The Haunting of Hill House is Why You Should Watch Horror

I love horror, but it's a genre with a lot of untapped potential. Modern day masterpieces seem far and few between. Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House, is currently leading the genre in a huge way. Hill House isn't the first horror TV series, but it's perhaps the first to take full advantage of the medium. The show is a masterpiece, and Mike Flanagan is a genius.

Hill House is a classic ghost story. A family with five kids moves into a creepy mansion, ghosts haunt them, and shit hits the fan. The compelling aspect is how the show bounces between the past and present. The haunting all occurs in the past, but in the present the adult kids are burdened by their grief and trauma. As the show progresses many mysteries unfold, one of which holds a strong spot in my top ten "WTF" TV moments.

You come for the scares, but you stay for the characters. The five children are heartbreaking. The timelines illustrate the contrast between their childhood innocence and traumatized remorseful husks. Drug abuse, alcoholism and PTSD are rampant, and portrayed very bluntly. The scariest mystery isn't the ghosts or Hill House, but what the kids might do to themselves. This exploration of trauma and coping mechanisms is the shows greatest triumph.

At this point I realize I'm underselling the horror aspect. The show is fucking scary. The ghosts are a looming presence, there's a constant tension that at any moment a ghost could jump out. But the show rarely opts for these cheap screams. The suspense builds, and crescendos, until it's earned that jump scare. Horror, when done right, is an excellent way to examine characters and drive plot. Every moment is enthralling when there's maybe a ghost around the corner.

After finishing The Haunting of Hill House, it's crazy to me that there aren't more long form horror shows. The genre and the medium are perfect for each other. Ten hours of horror sounds like a lot, but it allows for insane amounts of depth. Critcisms of typical horror movies, like weak characters and thin plot, are Hill Houses strengths. It's a unique journey that transcends the genre, and scratches an itch I didn't even know I had.