"The Haunting of Hill House" Spreads Halloween Horror

This series is a one-stop-shop for horror, romance and heartwarming moments.
Photo Courtesy of Nerdist

Netflix’s new show, “The Haunting of Hill House,” balances a filled storyline with horror to create the perfect show for this spooky season.

The show, released on Oct. 12, is based upon Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel “The Haunting of Hill House.” The show revolves around a family who tries to navigate through life while tragedies come at them from every angle. All the trauma they experience seems to start right after they move into a new house, Hill House.

This show has many aspects that make it appealing, but one of the scariest things about it stems from how realistic it is. This show does a fantastic job of bringing back the fears from childhood nightmares: monsters waiting under the bed to take their next victim, the family hearing creaky noises from footsteps when everyone should be in bed, and ghosts lurking around corners.

Likewise, along with being able to imagine nightmares, almost everyone can find a character to relate with. Shirley Crain, the oldest daughter, possesses the personality of someone who cares so much for others that it ends up hurting her. She also has a secret that haunts her every single day. Steven Crain, the oldest son, has gained his success through his struggles. He uses his experiences to thrust himself to the top, but not without losing a few important people along the way.

Theodora Crain, the middle child, has a special skill nobody knows about. As a child, she was embarrassed and confused by her talent. As an adult, she learns to embrace herself and her inherited skill to help others. Although her peculiarity made her special at first, it also caused her many problems throughout her life.

The youngest siblings, Luke and Nell Crain, are twins who could never quite pull themselves together. They would get on track long enough to gain hope for the future but would ultimately fall down and have to build themselves up again.

These characters really strike a nerve in viewers because they are mirrors that reflect everyday people. At some points in the show, it feels like you are watching your own horror story. Besides the fact that you are literally jumping, and in my case crying, in your chairs, you can almost witness yourself being haunted.

Along with viewers being able to see themselves in the story lines, the show utilizes flashbacks to keep the audience coming back. The aspect that makes this a binge-worthy show comes from needing to watch every episode to understand the whole plot. This is not a show that starts with a fresh story each episode. Each flashback shown is a part of the bigger picture that is revealed in the end.

This is also not a show that completely focuses on horror. This series is a one stop shop for horror, romance and heartwarming moments. The old couple that works on the property, the Dudleys, add a special touching love story that is not often seen in horror entertainment. Instead of having one moment of tenderness and romance in the middle of the plot, the Dudleys reoccur and become prominent characters. They and their storyline make the show hard to endure because they are such good people.

By highlighting the fact that life can be scary with and without monsters, the show succeeds. Even after the horror has come to a close, the characters will still have to battle their inside monsters and nightmares in order to make it through to the next day.

If monsters, demons, and ghosts do not scare you, the reality of how difficult and taxing life is will definitely do the trick!