Haunting of Hill House: Review

People claim this show was scary enough to make them faint or vomit, and horror mastermind Stephen King said the show is “nearly perfect.” But does this show really live up to expectations?

The tale follows the Crain family who temporarily move into Hill House, until they can afford to build their dream home. However, unexplained happenings start to occur around the house and after a tragic event, the family are forced to flee. The family reunite 26 years later and are forced to face the house and their tragic pasts.

The Crain family children as adults.

Slow building tension is one of the main reasons for its success. This is clear from its episode format with the first episodes focusing on each character individually, revealing their harrowing experience with the house.

Through each episode you see why the family were forced from their home and how this has affected their lives ever since. It is easy enough to build a rapport and sympathise with each character as everything leads back to the house.

The family could never leave behind the ghosts of their past, as it follows them through to modern day, causing some terrifying jump scares.

Visuals are everything with this show. The music and pacing work to build the horrifying tension. Jump scares are sudden and unexpected, some of them lasting a painfully long time and torturing you with the demonic images.

Some people will find it terrifying, others may not, but this diversity is something I feel is often unseen within the horror genre.

One of the many jumpscares within the series.

At times, the dialogue is long and seems unnecessary especially, when you know enough about the characters that actions speak a lot louder than words.

Some scenes become painfully long to watch, using too much dialogue instead of getting straight to the point.

You can probably guess the final twist if you are an avid watcher. But the way the story plays out leading up to this moment was perfect. This is definitely a recommended watch for anyone, but it requires patience to watch the entire story unfold.

Thoughts:

Rating: ★★★★