The Haunting of Hill House series on Netflix

[CTRLZero]

Has anyone else seen this?  I'd love your impressions.

It wasn't as scary as I thought (hoped) it would be.  I liked the fleshing out of the characters.  I was frustrated by the dad's keeping secrets (but I guess that was the thing that kept the plot going).

And the ending.  I'll put my FJ-related thought under spoiler.

Spoiler

So...Hill House was really the equivalent of Papa and Mama Arndt?  It wanted to keep its residents safe at home by telling them about all the hazards of the outside world?  I'm surprised that the four siblings were allowed to escape Vine Valley Hill House.

I'm hoping to see the old black and white version in a theater this weekend.  I also want to read the book again.

 

[Buzzard]

I've tried to watch it but I'm finding it too physically dark to really see.  The irony in all that is that my friend did the lighting and he's really proud of himself.

We've gotten to episode 3 and hope to get through a few more (because he's apparently visible in a later episode) but its hard to watch.

[DancingPhalanges]

I absolutely loved it. It was so heart wrenching in some episodes. Episodes 4-8 were quite well done. I’m not gonna lie, I cried. Dealing with a dysfunctional family and having the same type of ghosts following me around really hit home. I loved it so much I’m watching it again. 

I would suggest that anyone with triggers relating to suicide, drug addiction, mental illness-tread carefully. It’s more about the characters haunted by their pain, a study of a family finally facing a terrible trauma. 

Can you tell how much I loved it? 

Its just a framework of Shirley Jackson’s novel, more of an inspiration. Her work stands on its own as one of my all time favorite house (character) hauntings. 

@Buzzard how cool your friend worked on the series! It is absolutely deserving of awards for Emmy season. If they don’t win it would be tragic. 

The actress that played Nell was so brilliant, she gave a heart breaking performance. I loved the cast but she stood out for me. 

*I’ve been wanting to talk about this to someone!

[SamiKatz]

The book is one of my favourites, as is the 1963 B/W movie.  I'm loving the adaptation, although I've only just watched the Nellie centric episode, I haven't seen them all yet.

 

[CTRLZero]

26 minutes ago, DancingPhalanges said:

I would suggest that anyone with triggers relating to suicide, drug addiction, mental illness-tread carefully. It’s more about the characters haunted by their pain, a study of a family finally facing a terrible trauma. 

Exactly this.  The scene with Nell was utterly brutal.  I loved how she showed such strength in the ending episode.

There was a lot packed into this series, and I think it was easy to miss some details due to the chronology set up.  Now I'm getting excited to rewatch, because just think of how it will be to understand things such as the treehouse scenes? 

[DancingPhalanges]

Exactly @CTRLZero it’s why I’m watching again.  I know I will see more the second time and I’ve read a few interviews and analysis of the series. 

I believe it’s the poignancy of the story and characters that draw you in and keep you there once you get through episode 4. 

After you read the book let me know what you think. The series and book are so different and yet the same in many ways. 

It’s brilliant in its sub-genre of character hauntings. The house and ghosts are really cool too. 

[DancingPhalanges]

6 hours ago, SamiKatz said:

The book is one of my favourites, as is the 1963 B/W movie.  I'm loving the adaptation, although I've only just watched the Nellie centric episode, I haven't seen them all yet.

 

I don’t know why I haven’t seen the movie but I’m going to find it and watch soon. The book is definitely a favorite. 

[Terrie]

I enjoyed it, but I wish the writers had been confident to make it its own story. Some of the references to the novel were very clunky and made for the weakest points in the series.

[precious blessing]

They fleshed out the characters pretty well.I haven't read the novel, but it seems this adaption paid it homage. As someone with mental illness but also supernatural experiences, I find the conflicting feelings of the family relatable. My heart broke for poor Nell (especially the twist revealed in episode 5? though I suspected it) and Luke.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I guess I'm left unsatisfied because

Spoiler

I don't understand why the ghosts haunted the place. I understand that they wanted "companionship," but what is the red room feeding on, and why? And why did it make the mother go crazy? Because the flapper was crazy? And the play on the last line of the book "whatever walked hill house, it didn't walk alone" or whatever - so the house was actually a nice purgatory to be stuck in? Maybe I'm missing something, but I feel like NONE of this is answered so even if I enjoyed most of the story, the end left me disappointed overall.

 

[CTRLZero]

I agree that the ending was problematic and share your questions.  My questions (may be spoilers):

Spoiler

 

How did the house convince the mother that the outside world was horrible?  The family had lived outside, so the mother knew it wasn't true.  Again, it was quite the twist that the house was actually a "nice" place for the ghosts.  Maybe mom was utterly tired of flipping houses (remember the "forever house" motif) and so the house used that to advantage.

And who was the super tall floating ghost?  (The other ghosts seemed fairly humanlike, so he was a puzzle.)  Was he supposed to be the ghost of the murder victim behind the wall?  Is that what triggered the whole haunting?

 

 

I've gotten sidetracked by the new Sabrina and Manifest, but eventually I plan to try to figure out what I missed in the Haunting of Hill House series.

 

[precious blessing]

@CTRLZero I only remember this stuff vaguely so I apologize if it doesn't make much sense. Definitely need to rewatch.

Spoiler

The guy buried behind the wall had actually walled himself in, he was the flapper's husband, which to me suggests the house was eating people before the house used the flapper (her name is escaping me right now, lol) to manipulate Olivia.

When the flapper was telling Olivia about her dead children she also mentioned a man who felt the world made him small but when he died he was tall. Could be the husband, I'm sure when I rewatch it'll be clearer. I also recall the family finding that old hat that little Luke wanted, later the tall man took it back. I'm pretty sure the monster Luke saw in the basement was the walled-in dude, so Luke may just've been haunted by the same guy in two forms.

I really liked that the story seemed to take on the idea that time isn't linear, everything exists at once. You can see it in the way the story is told but also the story itself.

Spoiler

As elluded to before, Nell falling and realizing every bent-neck lady she saw was herself. In the last episode how she remarks something about how memories/experiences are sprinkled around like snow or confetti. How scenes move from present to the past - most strikingly when Hugh asks where the restroom is at the funeral home, which leads him down long corridors, eventually back to a scene at Hill House. How Nell and Olivia appeared to go to the same hotel room and bed before they returned to Hill House.

 

[CTRLZero]

Thanks, @precious blessing - I should have remembered how the guy met his demise.  I really need to rewatch the series, especially after reading the comments above.   Your descriptions are awesome!

[clueliss]

I watched this last weekend.  I haven’t read the novel.  I loved it because it was a lot of psychological terror rather than gore.  

[NakedKnees]

I just finished the show. I really loved it. I haven't read the book but definitely will ASAP now. I'm a crier, but man, I was tearing up every five minutes the last episode.

The one detail I'm "stuck" on is below the spoiler:

Spoiler

How exactly did the dad die? I'm under the impression that he basically promised his wife he'd stay if she let the kids go, but it still seems like most of the other ghosts' deaths had real-world causes. I guess Mrs. Dudley may be an exception too- although it looks like her death could be attributed to old age.

Also about Mrs. Dudley... I really thought she and her husband would be more jarred about their daughter's death!

 

I want to begin re-watching right now but I'm going to try to read the book first. Between this and Hereditary, I'm really happy with this year's horror movies.

[CTRLZero]

Re:  Mrs. Dudley

Spoiler

I wonder if the Dudleys made a bargain with the house, similar to what the dad did (offering himself to the house in exchange for the escape of his remaining children).  The only reason I can imagine they would stay as caretakers of such a scary mansion would be if they understood its powers and also made a bargain.  At the end, we see Mrs. Dudley brought to the house to die, and then she is reunited with not only her daughter, but also the baby she lost a long time ago.

This series really sticks with me (although my memory may not be perfect), so I'd love to hear other ideas and viewpoints.