The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House is a compelling slow-burn horrorfest that syncs with compelling family drama to create an atmospheric and poignant binge-worthy experience. It centers around the Crain family who were former residents of the infamous, haunted ground of Hill House in the past summer of 1992, and follows them again over 20 years later in the aftermath, where they are forced to confront their inner demons and trauma when they suffer tragic loss and are tempted again to return to Hill House. There is Hugh and Olivia, the patriarch and matriarch of the Crain family, and their five children: the eldest, skeptical Steven; the second eldest, agitated Shirley; the middle, senstive Theo; and the twins, Nell and Luke, the two most afflicted from their experiences in Hill House. Over the course of ten episodes, you will get to know each and every one of them as flawed yet complex and relatable human beings that feel like real people, asserting the show's status quo as favoring character development and placing thoughtful, unsettling terror in the backseat. It's no surprise that this compelling show has one magnificent showrunner in horror maestro Mike Flanagan (Hush, Gerald's Game), who is currently the world's rising star in horror filmmaking. Flanagan's debut in television is one that's almost a golden hallmark, as he uses both the episodic format and his skills in filmmaking to magnificent effect, as we embark across a spectacular storyline that carries the show across its occasionally imploding varieties of supernatural dread that makes the scares all the more effective. Just because it's a compelling series doesn't excuse the fact that it also is an adult show that explores complex themes when it's not scaring the heck out of people. Strong language (mostly f-words) start out sparse, but becomes more frequent as the series progresses. One sex scene happens midway in Episode 1, and one more was implied in Episode 3 but not shown. Some drug use is shown, most particularly one of the siblings who's a drug addict. Violence is sparse but unsettling and sometimes grisly when shown, from sightings of people with grisly facial wounds to people getting their hands slashed in bloody detail. Despite the adult content, The Haunting of Hill House is a truly bingeworthy experience, an unconventional hallmark of horror media that can't be missed nevertheless. Just don't make your children watch it if you don't want them to have nightmares (They must be mature enough to handle both the adult content and the scares). Rating: 5 out of 5 starts (Undying)

heavily implied sexual violence against a young child