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Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: Bruce Greenwood, fall of the house of usher, Mike Flanagan, netflix, Review
The Fall Of The House Of Usher: Mike Flanagan Does Poe Proud (Review)
The Fall Of The House Of Usher is a perfect capper on Mike Flanagan's Netflix work and one of the year's best. Take a bow, Bruce Greenwood.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher closes out Mike Flanagan's Netflix deal, and boy does he go out with a bang. "Usher" is, in some ways, his most emotional work to date, and features a complex, modern retelling of the works of Edgar Allen Poe that at times will have you yelling at the screen and weeping with either joy or terror. Not a second is wasted; not a performance is weak. this is storytelling at its finest and will be the horror streaming event of the fall.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher Is A Shoo-In For Emmys
It seems fitting that for an ending of sorts, this feels like Flanagan and his team emptied the cupboard and threw all of their wild and crazy ideas into this last series. One thing that catches you off guard for the first couple of episodes is just how sexy the show is. All of his Netflix work has an air of naughtiness, but The Fall Of The House Of Usher turns that particular knob to eleven. Ditto for the gore, as this has some pretty gnarly scenes. The ending of episode 2, in particular, is a wonder of setting and make-up effects and may just be the horror scene of the year. Spectacular in its carnage and execution. Eagle-eyed viewers will see some Flanagan easter eggs in there as well.
Poe fans will smile multiple times an episode, as the team has stuffed all kinds of themes and easter eggs from his works into each episode. From character names to little callbacks and visual cues to the texts, the respect paid to the author is perfect. With the amount of care and respect Flanagan gave Stephen King's work that he has previously adapted, this should not be a shock to anyone. The standout episode for most will be the finale, "The Raven," maybe one of the most well-acted episodes of television this year. One of the most fun parts of the series is how each episode plays like a standalone if you want to view them that way, however.
The cast is made up of Flanagan regulars who all excel, especially Carla Gugino, Kyliegh Curran, Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford – really everyone. But the series belongs to two people. What a treat to see Mark Hamill in this type of role. You can tell almost instantly that he is having a ton of fun playing such a complex character, not the type of role he has been given in the past. As good as he is, though, one person elevates to a whole new level, and that is Bruce Greenwood. The stature and gravitas he brings to Roderick Usher is a revelation. He radiates charisma and charm while being such a ruthless dirtbag, never have you felt so dirty for liking a billionaire. He will be nominated and deserves every accolade he gets for this role.
I am being vague here about a lot of things here, but that is on purpose. This is a series that needs to unfold with as little info going into it as possible. All you need to know for sure is this: like all of his other series, The Fall Of The House Of Usher will wring all of your emotions out of you so that by the end, you feel like you lived through the same events the characters have. Flanagan's Netflix work will stand the test of time, and while personally, I will always rank Midnight Mass as his magnum opus, this stands right behind it. An artist of his caliber putting his work into the world deserves nothing but celebration, and with this body of work, he takes his rightful place as one of the modern pillars of horror.
The Fall Of The House OF Usher
10/10
The Fall Of The House Of Usher is a perfect ending to Mike Flanagan's Netflix tenure. Full of emotion and superb storytelling, everything works and it will take its rightful place as one of his best works. Must-watch.
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