Netflix’s Haunting new show
Stephen King described it as one of the best ghost stories of the 20th century. The tale of one man’s attempt to prove the existence of the supernatural, American author Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House has inspired two cinematic versions (one beloved, one despised) and plenty of cheap imitations.
Now, 19 years after the latter farrago involving Owen Wilson, Catherine Zeta Jones and Liam Neeson, Netflix has embarked on a 10-part series inspired by Jackson’s psychological horror (it debuted on the streaming service on October 12).
The major difference here from the novel and previous dramatisations is the relationship between the characters.
In Mike Flanagan’s (Gerald’s Game, Ouija: Origin of Evil) ‘‘reimagining’’, Eleanor (Nell), Luke, Steven and Theodora are siblings, members of the Crane family still haunted by their stay in the near century-old mansion. Father Hugh had hoped to make a fortune by doing it up and flipping it, but instead it ended up traumatising all five of them.
Years later, Luke (Oliver Jackson-Coen) is in rehab, Hugh (Timothy Hutton) still blames himself for what happened and the immediate aftermath, while Steven (Michiel Huisman) has attempted to at least get something positive out of it by using his memories to write a best-selling book and launching his career.
A specialist at turning other people’s paranormal experiences into populist prose, Steven admits to his latest subject that he’s actually no champion of the supernatural. ‘‘Most of the time a ghost is just a wish – a memory, a dream, a secret, grief, anger or guilt.’’
But even he isn’t prepared for what happens next. Nell (Victoria Pedretti) has gone missing and Hugh is desperate to enlist Steven’s support in locating her. There’s a suggestion that she may have gone back to Hill House, but then Nell unexpectedly turns up in Steven’s apartment.
With a back-and-forth fractured narrative between the young family’s real-estate nightmare and their present-day struggles, Flanagan certainly has opened up the near 60-year-old tale in an attempt to make it relevant to modern TV audiences.
Some may find the story’s slow-burning nature frustrating but, like Castle Rock, it’s refreshing to see a psychological horror evolve a little more naturally than the usual rapid escalation.
Flanagan also benefits from assembling a solid cast, which also includes Gerald’s Game star Carla Gugino (pictured), E.T’s Henry Thomas and The West Wing’s Annabelle Gish.
Naturally, things could all go narratively pear-shaped by the time episode 10 comes around but, based on its opening episode, Hill House shows binge-worthy promise.
– James Croot