Netflix users that are also horror fanatics should be familiar with the work of Mike Flanagan. His popular shows, coined the ‘Flanaverse’ by Netflix, have been a hit with fans since the 2018 release of “The Haunting of Hill House.” Since that show, three more have dropped: “The Haunting of Bly Manor” in 2020, “Midnight Mass” in 2021, and most recently, “The Midnight Club” on Oct. 7.
While fans have their favorites, they all collectively praise Flanagan’s balance between horror and emotion. Flanagan knows how to do horror, and he knows how to do it right. The jumpscares and gore that the genre is known for only play a small part in his renditions. He incorporates those elements with the thrill and mystery of a good horror plot line.
“The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” both surround the same house, but follow a different name and the supernatural experiences that come with the property. “Midnight Mass” is more varied than its counterparts, telling a brutally gory critique of Christianity in a small town.
The newest addition, “The Midnight Club,” is based on the 1994 Christopher Pike novel of the same name. As all of the other ‘Flanaverse’ shows, the cast contains some of the same actors the audience has grown to love.
UMass Boston student Olivia Reid says she could tell it fits in with the other shows because “it contained a lot of the same directorial aspects.” As stated previously, Flanagan has a signature when it comes to his shows. The horror comes along more with the plot than just the typical horror effects.
With all of his shows, they start off with seemingly-random plot lines and a lot of tasteful jumpscares. Then, little bits and pieces of the storylines start to wind together, but still not making a whole lot of sense. Suddenly, in the final episode or two, the audience’s jaw drops as they see everything fit perfectly together. Well, that is how it has been previously. “The Midnight Club” took a slightly different turn.
It started the same with the vague plot and random scares, but the audience was left with a lot of questions at the end because the plot didn’t follow the usual Flanagan-tie-up. This is where a lot of fans found themselves disappointed with the turn out of this show.
While the show was still fun to watch, it didn’t provide the satisfying ending that fans have come to love. Now, this begs the question: Will there be another season? The obvious answer is no. None of the other Flanagan shows have had one, so why would this one? But unlike the other shows, the end had a plot twist that had the viewers begging for more. Maybe this time, fans of the shows will get what they have been asking for: Another season.
To horror fans who have yet to enter into the lore of the ‘Flanaverse,’ just watch the shows. The order doesn’t really matter, but Mike Flanagan brings a fresh lens to an age-old genre that is simply enjoyable to consume. While “The Midnight Club” didn’t have the satisfying ending the other’s did, it’s still just a good show. For fans who already love Flangan’s work, there have already been talks of a new show, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” to be released in 2023.
