents, and Timothy Hutton as the older Hugh Crain. Every performance lands and adds weight to the story.
The series premiered on October 12, 2018, and immediately received critical acclaim for its acting, directing, and production value. What makes it powerful to me is how it never holds your hand. This isn’t cheap jump scares. It’s a layered story about grief, loss, suicidal thoughts, and the psychological toll of trauma. The ghosts aren’t just there to frighten you; they’re symbols of guilt, fear, and pain that follow each character. Every sibling’s haunting feels deeply personal, which is why every single character made me feel something. That’s what makes the series unforgettable.
By the end, you don’t just fear the house. You care for the family, especially little Nelly <3. And when the credits roll, it stays with you because the story feels complete yet leaves you wishing you could spend more time with them.
For those who haven’t watched it yet, that’s as much as you’ll get from me. The series speaks for itself. Don’t walk… RUN.
Stay tuned with us all October long for more classics and fresh picks on Preshaa Creeps: 31 Nights of Fear.