This series was high on my watch list for a few reasons, the main ones being 1) I love the horror genre, 2) the cast is superb, and 3) I had a vivid paranormal encounter when I was a child, so I believe 100% in the existence of a supernatural dimension.
I just finished the last episode and consider it one of Netflix's best productions, right up there with Narcos, The Crown, House of Cards and Godless.
( And it really amazes me how Netflix churns out such high quality fare in huge quantities. )
So what's my verdict?
Is it scary? A definite yes.
Hats off to director Mike Flanagan for his amazing skill in building tension and scaring the crap out of me - an extremely difficult feat, considering my high fear threshold.
Of course, THOHH has a major advantage over films - it spans 10 one-hour episodes, with ample room to develop characters and storylines.
Still, on the flip side, I could also have lost interest, or Flanagan might have run out of novel ways to frighten me. I'm happy to report that neither of these occurred.
To be fair, the first 3 or 4 episodes didn't pack much of a wallop. That's when each character was being fleshed out, with Flanagan taking his time to do so. But I remained intrigued and invested, and my patience finally paid off in episode 5, which made my hair stand.
And let's not forget episode 6! One of the most incredible achievements I've ever witnessed in television, with beautifully choreographed one-shot takes that lasted up to 17 minutes. The acting - including that from the young cast - was phenomenal. This better not be overlooked at next year's Emmys.
What makes it scary?
There're a few run-of-the-mill tricks, of course. Sudden loud noises, corpses sitting up, spirits floating around, horrible creatures crawling towards the screen.
But the ones that most affected me involved blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, and believing something no matter how evil it sounds, out of a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Special mention goes to the numerous "Where's Wally?" moments, where Flanagan hides ghostly figures in various spots in the background. I only noticed them after stumbling upon an article. IT CREEPED ME OUT.
It's no wonder Stephen King has been effusive in his praise, although I stop short of calling it "a work of genius".
However, it won't be easy to match or surpass THOHH anytime soon.
Is it only about ghosts? No, it isn't.
In fact, I would say that the bulk of the story revolves around the Crains rather than Hill House.
And this is where my repeated descriptions about the series being "really sad" comes in, as a previously happy family is irreparably damaged, and an earlier tragedy continues to haunt them decades later.
This particular story arc probably won't touch people who are haven't personally experienced great loss or dysfunctional family dynamics. For someone like me, however, the tissue moments were abundant.
I read online comments from viewers who found this boring. I feel sorry for them - they've completely missed the best part of the series.
The adult cast is absolutely magnificent. The actors are all terrific in their own ways, but my favourite is Michiel Huisman, who plays Steven Crain. He doesn't have as many dramatic scenes as the others, who get to portray characters with mental illness, substance abuse and psychic abilities. But Steven is the one who grounds the entire family - the most level-headed, the stable one, though still far from perfect.
In the last minutes of the final episode, Huisman delivers a poignant monologue, an excerpt of which I've posted here:
"Ghosts are guilt. Ghosts are secrets. Ghosts are regrets and failings. But most times, a ghost is a wish."
This encompasses the essence of THOHH - i.e. the many meanings of the word "ghost". Sometimes, real life is far more terrifying than anything supernatural.
Next on my watch list - Bodyguard, starring Richard Madden. :)
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