Mike Flanagan’s new horror series “The Haunting of Hill House” is primarily a family drama. While that might sound strange, viewers of the Netflix Original series get to know each character in the series in dramatic detail, including their flaws and how living in Hill House has affected their adult lives.

The drama builds slowly, but doesn’t lack for its scary moments – and believe me, they are scary. It takes a couple of episodes to get into the story, but once you’re in, you’re hooked. For drama and horror, many on social media are comparing “The Haunting of Hill House” with the popular “American Horror Story” series.

In fact, the new Netflix show is being branded as better than “AHS.” According to a review by Lad Bible, GQ has dubbed the show as being among the most truly chilling series ever.

Meeting the family in Hill House

Without giving too much away, each member of the Crain family in “The Haunting of Hill House” has his or her own backstory and suffers from a variety of flaws. One is a heroin addict, another keeps seeing ghosts, while yet another is “sensitive” and has to wear gloves to avoid constantly “seeing things.” There is yet another member who writes about ghosts and hauntings and even wrote a novel about his own family and their experiences in Hill House, much to the chagrin of his siblings.

Because you get to know everyone’s backstories in detail, with a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards throughout each episode, somehow the scary portions of the show hit harder and deeper.

You identify with the characters.

Fans already know the terrifying ghosts that haunt Hill House, including “The Thin Man in the Hat” and the “Bent-neck Lady.” As each appears, viewers jump or hug each other in fright.

One really scary scene is when the younger Luke is playing in the dumbwaiter in the house and it takes him down to a previously unknown basement which is not on the floor plan. His sister is unable to get the dumbwaiter to bring him back. That experience is probably the main reason Luke ended up addicted to heroin, just to cope with life.

TV adaptation of 'The Haunting of Hill House'

As noted by JOE.co.uk, the Netflix series was adapted by Mike Flanagan from the original novel “The Haunting of Hill House” by author Shirley Jackson, which was published in 1929.

It turns out he did his job well, as the series is a huge hit with viewers. So much so, they started comparing it to “American Horror Story,” the anthology series by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the first three or so seasons of “American Horror Story,” but then it started to flag. Looking back on “AHS” and comparing the two, for deep and thorough scares, “The Haunting of Hill House” is far superior. While it likely cannot have a second season, many are enjoying the show, with some unable to sleep after watching and in my case, some really bad dreams!

Bear in mind, I am a huge Stephen King fan, but his novels and TV and Film adaptations never affected my sleep.

Lad Bible even says some people are getting sick from watching the series. People on social media have even said they feel like they are going to pass out. Bad dreams, passing out and feeling sick aside, “The Haunting of Hill House” is a definite must-see for horror fans.
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