-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
The Haunting of Hill House - TV's first great horror series - Friday, Oct 12 on Netflix
- Thread starter RatskyWatsky
- Start date
Is there like a diagram or some kind of primer to help me with the show. Maybe it doesn't help that I watched the first couple episodes when I was kinda sleepy but I'm totally lost as to what's going on between the past/present timelines, which kid is which adult in the present day, etc.
Steve is the oldest son- He is the author
Shirl is the oldest daughter- She is the mortician
Theo is the middle daughter- She is the Social worker
The two twins are the youngest, Luke and Nellie, and they are a drug addict and whatever Nellie is I can't remember. She's the one that is calling Steve and going to the House as an adult.
Yep, they do flashback at least a couple of years back from present as well several times, like when they show Luke struggling with drugs, Nell's wedding, etc. So there is child time, present time, and then recent flashbacks showing how they got where they are now. The child stuff revolves around the house and the present stuff revolves
around a funeral
And I'm not a horror fan. Most horror movies/series are garbage. And I enjoyed this show, kinda.
It started really well, with interesting characters and a story that, while it's still the haunted house horror cliche, it's presented in a fresh and interesting way.
And then the actors, most of them are fantastic. Really good performances.
But man, the ending was so lame. Last two episodes destroyed what could've been a really good show.
It started really well, with interesting characters and a story that, while it's still the haunted house horror cliche, it's presented in a fresh and interesting way.
And then the actors, most of them are fantastic. Really good performances.
But man, the ending was so lame. Last two episodes destroyed what could've been a really good show.
Same! Wow.
I feel the worst for the twins. They legitimately have had their lives ruined by this. Almost teared up a few times on Luke's and Nellies stories.
Just finished this last night with the girl and besides jump scares it wasn't really that scary. Still very good and the Nell episode was pretty fuuuuuucking intense.
Defo could have used a darker ending.
Edit: also... someone is gonna have to go through and pull all the hidden background stuff out of each episode cause damn...once I was looking for them this show has them everywhere.
Defo could have used a darker ending.
Edit: also... someone is gonna have to go through and pull all the hidden background stuff out of each episode cause damn...once I was looking for them this show has them everywhere.
Last edited:
It's based on two tweets that don't even say they actually puked. It's BS, and it spread like wildfire.
I'm not saying the Bent Neck lady was fake, I think the show makes it relatively clear that there is legitimate shit happening, I'm saying the way she acted about it and going back to the house etc, could just be her being susceptible to it because of her mental issues. Not sure what explanation you want besides them being haunted by the house/past. It's a ghost story, supernatural shit is happening no matter how you slice it
yeah I'm just not sure what the point of it was, given the ending of the show. I'm not really sure what im looking for in an explanation but just felt it wasn't really needed? I think the series is based on a book so might give it a read to see whether that sheds light on it
6/10. Started strong and ended up disappointed. The two major revelations were easily predictable, and the ending did not fit tonally with the rest of the show.
Was never actually scared at all during the entire run - even the jump scares were almost telegraphed a mile away... It had a decent creepy vibe in the 'past' scenes, though.
Too many things were introduced only to completely disappear.. like, the kittens? They made it seem more sinister with the eyes thing and never referenced it again... there were a lot of little things that were set up but completely ignored that kinda compounded and bothered me the more and more I thought about it... The "Ghost" Dogs on the property, too..
Was never actually scared at all during the entire run - even the jump scares were almost telegraphed a mile away... It had a decent creepy vibe in the 'past' scenes, though.
Too many things were introduced only to completely disappear.. like, the kittens? They made it seem more sinister with the eyes thing and never referenced it again... there were a lot of little things that were set up but completely ignored that kinda compounded and bothered me the more and more I thought about it... The "Ghost" Dogs on the property, too..
Last edited:
Ending is one of the best parts. It elevates the show and I can't understand why it's so divisive. It fits the tone perfectly, given that you look back on the first few episodes with the knowledge you gain as you go along.
It's frustrating when each of them experience seeing ghosts one way or another since kids but none of them fucking talk about it to one another. Things happen when adults and they just brush it off.
At least write it in that they think it's a mental illness or something.
At least write it in that they think it's a mental illness or something.
It's been a few days since I finished it. Overall I liked it, but the final episode didn't do much for me and it kinda just peters out towards the end. Also when you realize all the scares are kinda the same they stop being interesting and just lack impact which is a problem for a show like this. The atmosphere remains great throughout though and I was consistently entertained and interested in what was gonna happen even if it didn't quite deliver in the end.
So a fun, moody spookfest that fits the Halloween season well.
So a fun, moody spookfest that fits the Halloween season well.
They all deal with it differently, and that's the point of the show.
One takes to drugs hoping to rid the horrors of his "hallucinations", one is told it's just sleep paralysis and it's quite common, one was able to put it away by taking control of other aspects of her life but starts to unravel as the show unfolds, one dismisses it as mental illness but lies to himself and the world by acting like it's all made up aand makes for an good story (and money) and also unravels as the show unfolds and lastly, one takes her gift very seriously and helps others with it but is also tormented by her sensitivity to it and hides behind her gloves.
I'd love it if another book was tackled, and my vote would be House of Leaves, more specifically, the Navidson Records within it.
Enjoyed it. I felt it was good as a family drama showing how awful people can become because of past trauma.And they were all really awful people, even Shirley that was trying so hard to feel superior and virtuous. I felt the horror part was a bit uneven and random though. Once the show reveals everything some parts of it made less sense. I do enjoy that they tied both the trauma from the house and mental illness to explain how they were all slowly descending into insanity. It's a show that respect the viewer a lot and doesn't hold your hand throughout to explain everything directly so you slowly start to understand everything.
My disappointment with the ending is that it doesn't really explain the horror part much and the way it resolves doesn't fit with what happened before.
My disappointment with the ending is that it doesn't really explain the horror part much and the way it resolves doesn't fit with what happened before.
It's never really explained why the house captures the soul of people living inside. The red room is the magical room at the source of the evil in the house because it's where Poppy Hill and her insane husband murdered people and it could change appearance to trick people into doing mean things.The last last two episode implies Poppy is at the heart of the problem and is able to knock living people out and trap them in their dreams. And she somehow let everyone leave easily without putting up much a fight for someone that waited 26 years to trap them all. Turns out all of the other ghosts were in fact really nice even if they looked rotten and dead. Maybe except her husband William who is also insane and that we don't even see much? Mrs Dudley even died there to become a ghost so she could be with her daughters forever. Okay
Moreover the ghosts are trapped inside the house so it doesn't explain why they were seeing them at the funeral home or in the car for instance. The bent-neck-lady was Nellie seeing herself in the future just like her mother had the same power but for the rest it doesn't make much sense. You could probably pass off Luke's tall man as some sort of drug induced hallucinations but the rest not so much.
A lot of stuff is left underdeveloped too like
-The plot implies that the ghost dogs are important. They hear them at night and the Dudley says there are no dogs anywhere close to the property. During the storm one attacks the kid and that's it. It's never explained why there are ghost dogs and why they are even there?
-Shirley's magical power was apparently talking in her sleep. The mom mentioned this once and you see her saying Nellie's in the red room when she dies but that's it and it's never developed more.
Moreover the ghosts are trapped inside the house so it doesn't explain why they were seeing them at the funeral home or in the car for instance. The bent-neck-lady was Nellie seeing herself in the future just like her mother had the same power but for the rest it doesn't make much sense. You could probably pass off Luke's tall man as some sort of drug induced hallucinations but the rest not so much.
A lot of stuff is left underdeveloped too like
-The plot implies that the ghost dogs are important. They hear them at night and the Dudley says there are no dogs anywhere close to the property. During the storm one attacks the kid and that's it. It's never explained why there are ghost dogs and why they are even there?
-Shirley's magical power was apparently talking in her sleep. The mom mentioned this once and you see her saying Nellie's in the red room when she dies but that's it and it's never developed more.
While I would never discourage someone from reading the novel ( it's a classic of both the "quiet" and Psychological subgenres of horror, one of the founding cornerstones of modern horror at least from the western perspective, and last but not least a lot of critics and authors in the genre including King think it's seminal at worst, at best-like King- think it's the greatest haunted house tale of all time) but except for Easter eggs and a couple of references and nods all the two have in common is character names and the title. Probably the biggest connection being in the novel Theodora's implied sexuality which is subtly used as a counter to the Nell character's suppressed and unexpressed urges and ambitions, is in this just a character trait with no real bearing on the plot beyond her SO being female instead of male.
I thought Hugh explained it?
Because they were paritally consumed by the house, theyre still connected to it so it keeps going after them to finish the job
If that was the case then
Then the Dudleys would have been seeing them outside the house too and they don't. Mr Dudley says his wife was becoming bizarre like Olivia was and he pulled her out of the house before dark and she recovered. Clara worked there for years unlike the family that was there for 2 months... It seems more convenient than actually properly written unlike the rest of the plot points.
The Dudley never hang out in the Red Room like all of the other Crains. Hugh and the Dudleys arent haunted.
just finished watching episode 5, the nellie episode, I'm very impressed what they did there at the end.
I'll save episode 6 for tomorrow, the famous episode 6.
so far I really like the series, I'm impressed the show treats the viewers not so dumb, they don't fear in keeping 3 or 4 timelines in a same narrative at the same time, each complementing the narrative in telling what the focal point is, and they don't explain everything to the viewer, it instead trusts that the viewer make the connections about why specific things are shown
for example the cats of shirley, they are used as a way to describe how she worries about people so much, in a borderline obsessive nature, almost like a mother figure to the family after the hill house events
I'll save episode 6 for tomorrow, the famous episode 6.
so far I really like the series, I'm impressed the show treats the viewers not so dumb, they don't fear in keeping 3 or 4 timelines in a same narrative at the same time, each complementing the narrative in telling what the focal point is, and they don't explain everything to the viewer, it instead trusts that the viewer make the connections about why specific things are shown
for example the cats of shirley, they are used as a way to describe how she worries about people so much, in a borderline obsessive nature, almost like a mother figure to the family after the hill house events
Well, this dropped the ball hard at the ending.
The first seven episodes were pretty damn good though, especially 5 and 6.
I already didn't enjoy the overreliance on the final two-three episodes to 'explain' what was going on, since I personally much prefer not tying things up neatly and instead keeping things open for guessing, but I didn't expect the Lifetime-esque feel good ending with narration telling how it all was okay in the end. That shit just put a damper on the entire thing.
The first seven episodes were pretty damn good though, especially 5 and 6.
Episode 6 was an absolute masterpiece. Televion craftsmanship at its best this year probably. The series itself is just very good imho, but that episode blew me away. The scene with the family looking at the casket and that character just behind was masterful. And the one shot at the beginning... God damn. I think I was able to spot a couple of places where the shot actually stopped but they hid it perfectly. And probably it didn't even stop and I'm just imagining.
Episode 5 was heartbreaking instead. I wonder if the Hills actually will have their backstory explained or if they're just, well, ghosts. They don't seem evil, it's probably the house which is evil by itself.
Episode 5 was heartbreaking instead. I wonder if the Hills actually will have their backstory explained or if they're just, well, ghosts. They don't seem evil, it's probably the house which is evil by itself.
Is this a miniseries or will it continue? I remember hearing this was a one season thing, but Wikipedia calls it "first season". Maybe an anthology type of deal? Can we expect season 2 to be called "The Haunting of X" and continue like that?
I get that they deal with it differently but they also deal with it completely separately. This has been happening since they were kids but you'd think they and the dad would have talked to eachother about it. Especially when
their mother has died and their sister was 'murdered'.
It's just difficult to see them try to move on and ignore what's happening to them when I'm pretty sure most people would want to know what the fuck is going on.
It's not that she's "insane," it's that she's impulsive, among other things, when she's off her medicine. She's seeing the ghost of her older self because the spirits in the show exist outside of our conception of time and, like the other members of her family, she's psychic.
I absolutely love this and think this sole season
is one of the best television shows of this entire decade...
But I wonder, was Olivia intentionally shot in such a warm light or is Carla just that damn gorgeous? Every time she was on camera she had this heavenly aura about her and she was always shot in such a warm and inviting light. I kinda liked how it was such a stark contrast to her teetering mental stability.
is one of the best television shows of this entire decade...
But I wonder, was Olivia intentionally shot in such a warm light or is Carla just that damn gorgeous? Every time she was on camera she had this heavenly aura about her and she was always shot in such a warm and inviting light. I kinda liked how it was such a stark contrast to her teetering mental stability.
This was much better than I was expecting it to be, honestly. The ending was a bit too saccharine for my taste, mostly because the sentimental stuff seemed to drag on at the end.
The majority of it was super solid, though, and had some really good acting performances and good casting. The younger dad actor's eyes might be the scariest thing in the whole show.
Not really an adaptation of the book as much as a family drama with names and plot elements from the novel kind of mad libbed throughout, but it was well done, so I don't hold that against it too much. I actually thought it felt like Stephen King wrote a loose adaptation of the original novel in his style, and then this series was an adaptation of that. The character vignette episodes and jumping between their past and present felt very King to me. Things like Theodora's episode where she goes to that foster family's house and solves the case with her Shine powers, or the meta author "main" character stuff, etc.
I will say it did feel a little weird how they cut out Shirley Jackson as the author, made the Haunting of Hill House a novel written by one of the characters within the show, but still kept passages of her writing whole cloth or just changed a word or two out of a paragraph. My favorite things from the show were the things that were wholly new, and honestly the callbacks and references ended up being more of a weakness than a strength.
The house set was cool, and they nailed that metal spiral staircase for me. That was exactly how I envisioned it from the book.
"And those that walk there, walk together" with sappy music playing was waaaaay too much for me.
Not really an adaptation of the book as much as a family drama with names and plot elements from the novel kind of mad libbed throughout, but it was well done, so I don't hold that against it too much. I actually thought it felt like Stephen King wrote a loose adaptation of the original novel in his style, and then this series was an adaptation of that. The character vignette episodes and jumping between their past and present felt very King to me. Things like Theodora's episode where she goes to that foster family's house and solves the case with her Shine powers, or the meta author "main" character stuff, etc.
I will say it did feel a little weird how they cut out Shirley Jackson as the author, made the Haunting of Hill House a novel written by one of the characters within the show, but still kept passages of her writing whole cloth or just changed a word or two out of a paragraph. My favorite things from the show were the things that were wholly new, and honestly the callbacks and references ended up being more of a weakness than a strength.
The house set was cool, and they nailed that metal spiral staircase for me. That was exactly how I envisioned it from the book.
I think that was intentional as those were flashbacks and that is how her children remembered her.
I just finished episode 6 and yeah, that was a masterpiece in my opinion. The way it was shot was absolutely incredible. The whole episode wasn't one take, but it was definitely several really long takes that were very impressive both on a technical level but with the acting as well, just a massive accomplishment in my opinion. I'd love to see a behind the scenes on that episode, there must have been so many things going on behind the camera as it moved through the scenes. The acting was something else as well, some of those arguments during those long shots must have been so difficult to film.
Fuck that scene.
Agreed. The first 4 episodes for me were a drag, it gets better by the 5th episode before it really gets going but that's like half the entire season.
I felt the same way. When they showed who the bent neck lady was t first I thought it was cool but then thinking about it more it just did not make sense. The whole time loop thing also came out of left field for me and only seemed to affect Nellie.
Finished last night. I enjoyed the way the series ended, but I think that episode 9 was stronger overall. I liked the way
the finale weaved back and forth between the dreams each sibling was having before being woken up by Nell and their reality in the red room.
I think I'm on episode 8 right now. This show is really good. Me and my SO binge watched it last night from the first episode.
The kittens are a reference to the children and another hint that the ending we saw is fake fake fake. Another hallucinations.