The Haunting of Hill House

[JohnC]

Netflix show based on a 1959 Shirley Jackson gothic horror novel, but with the plot updated. Coming on 12 October. Created and directed by Mike Flanagan, of Oculus and Gerald's Game.

 

It's about a group of siblings who lived in what would later become the most famous haunted house in the country. As adults they are brought back together and must face the ghosts of their past (cliche alert).

 

 

[James Lyon]

Oculus and Gerald's Game were both pretty decent movies (last five minutes of the latter aside). This could be a good one for Hallowe'en, then.

[Harsin]

Watched the first ep, not bad, bit of a slow burn. I'll admit there was a scare at the end that proper got me even though I was expecting it.

[JPickford]

Bailed halfway through the second ep.  Dreadful.

[Mr.Crowley]

On episode 5 now. Fucking terrifying while also pretty heartbreaking. Streets ahead of any horror-series I've ever seen. 3,4 and 5 are more focused on specific characters which has been great.

[grindmouse]

The first ep was excellent. Good stuff.

[Mr.Crowley]

Finished it! (Phew) The most Stephen King thing King never wrote. Loved it.

[Nespresso]

I find Mike Flanagan to be very hit or miss. Is this more along the lines of Gerald's Game (good) or Oculus (very bad)? 

[Harsin]

The scariest thing in this might be Henry Thomas' face, the combination of plastic surgery and really unnatural looking blue contacts make him look a bit like a White Walker from Game of Thrones in a wig.

[Azrael]

Just started to watch this, I didn't last long. Got a couple of minutes in when the wee girl woke up again and it looked to be building up to a jump scare or something so I've bailed and started Iron Fist instead. 

 

Nothing had even happened yet.  

[grindmouse]

Just done ep 4.

 

This is incredibly strong stuff. One of my favourite shows of the last few years. And surprisingly touching.

 

Even if the rest takes a downturn, the acting, direction, misdirection, and scares so far have been top draw. 

 

The section with the service lift was pure Stephen King - horrifying.

 

[deerokus]

It's good this. I always liked the 60s film, and this isn't much like that but does have some of the spirit of it. And the same creepy spiral staircase. 

[idespair]

After watching the first half of the season on Friday I managed to finish this off yesterday. It's easily been my favourite series of the year, and is something which will stay with me for a while. I think the structure was fantastic - not just the way time and scene jumps were used, but also the little background touches which are never explicitly acknowledged.

 

Whilst the characters are still broad stereotypes (a point nicely summed up in one scene between Steve and his Dad), I felt that enough time was spent with them to make the punches land that bit harder when they came.

[Floyd]

It's great so far, I'm almost at the end, just a couple more to go. I felt I had to try hard in the initial episodes. I even stopped it half way through episode 2 just to check the online review scores as I thought it could go either way.

 

I'm not a fan of jump scares ( I find them cheap and lame), but luckily they are few and far between and has way more creepy moments straight out of a nightmare.

 

As I'm close to finishing it I'm convinced that this is a one and done thing, I don't even think I need a sequel!

[Nespresso]

On 12/10/2018 at 22:30, Harsin said:

Watched the first ep, not bad, bit of a slow burn. I'll admit there was a scare at the end that proper got me even though I was expecting it.

First two eps down and it''s not a slow burn at all. Unless you only watch Michael Bay movies, which I think you do. You bring great shame upon your family. 

[Moz]

This is really, really good. I've just finished "The bent neck lady" and it's a great bit of TV. Self contained but totally vital to the wider series, restrained but powerful, thoughtful but gut-punching in it's conclusion. The less said the better really, but I'd urge people to watch it. My wife's writing it off because "she doesn't like scary things" but it's more akin to a prestige-TV puzzlebox about family ties, grief, guilt - all the things ghost stories used to be before they became a series of loud bangs spread over 90 mins.

[jon_cybernet]

Finished it last night. Really enjoyed it, although felt it peaked with episode 5, which I thought was genuinely brilliant. Structurally it felt more like an adaptation of IT, with the house replacing the creature, with little spills of the original Shirley Jackson text dabbed around the edges. The ending was also a bit too similar to [ENDING SPOILER]

 

the Murder House season of American Horror Story.

 

Overall really enjoyed it though. After a bumpy start it really grew on me, and although I guessed most of the twists, felt it was really solid by the end. Wonder if there'll be a second season going into the house's past?

[Zero9X]

I'm up to episode 8 - Episode 5 was my stand out so far too. Amazing stuff, great drama and characterisation. Very well made. Definitely my favourite show this year.

[Harsin]

Reading up on the series (love all the hidden ghosts I missed) Timothy Hutton is actually only 10 years older than Henry Thomas, couldn't they have just stuck a wig and a bit of make-up on him instead of turning poor Henry into the lich king for the past scenes.

[Mr.Crowley]

6 hours ago, Harsin said:

Reading up on the series (love all the hidden ghosts I missed) Timothy Hutton is actually only 10 years older than Henry Thomas, couldn't they have just stuck a wig and a bit of make-up on him instead of turning poor Henry into the lich king for the past scenes.

Hell no, Henry Thomas is fine and all but Timothy Hutton (especially in episode 6) was one of the highlights of the show IMO.

[gospvg]

Enjoyed the 1st episode yesterday that ending sequence! OMG!

[cassidy]

This is good. Just shit the bed for the first time watching. Fair play it really doesn’t milk the jump scares.  So when it did finally arrive Fuck me. 

 

Spoiler

Elly appearing in the car. 

 

[Mr.Crowley]

2 minutes ago, cassidy said:

This is good. Just shit the bed for the first time watching. Fair play it really doesn’t milk the jump scares.  So when it did finally arrive Fuck me. 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Elly appearing in the car. 

 

That got me good. I couldn’t even be mad.

[cassidy]

Just now, Mr.Crowley said:

That got me good. I couldn’t even be mad.

It was awesome. 

[Scribblor]

On 12/10/2018 at 21:39, JPickford said:

Bailed halfway through the second ep.  Dreadful.

Madness. It's far and away the best horror TV show ever made, and the best horror in any medium since The VVitch.

[MpM]

I'd love to watch this but I'm too much of a chickenshit to watch Horror stuff, whenever I try to watch the scary stuff I just mute the volume when an obvious 'jump' scene is coming, as its the sounds accompanying the moment are what really scare you, more so than the visual side of it, in my case,  yeah...I know, pathetic

 

Some people just love that surge of adrenalin you get when jumping out of your skin and some just hate it, I guess.

 

[cassidy]

Minimal jump scares in this mind. It's more mood and atmosphere and spooky shit in the background and foreground. 

 

Plus the metaphorical ghosts that haunt us all. 

 

It's really great actually. 

[Illyria]

When it gets too scary for me I feed my animals in Animal Crossing while I watch  3 episodes in now! Most of it isn't that scary but I find each episode has at least one really freaky nightmare material moment.

[amc]

Was really into this but it lost me towards the end. Not sure why and I'd say it's decent overall but I just can't put my finger on what soured me near the end.

[grindmouse]

5 hours ago, cassidy said:

Minimal jump scares in this mind. It's more mood and atmosphere and spooky shit in the background and foreground. 

 

Plus the metaphorical ghosts that haunt us all. 

 

It's really great actually. 

 

This show has a ton of horrifying tense and jumpy sequences in the first 3 eps.