With the upcoming Netflix horror series, The Midnight Club, it is only fitting that we trace down the most popular works of Mike Flanagan, the show’s creator. He is known as the master of horror in the field of Netflix originals for the last ten years. His riveting style of showcasing horror while integrating strange concepts of the human mind brought him immense success.
His widely-acclaimed project, The Haunting of Hill House, swept the world by storm and captivated the audiences as it dismantled old horror tropes and reinvented a new one. Many of his other works are equally fantastic and will bring chills all over your body.
Most of his shows exhibit a character-driven approach that elicits genuine reactions from the viewers. He does not rely on jump scares but prefers authenticity. This being said, here are Mike Flanagan’s best Netflix horror shows:
The Haunting Of Bly Manor
The Haunting of Bly Manor is based on the horror novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It follows an American au pair, Dani (played by Victoria Pedretti) who employs herself in a mansion to take care of Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) who are both orphans.
The psychological horror of the story will give the audience a slow-burn terrifying experience while discovering secrets, dreams, and spirits of the past. The show remains behind the race with The Haunting of Hill House, but criticisms aside, Bly Manor is a must-watch for horror fans.
Gerald’s Game
Based on Stephen King’s 1992 novel, Gerald’s Game is a thrilling watch with a dash of Hitchcockian mix. The story follows a married couple, Gerald and Jessie, who goes on a weekend holiday and decides to spice up their sex life by using handcuffs. Soon after, Gerald had a heart attack while his wife was still tied to the bed.
A story with so many unpredictable twists and turns, Mike Flanagan managed to play with timelines seamlessly, captivating the spectators into a much deeper view of the characters’ dreams and fears.
The Haunting Of Hill House
The adaptation of the famous gothic horror novel by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House delves deep into the human psyche and the terrors that live inside it. At the center of the story is the Crain family who showed the viewers what trauma a person can endure.
The house is presented as an entity that devours the fear and secrets of every family member. Mike Flanagan fleshed out so much from the story brilliantly and scrupulously. The themes of loss and madness and the inability to deal with both are what made the show a remarkably haunting one.
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is what people would call a work of Catholic horror, melding religious beliefs and human suffering into one terrifying story. In the midst of Crocket Island was a maritime community torn into a religious revival after a young priest arrived in the town.
Flanagan paid attention to the nuances of methodical religion and how the use of scriptures is equated to selfish human acts.
