I absolutely loved The Haunting of Hill House! It’s funny, the very first line is taken straight from the Shirley Jackson book it’s based on, but honestly, what really made the show work was how much it changed the story. It was also the first horror series Mike Flanagan did for Netflix – and it definitely kicked off an amazing run, since he’s done five of them now!
Many fans still believe The Haunting of Hill House is Mike Flanagan’s strongest work for the streaming platform. The show expertly combined truly frightening moments with heartfelt stories about its characters, never compromising on either. It quickly established itself as a standout horror series, demonstrating its promise right from the beginning.
The show starts with Stephen reading the very first lines of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. This is somewhat unexpected, considering the 1963 film adaptation of The Haunting actually followed the book’s plot more closely than Flanagan’s version, which tells the story of a troubled family over multiple generations.
The Haunting of Hill House’s Opening Line Comes Directly From Shirley Jackson’s Novel
Within the story, this line reveals that Michiel Huisman’s character, Steven Crain, is a writer. We see him reading from the book he wrote himself. As a child, Steven lived with his family in a notorious, allegedly haunted house. They escaped after experiencing a number of strange and frightening events, but Steven’s mother, Olivia, tragically died there that night.
Steven’s new book about his family’s past is causing tension between him and his siblings. While the book focuses on strange events they all lived through, Steven doesn’t actually believe in the paranormal – he wrote it hoping to profit from their story. However, the first episode of the show based on the book begins to make him question his skepticism.
As the series progresses, The Haunting of Hill House shifts its focus to the experiences of the entire Crain family – Shirley, Theo, Luke, Nell, and their parents, Olivia and Hugh. This is a significant departure from Shirley Jackson’s original novel and previous versions of The Haunting of Hill House, which centered on a different group of characters.
The Haunting of Hill House Is Netflix’s Best Horror Novel Adaptation Ever
Shirley, Theo, Luke, and Nell join Dr. John Montague for a research project focused on the paranormal. The investigation centers around Hill House, an allegedly haunted mansion previously owned by the deceased Hugh Crain. The story is primarily told through the eyes of Nell, giving readers a very personal and limited view of the events.
Nell’s perspective is key to the novel’s impact, as she’s a narrator who isn’t entirely trustworthy. She shapes the story with her own biases, sometimes embellishing or leaving out details, which keeps readers guessing about what’s actually happening versus what she perceives. This is quite different from the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, which quickly establishes that its supernatural elements are definitively real.
Although it might seem straightforward, this approach is actually quite insightful. By establishing the ghosts’ presence early on, Flanagan’s series can delve into more compelling themes – specifically, how the family was impacted by their initial experiences with the supernatural.
The five Crain siblings each cope with the frightening experiences of their childhood at Hill House in vastly different ways – Stephen dismisses it with logic, Shirley bottles up her feelings, and Luke battles addiction. While the ghosts and apparitions are genuinely terrifying, the show ultimately suggests that the family’s emotional wounds are far more haunting than any supernatural presence.
Ultimately, the ghosts themselves lead the Crain family back to Hill House, forcing them to finally face their personal struggles. By doing so, Flanagan’s series reimagines Shirley Jackson’s story with a more conclusive ending, while still exploring the original themes of destiny, fate, and the blurry line between living and dying.
The Haunting of Hill House’s Success Proves Netflix Needed Mike Flanagan
Image courtesy of Everett Collections
Following six years and five successful horror series with Netflix, Mike Flanagan shifted his work to Amazon. His final Netflix project, 2023’s The Fall of the House of Usher, was a darkly humorous and unsettling take on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, reimagining his classic gothic horror tales for a modern audience.
Mike Flanagan’s new adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie will now be released on Amazon Prime Video, not Netflix. Flanagan has moved his work from Netflix to Amazon, and it’s unclear if this new partnership will be as successful as his previous one. However, it’s clear that Netflix benefited greatly from working with Flanagan.
After Mike Flanagan finished his contract with Netflix in 2023, the streaming service hasn’t been able to create any horror series that have resonated with audiences as strongly as his previous hits, like The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Midnight Mass. Even his shows that weren’t quite as popular, such as The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Midnight Club, demonstrate just how unique and valuable Flanagan’s creative vision is to the horror genre.
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2026-01-31 23:41