The Haunting of Hill House
By Gregory McLinden - Guest Contributor
Straight away I have to admit I am not a fan of horror, but after the first trailer for The Haunting of Hill House dropped and with much reluctance, I decided to watch it. I was instantly hooked and couldn't wait for the series to be released. I couldn't be more thankful that I had watched because this series instantly became one of my favourite TV series - the word incredible doesn't even cut it, it's better than incredible. One thing that is worth mentioning is the incredible acting from everyone involved. Every actor gives an exceptional performance making you fully invested in each of their stories and this is not only a testament to the acting ability of all involved but also the writing, with several monologue scenes in the show where you will have to remind yourself to breathe and blink - they are that captivating. Sometimes when watching something that flicks between the past and present it can become disorientating, leaving you not really sure what is going on or which story to be invested in, but this is not the case here. Each transition is done effortlessly, with no brief flashbacks, but instead scenes that will last upwards of five minutes, reducing any risk of becoming confused or disorientated. I also really liked to see how the show dealt with mental health, this is not something many TV shows or films venture into discussing and portraying on screen (Bodyguard is however an incredible example of this being done right), but THOHH does not shy away from this. Each of the children have a traumatic upbringing whilst living out their early years at Hill House, they all see and have to deal with things that will leave them struggling for the rest of their life, and we see this, we see them suffering, we see the conversations they have as a family to try and deal with these inner demons, and this is incredible to see on screen, as most horror shows/films will have the characters suffer greatly and laugh it off by the end of the film, so it is refreshing to see this portrayal of struggle and mental health on screen. Of course, it wouldn't be a horror without elements of horror. This however won't leave you disturbed at having seen someone be hacked in half, there is little to no bloody violence throughout the entire series. Instead the horror focuses on making you uneasy, with some scenes definitely likely to reduce you to hiding behind a cushion as you watch the events unfold on screen. If you are faint of heart this may not be the series for you, it relies very heavily on jump scares which are always relevant they are never just done for the sake of it like some shows or films will do, each one has purpose and builds the character and story. I started this review saying I wasn't really a fan of horror, I have to admit I am now, this is largely down to The Haunting of Hill House, it is incredible and well worth venturing in to, 10 episodes, each an hour long, but you will not be left disappointed.
logline: Hill House, a house to put all other houses to shame, but what lies within the walls of the house? The series flashes between past and present as we follow the lives of the Crains when they lived at Hill House, and what they experienced, as well as the present seeing the impact Hill House had on them all. The family have to confront their past, the ghosts that have followed them and Hill House…
My Favorite Characters:
Kate Siegel as Theo - The performance given here by Kate is truly incredible. Every time she comes on screen you know you are going to get an incredible performance and be totally entranced by her character, her story and whatever she has to say. The journey her character goes on across the series is truly captivating, she is somewhat an outlier in the family with her being an easy target for other family members, but she always stands her ground which results in some truly take your breath away moments as these arguments unfold. We also see a more vulnerable side to her character, and this is solely down to the incredible performance by Siegel as to why you will be so drawn in and empathetic for Theo.
Victoria Pedretti as Nell - You maybe recognise Victoria Pedretti from the second series of You, however, if you have seen You and enjoyed her character and her as an actress then I implore you to watch The Haunting of Hill House. She, without a doubt, gives the standout performance of the entire series and the fact she didn't win any awards for her role in THOHH is daylight robbery, in my opinion she gives one of the greatest TV performances of all time. She creates the character of Nell so well and you know that as an actor she put so much time and devotion into her character. Nell is without a doubt the most troubled of the Crain family, and there will be moments where you are nearly reduced to tears watching the struggles Nell goes through, these inner demons for her are far larger than any of the other members of the family with her struggle never really having ended or being suppressed since leaving Hill House. As we watch the journey Nell goes through throughout the series it is fair to say that she underpins much of the series, before culminating in the final episode where she gives a monologue which will leave you totally and utterly speechless in awe, but also devastated and heartbroken.
This show is rated TV-MA in the US and 15 in the UK. Here’s why:
Violence and Gore
Intense Scenes and Horror Elements
Drug Use
Something I Liked: The series is exceptionally well made and you can tell the director Mike Flanagan has put so much attention into ever little detail in the series to make this the perfect series. One example of this is during flashback moments and when we are within the walls of Hill House there a ghosts lurking in the background and throughout the house during the entire series, some are very obvious, some are extremely subtle you might miss them even when you know they are there, even the actors themselves sometimes failed to notice them until a few takes in! Once you know they exist in these scenes it's difficult not to want to rewatch the entire series, and when you do you can't help but look out for them to see if you spot the ghosts yourself. I also really enjoyed episode 6 and I genuinely think this is one of the greatest TV episodes of any TV series, of all time - yes it's that good. The entire episode occurs in multiple one shot/tracking shots, in total there are five takes in the episode with the longest lasting just over 17 minutes. The set itself was actually built with this episode in mind as there is a shot where a character is seen walking from one set to another, the sets were built right next to each other with this in mind, not only this but having places where the camera could hide. The use of multiple one shot moments in a horror is incredible and really keeps you on the edge of your seat as you are part of the story, following these characters and watching their stories unfold in real time. The episode is truly incredible and a marvel of cinematography, directing, writing and acting. If you haven't watched The Haunting Of Hill House it is worth it for this episode alone. If you have seen it then there is a great Twitter thread from Mike Flanagan explaining how the episode came together and it is well worth a read.
SPOILER fun fact: There are five Crain children. Each one of them represents a different stage of grief, if you have seen the series you will know why, this is something the director, Mike Flanagan, has himself confirmed as being true. Steve = denial, Shirley = anger, Theo = bargaining, Luke = depression and finally Nell = acceptance. And to make things even more interesting, this is also the order all the children are born in, Steve is the oldest and represents first stage of grief, Nell is the youngest and she represents the fifth and final stage of grief.
Where to Watch: Netflix (US and UK)
Number of Seasons: 1, renewed for Season 2
WARNING - spoilers ahead!