Grace Cavanaugh, Staff Writer~
Anyone who knows me could tell you that I love anything spooky. Horror movies, jumpscare-filled video games, scary books and TV-shows, you name it and I am there. It would come to no surprise that Halloween is my favorite holiday and, even though Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are upon us, I refuse to give up my spooky tendencies.
Recently, I watched the entire first season of The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. This show has it all: creepy kids, ghosts, supernatural abilities, kittens, and plenty of spooks to keep you up at night. My choice to watch the whole thing well into the early hours of the morning was probably not the best idea, as I then had to move about our house with all the lights on.
This show has a few notable problems, like relying on horror tropes a little too much at times, some characters that are highly forgettable, and even the majority white cast, but overall it is an enjoyable watch. The complexity of the plot, once you have everything figured out in the end, is actually very good for a horror show.
Typically, horror shows and movies get a bad rep for having simple plots in order for more gore and scare times. The Haunting of Hill House keeps the horror while also balancing complex characters that are relatable.
The cinematography actually reminded me of the classic slasher films like the Halloween franchise – or, at least, the first Halloween and the most recent sequel. Long frames that have characters on the edges but an ominous empty space at the center makes the viewer just tense enough that the following scares will make them jump or scream, things I did frequently. To that extent, it also reminded me of a horror movie my friends and I watched earlier this year: Hereditary.
The story follows the five Crain siblings who grew up in the notorious haunted Hill House, where their family was traumatically torn apart. The events of the show follow the siblings after they have grown up and grown apart. A new tragedy brings them back together and reveals what happened so many years ago the night they fled Hill House.
The first season only has 10 episodes, around 50 minutes each, and fans are highly doubtful that the show will get another season. It is extremely easy to binge-watch all 10 episodes, preferably with someone else so the scares are less intense. So, go gather a group of your friends, make some popcorn, turn out the lights, and get ready for a wild ride.