I originally planned to save my The Haunting of Hill House review for after I had finished the entirety of season one, but I a) have been progressing through the show far slower than initially expected, (hence why this review is coming out a month after the release of the series) and b) have a lot of thoughts I already want to discuss, so here I am.
I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a fan of horror, not just because the genre terrifies me, but also because I rarely find myself satisfied with how they play out in the end. The build-up is always better than the conclusion. It’s very rare that the spooky supernatural events taking place can be thwarted in a logical manner, or in a manner that allows them to retain their ‘scary’ factor. As a result, I tend to avoid the genre as a whole (though I am partial to a good psychological thriller now and then.)
Every rule has its exceptions, and The Haunting of Hill House might just be one of them. Not only is it genuinely scary, but the show has at its foundation something most horrors lack – a strong emotional centre that gives the audiences something to actually root for. On top of this, the show is (so far at least) more of an exploration of the characters’ experiences with the supernatural, rather than them attempting to destroy it somehow or give it a logical explanation when one doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to learn more about the house’s history, especially if there is some sort of link between all the spooky happenings. That being said, delving too deep into the mechanics of something so abstract does tend to kill it for me; I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
The family relationships in the show are complex and compelling – almost on par with This Is Us. The first five episodes are masterfully designed, with a focus on one main character each episode. This ensures the extent of the story doesn’t completely overwhelm the viewer, and it allows for some satisfying ‘aHAH’ moments when you start to understand where all the different events link up in each timeline. The slower pacing allows room to delve into each of the characters’ minds on a much deeper level than they might have otherwise.
I’ll admit the first episode, “Steven Sees A Ghost” didn’t hook me – although I’m not sure I gave the episode the chance it deserved. I had heard good things about the show and I wanted something spooky to watch on Halloween, so I gave it a shot. I was pretty distracted at the time and I had to stop watching about three-quarters of the way through the episode. I didn’t feel the need to come back to the show until about a week later. It hadn’t stood out to me as anything all that special, but when I returned to the show I was glad to discover just how wrong I had been. I did rewatch the first episode so I could give it a fair review, and I really enjoyed it on the second viewing. Of course, I now understand more of what was actually going on, which added to the experience. It certainly makes for an interesting hour of television, especially compared to your average pilot – and now that I was paying more attention, I could see that. However, the first episode definitely has an overwhelming amount of characters and detail to keep track of on a first viewing.
In the second episode, “Open Casket,” I started to understand how complex the show really is. The switch in perspectives was a refreshing change. The first episode put Steve at its forefront, but it spent too much time introducing all the other characters for viewers to become particularly invested in him. This episode however, fully zeroed in on oldest daughter, Shirley, finally giving the viewer enough time to get the know one of the characters in detail. I personally wouldn’t find the show half as compelling if it were focusing on one particular child the whole way through; such a large part of the show’s intrigue stems from getting to know each character and their personal experiences with the supernatural. The flashbacks of Shirley’s childhood in episode two were equally intriguing and disturbing, and definitely gave me a taste of the direction the show would be heading. The episode also introduces the idea that the house is like a human being. The children’s mother explains the concept to a young Shirley in detail, creating a sense that it’s not just ghosts stirring up trouble; it might just be the house itself – something a few of the Crain children appear convinced of. Shirley and Steven are certainly the more realistic out of the children, both living fairly regular lives in comparison to the others. The decision to put their episodes first was smart – allowing viewers to gradually ease themselves into the more dramatic supernatural events to come. However, Shirley’s practicality is almost more shocking than the ghosts at times. The scene where she embalms Nell herself still stands out to me as one of the most disturbing scenes in the show so far, but it is also one of the most touching scenes. It paints a perfect picture of Shirley’s strength, sense of overwhelming responsibility, and the tremendous amount she is willing to sacrifice to ensure the best for her family.
The third episode hooked me. “Touch” revolves around Theo, who I found to be the most interesting of the three main characters featured so far. She had the most obvious ‘powers’ of the group, and I tend to enjoy weird/loner kid archetype. I can definitely relate to her deflective self-defence mechanisms, and I have a soft spot for LGBT characters, so I was destined to love her from the start. The episode itself tells a compelling self-contained narrative of Theo using her powers to help one of her patients – another example of the real-life events being somehow more disturbing than the children’s supernatural memories. “Touch” is one of the more emotional episodes of the season so far. You couldn’t help but feel Theo’s pain and grief when she touches Nell’s body. The sheer thought of it would have been enough to disturb me, but Theo’s pained reaction followed by a cut to her drinking her sorrows away sealed the deal. I have to admit, it wasn’t until this episode that I was really able to keep track of all the characters – sue me, I struggled to tell the difference between the four brunette white ladies (and three of their childhood counterparts). It took me a while, but I got there in the end. The episode confirms that the children’s mother has some sort of supernatural ability. In the scene where she gives Theo her gloves, she tells her the women in the family are often ‘sensitive.’ This seems to be setting up more mystery to come surrounding her eventual ‘suicide.’
The fourth episode, “The Twin Thing,” wasn’t the most memorable episode, but it progressed the story well enough and explored a new dimension of the children’s relationships as adults. The episode takes a more realistic turn – mostly focusing on Luke’s journey in rehab. Before watching this episode, all I knew about Luke was that he’s a drug addict. After watching this episode, that’s still all I know about him really, but hey – it was still nice to see his side of the story. At least he’s a nice drug addict who is sincerely trying to do better – and boy has he seen some shit. The man in the bowler hat is my favourite ghost so far. (Yes, I have a favourite ghost). The scene where Luke first sees him is a masterclass in tension manipulation. It had me hooked – absolutely terrified at first, and then laughing out loud out of sheer relief when the ghost took the bowler hat, before reducing me to a state of terror once again when the ghost reached out to him. “The Twin Thing” was a good episode, with a great ending. I just wish it gave more of an indication as to why Luke turned to drugs in the first place. Was he just more affected by his experiences with the supernatural than the others? He doesn’t have Steven’s denial, or Theo’s deflection, or Shirley’s sense of responsibility, so I guess it makes sense that he’d turn to drugs to help him cope, but I’d have still liked to have seen this aspect explored more in the episode itself.
Episode five, “The Bent-Neck Lady” was… really disturbing? Sure, it’s an absolutely incredible episode, but it was also… a lot. I’m an adult and I had nightmares. To be completely honest, I have been half-dreading watching the next episode. That being said, we have already established I scare pretty easy. The episode was especially difficult to watch, knowing how it had to end. Up until this point, there really wasn’t enough information about Nell to have any real emotional attachment to her character, but “The Bent-Neck Lady” changed that. The episode is wonderfully cruel, feeding the viewer with montages of happiness and love in Nell’s life, juxtaposed with her grief and struggles in therapy. The ending, in particular, is truly horrifying. Even though I knew it was coming, Nell’s pure joy at seeing her family and her husband again made the scene more emotional than I could have possibly imagined. It’s definitely the best episode of the show so far – wonderfully shot and edited, and I just couldn’t look away (even when I wanted to). The first four episodes all felt like they were leading up to this one and so I’m not sure what to expect from the show next. I imagine the next big question will be what really happened to their mother.
If you’ve heard of The Haunting of Hill House, you probably don’t need me to tell you it’s amazing. If for some reason you haven’t already seen it, then it’s definitely worth a watch. However, I might warn those who are sensitive to horror and issues surrounding suicide against it, as it can be a lot to handle at times. If you’re looking for cheap thrills, then this isn’t it (although it’s given my poor dogs a fright a few times now.) If you’re looking for a nuanced family drama with a healthy dosage of insidious supernatural mystery, then The Haunting of Hill House is where it’s at.
Alright, review over. On to episode six. Thoughts and prayers would be much appreciated.
TheScreenReview 