Netflix Spotlight: The Haunting of Hill House

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Jessica Crosson, Entertainment Editor

Netflix reels their viewers in with just this quick synopsis,

“Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.”

Originally a gothic horror piece of literature written in 1959 by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House has been made into a 10-episode Netflix series and is making its presence known to streamers. IMDb provides this description for viewers,

“Explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past, some of which still lurk in their minds while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House.”

This series, created by Mike Flanagan, flashes between past and present which provides a unique perspective to viewers. This series keeps a steady flow making it hard to stop watching and easy to binge and finish within a day. Flashbacks to the Crain children in the past provide the background knowledge needed to understand why the Crain family acts the way it does during the present-day scenes.

The casting seemed to be perfect as the actors stepped into their roles and created their characters with an almost flawless execution. Since this series constantly flips between past and present there are two sets of casts for the children and father, the young children and the adult children. Steven Crain is played by Michiel Huisman (adult) and Paxton Singleton (young), Shirley Crain by Elizabeth Reaser (adult) and (Lulu Wilson), Theodora ‘Theo’ Crain by Kate Siegel (adult) and McKenna Grace (young), Luke Crain by Oliver Jackson-Cohen (adult) and (Julian Hilliard), Nell Crain by Victoria Pedretti (adult) and Violet McGraw (young), Hugh Crain by Timothy Hutton (adult) and Henry Thomas (younger adult), and Olivia Crain by Carla Gugino.

A perfect balance between horror and drama makes this show a must-see during this spooky season.