The Haunting of Hill House featurette explores what it takes to direct fear

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

There have been two feature-film adaptations of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" over the decades. The first is a masterclass in the creation of atmosphere and suspense, and the other, well, the less said about that CG-fueled misfire the better. Netflix will soon be unveiling their own take on Jackson's novel in the form of a ten-episode series, and by all accounts, it seems to be on the right track. Created, directed, and executive-produced by Mike Flanagan (GERALD'S GAME), The Haunting of Hill House is a complex family drama wrapped up in a chilling horror story which follows a group of siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in the country, and are forced to confront the ghosts of their past years later. A new featurette for the upcoming series has been released which gives us a glimpse into how Flanagan will be crafting the tension-filled series.

Our own Alex Maidy reviewed the series last week and came away filled with praise. "The Haunting of Hill House is unlike any other horror series I have ever seen. So many shows go for camp or parody, but this series works on both a visceral level as well as an intricate drama," Maidy said. "You could easily remove all of the supernatural elements of the story and it would still work beautifully as a look at drama about a family dealing with pain, loss, addiction, and anger."

The official synopsis for The Haunting of Hill House:

A modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel, The Haunting of Hill House explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past — some of which still lurk in their minds while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House.

The Haunting of Hill House will debut on Netflix on October 12th.