Mike Flanagan is the king of horror — the slow-burn kind that sticks with you rather than jump scares. The Haunting of Hill House, the Haunting of Bly Manor, and the outstanding Midnight Mass are all on Netflix, as well as The Fall of the House of Usher, which is, in my view, the best adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s works I have encountered. The Midnight Club is also excellent, though sadly cancelled by Netflix, leaving the meta-narrative unresolved (though Mike has posted answers on social media), but it also functions as a sort of anthology of short horror stories based on Christopher Pike’s teen horror novels. His adaptation of Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game is a win; the same goes for Before I Wake.
On the subject of anthology series: Creepshow makes purchasing a Shudder subscription on Amazon Prime worth it. Some episodes are a bit hit-and-miss, but they really do hit big when they're hits.
But back to Netflix: The Cabinet of Curiosities is another good anthology series. Black Phone is an excellent film, as is Talk to Me, Malignant, and the Fear Street film series. Evil Dead Rise is great, if you are a fan of gore. The BBC adaptation of Dracula — now on Netflix — is excellent, too. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is surprisingly good, and genuinely horrific in places.
I like Mike Flanagan but I consider his work to be more horror-themed dramas than horror itself. Each season might have a few jump scares but usually pretty mild stuff in general. Still great tho, perfect for Halloween.
Flanagan’s work is far more effective because it does not rely on jump scares. Consider the hidden ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House: almost every scene has one (or several) if you pause it. The sense that there is always something present lurking in the shadowy parts of the screen, almost out of sight, is far more horrific than something jumping out at us. It puts us in hypervigilant mode: we are constantly on the lookout. Flanagan creates that kind of horror that remains with you long after you have finished watching. He can do jump scares effectively, too, but he doesn't rely on them: an episode of The Midnight Club holds the record for most jump scares in an episode.
Agree to disagree. There’s definitely more to good horror than jump scares, but Flanagan doesn’t employ much of that either. It’s just not his focus. In fact if there’s anything scary that he does well, it actually is jump scares. But it’s irrelevant because he doesn’t really write horror shows, he writes character driven dramas with horror theming. And he’s good at it, which is why we like his shows.
Fair enough!
I suppose it depends on how you define ‘horror’. Broadly speaking, I would define horror as: the evocation of some sort of threat, building tension as that threat comes more and more into focus. This threat is usually either supernatural, nature/science-based, or a result of the human psyche’s dark side – or an overlap of these. Flanagan is particularly good at the overlaps, in my view – think about how the supernatural hauntings of Hill House provide a vehicle for deep exploration of the Crain family’s psychological trauma; the blurred lines between ghosts and psychological turmoil in Bly Manor; in Doctor Sleep, psychic energy is a tangible force...
Stephen King famously classifies horror into three descending levels: terror, horror, and revulsion – the first being the really suspenseful moments before the threat is revealed, the second being the shock of actually encountering the threat, and the third being similar to the gag reflex. He says the aim, in his writing, is to stay as much in the first level as possible, but it’s the hardest to do. Moving back to the world of TV/film: Flanagan excels at terror – think about how he develops the bent-neck lady (the long build-up to the reveal) throughout The Haunting of Hill House.
There is also the fact that Flanagan sees himself as primarily being in the ‘horror’ genre... I would probably reverse your understanding and say: dramatic horror.
Forgive the long response, but this is my favourite area, so to speak. I have written about and studied horror in TV and film, with a particular focus on Flanagan!
This has been a challenge for me, but in the best possible way! I'll go with -
The Exorcist (1973), for obvious reasons!
John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), as it really set the scene for the slashers films that followed.
Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), as it popularised the monster movie subgenre, as well as effectively using suspense and tension (the shark is famously kept hidden for most of the movie).
Interestingly, Flanagan has acknowledged the impact these three have had on this approach.
There were too many moments where characters spoke and nothing was being said. Started skipping past scenes by episode 3 and then just stopped altogether.
lol bro, I tried. the vampire thing just felt cringey to me, idk why. i'm willing to try it again. maybe if i watch it with someone who really liked it, it would help
Slasher (season 2 is much better than the first), Some seasons of AHS are really dark, Penny Dreadful does the supernatural element really well but isn't frightening.
What's your favourite AHS season? I loved Coven (3), Roanoke (6), and 1984 (9)! It's controversial, I know, but I also really enjoyed the first part of Double Feature (10) - Red Tide. I wish they had dug a bit deeper, extended it out, re-jigged the ending, and removed Death Valley.
I loved Coven and Asylum and think Asylum is one of the darkest seasons. I also enjoyed Roanoke and don't think it deserved the hate it got! Hotel was just so gorgeous to look at and will always hold a special place in my heart! For me, Cult was really quite scary in places! I think it was because the fear came from the actions of human beings, which I always find to be the most frightening. 1984 is great! I really enjoyed the 80s aesthetic, and it felt a lot more 'fun' than a lot of seasons while still retaining that horror feel.
Absolutely! And the ‘campier’ the better! Some of the budget/low-production value stuff has been particularly good lately. No longer a guilty pleasure, just a genuine pleasure!
nightmares? really? I found it entertaining, but not scary or uncanny at all. I wouldn't consider myself a fan of horror movies, since I'm an absolute scaredcat, but maybe I should try some of the other suggestions above...
Yea, I was suggesting for it being a disturbing story, in the vain of horror, not scary. Maybe not exactly what the OP is looking for, but they may be interested.
i will never understand people suggesting haunting of bly manor and haunting hill house they was the furthest thing from horror i’ve ever seen they was so boring (in my opinion) i don’t think i’ve ever come across anything on netflix that’s actually horror like its claimed to be
I started The Grudge - probably the latest remake - last night, and it’s been great so far. Atmosphere in spades. The jump scares are present but they’ve been really effective so far. About twenty minutes left for tonight.
Junji Ito maniac.
All the Mike Flanagan series are great: the haunting of hill house and midnight mass are the best 2 though IMO.
X is great and you get to see Jenna Ortega do real horror before they put her in Wednesday.
The Ritual- Scandinavian folk horror
It Follows - un conventional but is fantastic take on horror. This one made me climb the back of my couch in a couple places.
The Babadook - rekindled my love for horror years ago after so many crappy pointless gore fest movies was all horror was doing for years.
Bird box- still doesn’t get the credit it deserves IMO.
Veronica was really good. I watch a lot of horror and rate almost everything a "meh", but I really liked Veronica and the ending had me gripped in some good solid fear. It's a Spanish movie, so you have to watch with subtitles (I never, NEVER recommend dubbing) but it's so worth it.
Some of the scariest horror content on Netflix includes "The Haunting of Hill House" for its eerie atmosphere and psychological terror, "The Babadook" for its intense psychological horror, "Hereditary" for its disturbing imagery and unsettling narrative, "The Ritual" for its creepy atmosphere and folk horror elements, and "Gerald's Game" for its tense and claustrophobic storytelling.
If you scared of spiders; Spaceman.
Movies:
Incantation, The Conjuring, The Nun, No One Gets Out Alive, The Ritual, The Ruin, As Above So Below.
Not available on Netflix at least in my region:
The descent, It follows, The Village
Anime:
Junji Ito Collection (nothing are scarier than this nightmare fuels)
Mieruko chan,
Jujutsu Kaisen (Top tier fight sequences animations, not scary tho),
Dark Gathering
I'm a big fan of horror. Ever since I watched lights out, I can't walk around the house without turning the lights on.
Here's a trailer: https://youtu.be/6LiKKFZyhRU?feature=shared
To be fair, [semi spoiler] once they figure out the issue they're facing, the movie is not so scary anymore. But the first part was enough to traumatize me lol
Yeah I’ve watched it, I just don’t understand how it gave you nightmares but everyone’s different I guess. Although op does seem to be looking for supernatural / no thrillers
I keep seeing it recommended, I've tried it twice now, but I can't make it past 5 minutes because the cinematography feels so low budget. Like watching a disney channel original movie.
Marianne
I second Marianne. I was slightly upset it got cancelled though.
Yes there were some silly moments but honestly I saw Marianne in my dreams.
I third this….great show.
I couldn't watch this alone and I love horror and gore movies
I still haven't managed to finish E2. That's how scared I was lol
Brand New Cherry Flavor had some interesting scenes.
This actually did give me couple nightmares; deserves more recognition.
I keep thinking about starting this then putting it off...you may have convinced me to finally give it a try 👌
I've watched it twice now!
Yes! Any of the cat scenes (let the reader understand) are very disturbing, especially the Lisa-Roy scene in the motel.
I was so confused by the storyline, I wanted to love it but barely liked it.
Marianne for sure. Everyone I have suggested it to has had nightmares.
Mike Flanagan is the king of horror — the slow-burn kind that sticks with you rather than jump scares. The Haunting of Hill House, the Haunting of Bly Manor, and the outstanding Midnight Mass are all on Netflix, as well as The Fall of the House of Usher, which is, in my view, the best adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s works I have encountered. The Midnight Club is also excellent, though sadly cancelled by Netflix, leaving the meta-narrative unresolved (though Mike has posted answers on social media), but it also functions as a sort of anthology of short horror stories based on Christopher Pike’s teen horror novels. His adaptation of Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game is a win; the same goes for Before I Wake. On the subject of anthology series: Creepshow makes purchasing a Shudder subscription on Amazon Prime worth it. Some episodes are a bit hit-and-miss, but they really do hit big when they're hits. But back to Netflix: The Cabinet of Curiosities is another good anthology series. Black Phone is an excellent film, as is Talk to Me, Malignant, and the Fear Street film series. Evil Dead Rise is great, if you are a fan of gore. The BBC adaptation of Dracula — now on Netflix — is excellent, too. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is surprisingly good, and genuinely horrific in places.
Don't forget Hush. Mike did that one as well and it is fantastic. Not really horror but still amazing
How was Hush not horror? That's a crazy take.
More of a thriller IMO
I absolutely loved Fall of the House of Usher, OMG, sooo good!
I agree 100% with every single title you mentioned!
I like Mike Flanagan but I consider his work to be more horror-themed dramas than horror itself. Each season might have a few jump scares but usually pretty mild stuff in general. Still great tho, perfect for Halloween.
Flanagan’s work is far more effective because it does not rely on jump scares. Consider the hidden ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House: almost every scene has one (or several) if you pause it. The sense that there is always something present lurking in the shadowy parts of the screen, almost out of sight, is far more horrific than something jumping out at us. It puts us in hypervigilant mode: we are constantly on the lookout. Flanagan creates that kind of horror that remains with you long after you have finished watching. He can do jump scares effectively, too, but he doesn't rely on them: an episode of The Midnight Club holds the record for most jump scares in an episode.
Agree to disagree. There’s definitely more to good horror than jump scares, but Flanagan doesn’t employ much of that either. It’s just not his focus. In fact if there’s anything scary that he does well, it actually is jump scares. But it’s irrelevant because he doesn’t really write horror shows, he writes character driven dramas with horror theming. And he’s good at it, which is why we like his shows.
Fair enough! I suppose it depends on how you define ‘horror’. Broadly speaking, I would define horror as: the evocation of some sort of threat, building tension as that threat comes more and more into focus. This threat is usually either supernatural, nature/science-based, or a result of the human psyche’s dark side – or an overlap of these. Flanagan is particularly good at the overlaps, in my view – think about how the supernatural hauntings of Hill House provide a vehicle for deep exploration of the Crain family’s psychological trauma; the blurred lines between ghosts and psychological turmoil in Bly Manor; in Doctor Sleep, psychic energy is a tangible force... Stephen King famously classifies horror into three descending levels: terror, horror, and revulsion – the first being the really suspenseful moments before the threat is revealed, the second being the shock of actually encountering the threat, and the third being similar to the gag reflex. He says the aim, in his writing, is to stay as much in the first level as possible, but it’s the hardest to do. Moving back to the world of TV/film: Flanagan excels at terror – think about how he develops the bent-neck lady (the long build-up to the reveal) throughout The Haunting of Hill House. There is also the fact that Flanagan sees himself as primarily being in the ‘horror’ genre... I would probably reverse your understanding and say: dramatic horror. Forgive the long response, but this is my favourite area, so to speak. I have written about and studied horror in TV and film, with a particular focus on Flanagan!
What are your top 3 favorite horror TV/movies of all time? Your background piqued my curiosity!
This has been a challenge for me, but in the best possible way! I'll go with - The Exorcist (1973), for obvious reasons! John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), as it really set the scene for the slashers films that followed. Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), as it popularised the monster movie subgenre, as well as effectively using suspense and tension (the shark is famously kept hidden for most of the movie). Interestingly, Flanagan has acknowledged the impact these three have had on this approach.
If you do want jump scares, though, the Insidious or Conjuring universes are the way to go.
I absolutely agree with all of the above ! ✨
the autopsy of jane doe
*The Haunting of Hill House* *Midnight Mass*
Midnight mass was just soooooooooo good! I’m going to rewatch it again
I've seen it twice and loved every minute.
There were too many moments where characters spoke and nothing was being said. Started skipping past scenes by episode 3 and then just stopped altogether.
My personal favorite. Is the 1963 version The Haunting. The cinematography is reminiscent of Hitchcock and psychologically is intense and scary.
Anything Mike Flanagan.
Doctor Sleep is one of my favourite films, with one hard to watch scene.
Anyone else love how bro brings a gun to a shine fight?
LOVE doctor sleep!
Midnight Mass
I feel like I’m the only one who didn’t like this show 😅
BOOOOO, just kidding that's ok everyone likes different things.
I'm in the minority too
Yes, you are. lol. One of my top fav shows
lol bro, I tried. the vampire thing just felt cringey to me, idk why. i'm willing to try it again. maybe if i watch it with someone who really liked it, it would help
I liked it but it felt like the could cut at least 10 minutes from most episodes and it would have improved things.
Slasher (season 2 is much better than the first), Some seasons of AHS are really dark, Penny Dreadful does the supernatural element really well but isn't frightening.
I forgot about this series! Agreed about Season 2. I enjoyed them
What's your favourite AHS season? I loved Coven (3), Roanoke (6), and 1984 (9)! It's controversial, I know, but I also really enjoyed the first part of Double Feature (10) - Red Tide. I wish they had dug a bit deeper, extended it out, re-jigged the ending, and removed Death Valley.
I loved Coven and Asylum and think Asylum is one of the darkest seasons. I also enjoyed Roanoke and don't think it deserved the hate it got! Hotel was just so gorgeous to look at and will always hold a special place in my heart! For me, Cult was really quite scary in places! I think it was because the fear came from the actions of human beings, which I always find to be the most frightening. 1984 is great! I really enjoyed the 80s aesthetic, and it felt a lot more 'fun' than a lot of seasons while still retaining that horror feel.
Yes, totally agree! I think what made me really like 1984 was the slasher and old-school horror movie tropes. So good!
It's been nice to see a slasher revival!
Absolutely! And the ‘campier’ the better! Some of the budget/low-production value stuff has been particularly good lately. No longer a guilty pleasure, just a genuine pleasure!
We should *never* feel guilty about pleasure
The Haunted series
The Platform is quite disturbing.
nightmares? really? I found it entertaining, but not scary or uncanny at all. I wouldn't consider myself a fan of horror movies, since I'm an absolute scaredcat, but maybe I should try some of the other suggestions above...
Yea, I was suggesting for it being a disturbing story, in the vain of horror, not scary. Maybe not exactly what the OP is looking for, but they may be interested.
The Babadook scared me & my 16-year old niece who also loves horror! We loved it!
Disappear completely, it is a thriller, but the horror element is strong. I cannot recommend it enough.
I’ve seen it it reminds me of drag me to hell
Blippi.
The real horror!
Veronica, it's a Spanish produced Netflix movie.
Smile
Yes! SO GOOD. The first film to genuinely trouble me, in the best possible way, in ages!
Marianne is scary.
Live view from my cubicle... every day as my life slowly drifts away ...or The Ritual is pretty good
Incantation, I’m an avid consumer of the horror genre, and Incantation is the scariest of them all for me.
Féria The Darkest Light was really great, small town lovecraftian horror.
Poltergeist
Cabinet of Curiosities - The Autopsy
i will never understand people suggesting haunting of bly manor and haunting hill house they was the furthest thing from horror i’ve ever seen they was so boring (in my opinion) i don’t think i’ve ever come across anything on netflix that’s actually horror like its claimed to be
I started The Grudge - probably the latest remake - last night, and it’s been great so far. Atmosphere in spades. The jump scares are present but they’ve been really effective so far. About twenty minutes left for tonight.
Junji Ito maniac. All the Mike Flanagan series are great: the haunting of hill house and midnight mass are the best 2 though IMO. X is great and you get to see Jenna Ortega do real horror before they put her in Wednesday. The Ritual- Scandinavian folk horror It Follows - un conventional but is fantastic take on horror. This one made me climb the back of my couch in a couple places. The Babadook - rekindled my love for horror years ago after so many crappy pointless gore fest movies was all horror was doing for years. Bird box- still doesn’t get the credit it deserves IMO.
I love It Follows. It's like a tribute to John Carpenter.
If you like it follows I think you’ll like the The Guest. Similar vibe. Stars the same actress I believe. More of a thriller but still good.
Oooh thanks, I'll have a look for that.
X was very interesting. A lot of porn lol . I believe there is a prequel called “pearl”. Been curious to see that one.
I've seen both of those. Mia Goth is amazing.
We just watched X, excellent performance by Goth. She’s good! Also, I had no idea she was married to Shia and they have a kid together.
Can't help but mention Ash vs. Evil Dead as well. It's funny AF, but Bruce Capmbell is an icon
The Eye’s of My Mother, Baskin These two movie recs will definitely cause nightmares!
The hunting of the hill house! One of the best!💯
The Haunting of Hill House.
Who is interested in getting a sugar gliders
VVITCH
Fall of the house of usher
It Follows. The movie & premise are unsettling. The Babadook was chilling as well.
The Haunting of Hill House. Excellent writing and acting, and some incredible scare moments.
Veronica was really good. I watch a lot of horror and rate almost everything a "meh", but I really liked Veronica and the ending had me gripped in some good solid fear. It's a Spanish movie, so you have to watch with subtitles (I never, NEVER recommend dubbing) but it's so worth it.
Lights out (2016)
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Some of the scariest horror content on Netflix includes "The Haunting of Hill House" for its eerie atmosphere and psychological terror, "The Babadook" for its intense psychological horror, "Hereditary" for its disturbing imagery and unsettling narrative, "The Ritual" for its creepy atmosphere and folk horror elements, and "Gerald's Game" for its tense and claustrophobic storytelling.
If you scared of spiders; Spaceman. Movies: Incantation, The Conjuring, The Nun, No One Gets Out Alive, The Ritual, The Ruin, As Above So Below. Not available on Netflix at least in my region: The descent, It follows, The Village Anime: Junji Ito Collection (nothing are scarier than this nightmare fuels) Mieruko chan, Jujutsu Kaisen (Top tier fight sequences animations, not scary tho), Dark Gathering
Try to watch The 8 Show, it will screw with your mind, not even kidding.
No one gets out alive, smile, marinne
Requiem… superb British horror/super-natural…
Veronica
Haunting of Hill House ….
Love Death + Robots has some disturbing horror episodes. Lots of gore if you are okay with that.
I'm a big fan of horror. Ever since I watched lights out, I can't walk around the house without turning the lights on. Here's a trailer: https://youtu.be/6LiKKFZyhRU?feature=shared To be fair, [semi spoiler] once they figure out the issue they're facing, the movie is not so scary anymore. But the first part was enough to traumatize me lol
Please watch Alice in Borderland. It will blow your mind and have you clenching pillows.
Are you being serious?
Yes, it gave me actual nightmares. Great series if that’s what you’re looking for.
Yeah I’ve watched it, I just don’t understand how it gave you nightmares but everyone’s different I guess. Although op does seem to be looking for supernatural / no thrillers
I keep seeing it recommended, I've tried it twice now, but I can't make it past 5 minutes because the cinematography feels so low budget. Like watching a disney channel original movie.
Check out infinity pool