The Haunting of Hill House

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 12, 2018
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 411 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 333 out of 411
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 411
  3. Negative: 45 out of 411
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User Reviews

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  1. SimboTheKing
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Just as fantastic as the first time I watched it. I do think that it pips Bly Manor a bit for me. I just adore the way the story is told. It's slow and methodical but oh boy does it make the emotional bits hit sooooo hard. I literally can't find a single fault in this show. I would highlight my favourite aspect though: the switching perspectives. It was such a stroke of genius toJust as fantastic as the first time I watched it. I do think that it pips Bly Manor a bit for me. I just adore the way the story is told. It's slow and methodical but oh boy does it make the emotional bits hit sooooo hard. I literally can't find a single fault in this show. I would highlight my favourite aspect though: the switching perspectives. It was such a stroke of genius to continually show the same events from different perspectives and it elevated this story even higher for me.

    Peak television unironically.    … Expand
  2. Nella112
    Sep 21, 2021
    1
    One word: BORING.
  3. geewah
    Dec 30, 2020
    8
    Not always a fan of this genre but I found this to be a well written horror show with enough scares to keep you on the edge of your seat.
  4. JulianIncen
    Jun 1, 2020
    8
    Mike Flanagan's work is remarkable. He created tension and terror without the most basic cliché of this genre: the jumpscares. The photography is impressive, as is the entire cast.
  5. Felindie
    Jul 16, 2019
    8
    The series is catchy and quiet scary., the characters were good and the acting too.
  6. AliceofX
    Jun 12, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Started out good but got meh towards the end. The episode where Nell kills herself was the highpoint of the series.… Expand
  7. xGabriel
    Apr 25, 2019
    10
    A Masterpieceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
  8. dorout
    Apr 20, 2019
    10
    Absolutely stunning TV show. This show is the Breaking Bad/Infinity Wars of the horror genre. The suspense, the thrill, the unexpected, the emotions at certain points are all built upon well structured characters.

    I honestly have no idea how the heck season 2 is going to top the ending - completely blown away. Some parts of the ending you can forecast, but most of the ending you cannot.
  9. TheApprentice94
    Mar 20, 2019
    8
    Mike Flanagan is quickly proving himself to being an excellent horror director. Coming off saving the Ouija series and delivering excellent films like Hush and an adaptation of Stephen King's Gerald's Game, The Haunting of Hill House manages to impressively be both character study and full-blown intense fright-fest. Sure, it can be slow and it can be pressing but it is incredibly rewardingMike Flanagan is quickly proving himself to being an excellent horror director. Coming off saving the Ouija series and delivering excellent films like Hush and an adaptation of Stephen King's Gerald's Game, The Haunting of Hill House manages to impressively be both character study and full-blown intense fright-fest. Sure, it can be slow and it can be pressing but it is incredibly rewarding as the series unfolds. Not to mention, I love how this series was constructed - it speaks to the intelligence of the entire thing.… Expand
  10. night4
    Feb 9, 2019
    6
    It's not scary. It jumps around way too much. And why use a different actor for the same adult character, the dad? It makes no sense.

    Some of the acting was good, though, so it's watchable.
  11. TheQuietGamer
    Jan 26, 2019
    10
    I consider Mike Flanagan to be one of the best names in modern horror. The primary reason for that being he has always delivered compelling drama and well-realized characters on top of unique, exciting premises. One area I've always found him to be a lacking in though has been actual terror. Simply put, I've never found any of his movies to be scary. This is part of the reason I believeI consider Mike Flanagan to be one of the best names in modern horror. The primary reason for that being he has always delivered compelling drama and well-realized characters on top of unique, exciting premises. One area I've always found him to be a lacking in though has been actual terror. Simply put, I've never found any of his movies to be scary. This is part of the reason I believe this modernization of Shirley Jackson's classic to be Flanagan's best work to date: it scared the living crap out of me.

    I'm a slow burn kind of guy. I love a tone of unease that builds up to something truly horrifying (when it's done right that is). And when the big moment finally arrives I don't want some cheap jumpscare. Oh no, that won't get to me. What will is having a disturbing display of the unnatural take place right in front of me in full view. A lot of people say that what we can't see is deserving of the most fear, and they are far from wrong. However, one should never underestimate the terror that can come from seeing something you know you shouldn't and having it stare right back at you. These are the kind of moments The Haunting of Hill House has in spades.

    Thematically this has a lot in common with Stephen King's IT. It even plays out in a similar manner. It's an exploration of how past trauma, particularly from childhood, can effect a person in the future. Each character tries to cope in different ways to varying degrees of success. Haunted by more than just the ghosts of their childhood home, the Crain siblings deal with past regrets and familial strife. Broken family drama is a huge part of Hill House and is brought to life with superb writing. Longtime Flanagan devotees will get a kick out of seeing so many familiar faces from his movies return to do some of the best work of their careers ensuring that the Crains feel like real people.

    The mystery surrounding the house itself is so engaging that this became my first real binge watch. Each reveal is more unsettling than the last. Especially when the boundaries of time begin to blur linking the past, present, and future together in a way that makes the Crain's fate feel predetermined and inescapable. There's an ever-increasing sense of impending doom that kept me on the edge of my seat.

    This one of the most well-realized works of horror I have ever experienced and among the best of what Netflix's large (and still growing) catalog of exclusives has to offer. This feels like the culmination of all of Flanagan's work up to this point and will likely be remembered as his magnum opus. If you any love for the genre at all then this is not to be missed.    … Expand
  12. egoBorder
    Jan 17, 2019
    5
    The Haunting of Hill House is impressive and ambitious, but unfortunately in terms of horror or drama it just fails to deliver anything above surface thrills. Like, VERY thin.

    I want to praise the production because they brought together a diverse cast and complex plot, but instead I submit this is conceptually where the show went wrong. Because at 10 episodes the show feels about    The Haunting of Hill House is impressive and ambitious, but unfortunately in terms of horror or drama it just fails to deliver anything above surface thrills. Like, VERY thin.

    I want to praise the production because they brought together a diverse cast and complex plot, but instead I submit this is conceptually where the show went wrong. Because at 10 episodes the show feels about three hours too long and about two characters too heavy. I suspect this script didn't get a lot of reads because even a lot of the dialogue has an amateurish repetitiveness.

    The story isn't anything original, but that's okay in ghost stories. And at first, the way the show jumps between characters and time, I thought the idea was that while the ideas were cliched the presentation was offering something new. But in another misstep, the show gets a bit too flashy and it entirely kills the horror. By then, the characters are revealed to be entirely one-dimensional, and the drama fails as well.

    If you've read this far into the review and you're genuinely curious about my opinion and wondering if you'll like it, here's something that isn't exactly a spoiler. But I also could not ignore this and found it infuriating and constantly distracting:

    There is probably a ghost in this show, like, every seven or eight minutes. Not kidding. By the second episode I was laughing out loud every time I saw one and by the third it was really bothering me    … Expand
  13. WakeNarrative
    Jan 14, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Haunting Series Worth Watching: This new Netflix series follows the Crain siblings who experience supernatural phenomenon over the course of their lives after moving into the Hill House. The story jumps back and forth in time (further evidence of Nell's theory that time is not linear) from youth to adulthood with intertwining haunting events stemming from the Hill House experiences. This terrorizing tale mirrors the late film "The Haunting" and is based on the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" written in 1959. This series did not disappoint and with every episode, Hill House became more terrifying. Highlights: the Bent Neck Lady, the man in the cellar who attacked Luke, Dr. Hill's dead body in the wall, and any clock shown after midnight ending in :03.

    We read from Buzzfeed that the children demonstrate the five stages of grief by age; Steven is Denial, Shirley is Anger, Theo is Bargaining, Luke is Depression, and Nell is Acceptance and in a lot of ways during the course of this series, we experienced all five stages, however in reverse.

    We quickly accepted the fact that this series was one of the most haunted series we have experienced and actually caused us to quickly jump when lights flickered or sparked in the comfort of our own homes! A bit of depression set in when we had to witness all of the horrible experiences these poor children endured. There was definitely some bargaining and pleading to the characters towards the end to not return to the house! Who wasn't angered by the death of Hugh Crain (the father)!? And, we are still in denial that this series is over.

    Biggest "ah ha" moment - When Nell dies and we realize she is the Bent Neck Lady all along.

    Best trooper in a terrible situation - Poor Abigail, what a tragic tea party.

    Best symbolism technique - The red door room - bearing many faces as the "stomach" of the house and every character's sanctuary. Whatttt? There wasn't really a treehouse? Overall grade: A    … Expand
  14. RobertWhittick
    Jan 8, 2019
    10
    This series is absolutely amazing, while at some times it does feel like it ripped off american horror story season 1. However it is executed with a completely different tone. It's seamless transitions between the past and future and the incredible camera work succeed at building immeasurable suspense while slowly unravelling a compelling story of grief, trauma and family. Despite theirThis series is absolutely amazing, while at some times it does feel like it ripped off american horror story season 1. However it is executed with a completely different tone. It's seamless transitions between the past and future and the incredible camera work succeed at building immeasurable suspense while slowly unravelling a compelling story of grief, trauma and family. Despite their flaws you find yourself caring deeply for the, extremely well acted, characters and cannot bear to look away even during the most frightening parts. Never so much have I seen a series' ending so perfectly encapsulate the whole series and was truly perfect. Despite loving the series I believe the ending was so perfect it would be a shame to spoil it with a second season as I am not sure where they could go without it losing some of its' magic.… Expand
  15. JavaSquirt
    Jan 3, 2019
    1
    нетфликс, вы должны понять - негры должны работать на плантациях, а не сниматься в сериалах.
  16. olvlvl
    Dec 31, 2018
    4
    I love "The Conjuring", so I was excited about a TV show with a family in a haunted house, but this is ultimately boring. There's two major issues: it's scary as missing toilet paper; the acting and direction is utterly bad.

    Nothing in this show is scary. Most of the time ghosts "hang" there. On one occasion they pick up a hat, on an other they crawl. There's nothing evil going on.    I love "The Conjuring", so I was excited about a TV show with a family in a haunted house, but this is ultimately boring. There's two major issues: it's scary as missing toilet paper; the acting and direction is utterly bad.

    Nothing in this show is scary. Most of the time ghosts "hang" there. On one occasion they pick up a hat, on an other they crawl. There's nothing evil going on. Compared to all the shenanigans that were happening in "The Conjuring". This is utterly disappointing. I kinda liked the sequence where the younger sister hangs herself, there was some good idea in there, but that doesn't make for the other 10 boring hours.

    Then, there's the actors. Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, and Julian Hilliard are doing a great job, the rest of the cast ranges from bad to terrible. Michiel Huisman being the worst. Plain. Unconvincing. Lukewarm. Maybe it's the direction, I don't know.

    Long story short, after fast-forwarding through episode 6, I'm giving up. I'd rather watch "The Conjuring" 6 times in a row.    … Expand
  17. Voodoo123
    Dec 19, 2018
    10
    +Exceptional quality of cinematography/lighting/composition
    +Fantastically atmospheric use of music/sound/silence
    +Talented cast deliver memorable performances +Excellent screenplay/character design/episode layout -A first for me.... to me this is a faultless production! Haunting by name, haunting its audience by nature. Flanagan's HOHH creeps its way under your skin like any good    +Exceptional quality of cinematography/lighting/composition
    +Fantastically atmospheric use of music/sound/silence
    +Talented cast deliver memorable performances
    +Excellent screenplay/character design/episode layout
    -A first for me.... to me this is a faultless production!

    Haunting by name, haunting its audience by nature. Flanagan's HOHH creeps its way under your skin like any good horror story not through exaggerated use effects gore or cheap thrills but decent story telling (and droplets of everything I just mentioned timed perfectly!). I feel like this series will generate its own audience over time and to me just felt timeless.

    Each story feels like its own self contained horror movie with an exceptional level of quality. The episodes take care to unravel each characters psyche through the different time periods punctuated with revelatory moments where we discover a key connective moment in the family's dynacmic relationships.

    As a gamer I have always felt like the location (level) design is a key in any survival horror title to making the player feel unsettled (Resident evil mansion, sevestapol station alien isolation etc) and the production design of Hill House is just mesmerizing in that it has its own real personality.... the interiors are haunting through the different time periods without being too provocative, again feeding into the subtle 'under your skin' haunted feeling Flanagan exaggerates in scenes building to a crescendo of scares.    … Expand
  18. nj06
    Dec 10, 2018
    8
    I am basically incapable of watching shows and movies with supernatural, ghost, horror, and similar themes. My main problem with these genres is that most such shows and movies require a bigger suspension of logic and disbelief that I posses. I am less bothered by the supernatural itself, than I am put off by bad writing, even worse editing, cliches, never-tied lose ends, and similarI am basically incapable of watching shows and movies with supernatural, ghost, horror, and similar themes. My main problem with these genres is that most such shows and movies require a bigger suspension of logic and disbelief that I posses. I am less bothered by the supernatural itself, than I am put off by bad writing, even worse editing, cliches, never-tied lose ends, and similar features all too commonly found in much of the work in this realm. Having said that, this Halloween I decided that I will try to watch one show or movie in the spirit of the season. A neighbor recommended The Haunting of Hill House, and I actually ended up watching the entire season of it. To my own surprise, I loved this show. It really worked for me. Acting, production, story, are all excellent. The music is gorgeous and the whole mood of the show is right on target. The ending is somewhat anticlimactic, incomplete and messy, but I didn't even care, because the whole experience was nearly perfect for the occasion.… Expand
  19. guinea_pig_girl
    Dec 2, 2018
    3
    Disappointing! I wanted to like it, but there's not enough content and interest for 10 episodes. Reasonable quality acting performances, though I think Henry Thomas and Carla Gugino are NOT believable as a do-it-yourself house flipping couple capable of running a circular saw. Plus no chemistry. Also mismatched are Robert Longstreet and Annabeth Gish as the Dudleys. Most compellingDisappointing! I wanted to like it, but there's not enough content and interest for 10 episodes. Reasonable quality acting performances, though I think Henry Thomas and Carla Gugino are NOT believable as a do-it-yourself house flipping couple capable of running a circular saw. Plus no chemistry. Also mismatched are Robert Longstreet and Annabeth Gish as the Dudleys. Most compelling stand-out performance was Elizabeth Reaser as Shirley. Shirley, with Anthony Ruivivar as husband Kevin, are the closest thing to relatable characters, which is notable since they're in the funeral industry. Other characters seem to suffer from trying to appear complex, but somehow end up less dimensional for their effort (example: child psychologist Theo). I understand from other reviews that this Netflix series does not match the Shirley Jackson novel (I haven't read it so don't know otherwise). I feel that this interpretation was intended to be an exploration of supernatural elements and their impact on human psychology and, in particular, family dynamics...and this does shine through for the most part. The first episodes showcase the children of the family, featuring each child's experience living in Hill House contrasted with present day adult issues. The idea being that "ghosts" of the past continue to haunt their adult relationships. The perfect highlight of family dysfunction is the unrelenting funeral home scene in E6 (Two Storms). Beyond that, the structure of the series falls apart and it's a scrambled mess, with more time spent on mold remediation, clock repair, and furniture refinishing, rather than meaningful character development and careful layering of relevant elements. The main action in E8 (Witness Marks) basically consists of 2 different sets of people driving to Hill House in different vehicles. You'll have to wait until E9 to find out what happens when the vehicles finally arrive. Sure, there's some interesting conversation taking place, but often it's too much. There are agonizing and excessively long monologs (examples: Dudley's 8 minute speech in E7-Eulogy and the longer than necessary conversations between Hugh and a law enforcement official). The importance of Hill House itself and it's spirit-world "residents" seems like an afterthought despite the series title. I think in the final episodes, the audience was *supposed* to start feeling empathy toward the departed souls rather than fear? Hard to tell, since this element was overshadowed by slowly dragging the family narrative to it's unsatisfying endpoint. It certainly feels like a missed opportunity not to give the spirit world equal billing to the living characters, since that interplay could have made the series more balanced, not to mention putting more meat on the bone. As is turns out, the discovery of a body on the premises only got about 1 minute of screen time and follow-up, so viewers were left wondering what exactly happened there? whose body was that? does that have anything to do with the haunting? A body might ordinarily be pivotal in a tale about a haunted house, but here it ends up being a total throw-away non-event. The final episodes suffer from similarly underdeveloped loose ends, unanswered questions, and irrelevant fillers. Also missing is more about the Dudleys connection to Hill House, a glaring omission since the couple is key to the story wrap-up (they are prominently featured in the last episode.) Other disappointments are the visual imagery of the Hill House exterior and interior. It's beyond a cliche - it might well have been inspired by a Scooby-Doo cartoon. The house is also improbable in scale: how could a contractor/carpenter with a family of 5 possibly afford this? I can easily suspend belief about ghosts, but not real estate. In fact, the most authentically spooky place in the entire series is the funeral home (and it's basement), simply because it's somewhat familiar and ordinary. Even the night-time city streets where a few scenes take place are threatening enough. No special effects needed. It is possible to build a spooky atmosphere with plot and tension alone (see Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining"). Overall, the successful scenes in the series had more to do with the ordinary torment we experience and endure as we navigate our human realm ... inner demons and interpersonal struggles are scary enough. No doubt, the series creators saw the dramatic potential in embedding a family in crisis among unfamiliar otherworldly circumstances. However, without better pacing and more meaningful connections between the human characters and the supernatural realm, the whole enterprise end ups being far less compelling than it could have been.… Expand
  20. GrantD243
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    The Haunting of Hill House is a much more emotional horror show than I expected. There are scares, and it does feel creepy most of the time, but it builds up to an emotional payoff rather than a horror payoff. It's well crafted and it honestly is way better than I ever expected it to be.
  21. MoviesForever
    Dec 1, 2018
    7
    I am a horror enthusiast; I love horror MOVIES (Hereditary, It Follows, The Babadook, Oculus, The VVitch...etc), horror TV-SHOWS (mainly American Horror Story and other subsidiaries), horror VIDEO-GAMES (Silent Hill, Slender Man...etc), but The Haunting of Hill House, is just too slow, too slow, it is too slow even for my taste. It is good, sometimes, really good actually (Ep.6), but justI am a horror enthusiast; I love horror MOVIES (Hereditary, It Follows, The Babadook, Oculus, The VVitch...etc), horror TV-SHOWS (mainly American Horror Story and other subsidiaries), horror VIDEO-GAMES (Silent Hill, Slender Man...etc), but The Haunting of Hill House, is just too slow, too slow, it is too slow even for my taste. It is good, sometimes, really good actually (Ep.6), but just too slow.… Expand
  22. brandonb7
    Nov 29, 2018
    9
    The show was extremely well done, albeit a bit confusing in the beginning with the constant time shifts. One of the few shows I truly wanted to see the next episode immediately to find out what happens. Great acting from a cast of mostly unknowns (except Anthony Ruivivar, he was pretty bad).
  23. Stevesucks
    Nov 19, 2018
    10
    I loved the show it had you on the edge of your seat wondering what would happen next!!!
  24. paulraised
    Nov 13, 2018
    4
    I feel I was cheated, you are supposed to put up with the drama, so you can see the horror unravel. In fact the drama takes center stage, and the story drifts about on any direction but the horror. I didn't like the ending and I feel it drags heavily after the first three episodes. The cast is great though, excellent performances.
  25. beat_c
    Nov 11, 2018
    5
    a few good moments and performances, but overall extremely repetitive, too stretched out and ultimately rather silly. add a supercheesy ending, and i would not recommend it.
  26. chuajohn05
    Nov 10, 2018
    9
    The Haunting of Hill House (2018) is without a doubt a thrilling series to watch. From the story itself it's a big change from the novel summary I read when I watch the first episodes that is executed well retelling from new horror figures they made. Characters have a major change from the novel but they have similar personalities taken from the originals. I can say that they made theThe Haunting of Hill House (2018) is without a doubt a thrilling series to watch. From the story itself it's a big change from the novel summary I read when I watch the first episodes that is executed well retelling from new horror figures they made. Characters have a major change from the novel but they have similar personalities taken from the originals. I can say that they made the adaption from the book did have a different approach so that viewers won't expect anything from the original. Like how The Walking Dead made the series adaption, they wanted a new approach that they won't get too much materials from the comics. Moreover, that's the same for what they wanted to do for The Haunting of Hills House series adaptation so viewers won't expect anything at all from the original platform.… Expand
  27. vmiguel
    Nov 10, 2018
    10
    Eerie, mysterious, exciting, captivating, thrilling, and disturbing. The Haunting of Hill House is extremely monumental, and so well thought out. A must-watch. Phenomenal. Just utterly phenomenal. The suspense, the horror and surprisingly the examination of conscience and mentality. Incredibly well-acted and directed.
  28. Edgarbaro
    Nov 6, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I haven't seen a show as moving as this in a while.
    Beyond the horror theme, this is a history that touches you in different ways,
    Incredible performances and a great casting choice.    … Expand
  29. MasteroMustache
    Nov 6, 2018
    6
    I'm extremely torn about this show. For the most part, it's expertly done drama and horror. The sixth episode in particular is a master class in acting, design, and direction. That said, the 10th and final episode is completely inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the show. A spoiler free analogy: imagine you're watching a basketball game. It's a great game, with high level athletesI'm extremely torn about this show. For the most part, it's expertly done drama and horror. The sixth episode in particular is a master class in acting, design, and direction. That said, the 10th and final episode is completely inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the show. A spoiler free analogy: imagine you're watching a basketball game. It's a great game, with high level athletes competing at the highest level. Suddenly, for the last 8 minutes of the game, the athletes turn to the sideline cameras and begin performing a Shakespearean play, and that's how the basketball game ends. Perhaps the play is performed fairly well (maybe the athletes are great actors!). Yet it's a completely unsatisfying ending to a *basketball game* which is what you were watching for the first 40 minutes. While I still believe the show is worth watching and would recommend it, I was extremely disappointed by the whole of the finale.… Expand
  30. kborders
    Nov 6, 2018
    10
    I am not typically a horror show person but I wanted to watch something different so I started watching The Haunting of Hill House. WOW! What an absolutely great show! We finished all of season 1 in a week. Outstanding cast and great story. At times, I was terrified, sad, and happy all at once. We can't wait for season 2!
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Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best TV Season of 2018
6
#6 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
3
#3 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Oct 31, 2018
    70
    The showrunner, Mike Flanagan, builds a dreadful atmosphere, which is crucial, because the creeping pace of his ten episodes would be intolerable if not for its ambient suspense. The show may work best as a binge watch, one where you don’t pay steady attention but instead let it haunt your own house.
    Read full review
  2. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Oct 24, 2018
    60
    The series abandons Jackson’s distinctly female gothic for a more generic examination of grief and trauma. Over 10 episodes, it’s stylish, moving, and sinister, riddled with ghosts both literal and metaphorical. But it’s hard not to feel like something has been lost in translation.
    Read full review
  3. Yahoo TV
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Oct 16, 2018
    60
    Well-acted and ponderously paced, The Haunting of Hill House would have benefited from less straining for the artistic and more of a desire to jolt its viewers.
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