Any lover of the horror genre knows that not all horror flicks and series are created equal. There are those that might startle you a few times and then there are those that get under your skin, force you to watch in the fetal position, and have you sleeping with the lights on for a week. Netflix's new supernatural horror series "The Haunting of Hill House" is definitely the latter.
Full disclosure, I am a wuss when it comes to horror. I watch most scary movies through my fingers, with my eyes closed and ears plugged, or not at all. "Hill House" was no exception, but more often than not I found myself willing to risk the startling and the scary in order to see the story.
Loosely based on the 1959 gothic horror novel by Shirley Jackson this series does more than give you a good scare it weaves a powerful tale and the resulting tapestry is stunning. Series creator Mike Flanagan has constructed a story that surprises at every corner.
Without spoiling anything, the story centers around the Crane family, their ill-fated attempt to flip the Hill House in the summer of 1992, and the events that followed. Spanning a period of over 20 years, the family is haunted both literally and figuratively.
As the blueprints reveal themselves nothing is as it seemed. Hill House, its inhabitants, and the series itself reveal their true nature. "Hill House" certainly embraces the horror genre, but you'll also find a family drama in there and some sci-fi. There's even a touch of period drama.
Establishing rules that allow for an infinite number of possibilities and realities, "Hill House" leaves you guessing what's real up until the end, and in some ways past that. To those thinking this one might be too spooky for you, it might be. That being said, it's also worth sticking through to the end. I promise the payoff is worth all the spooks and occasional screams.
...P.S. - consider watching it during daylight hours if possible or risk a sleepless night...
...just for fun:
