Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: Mike Flanagan, The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House: Mike Flanagan on Series Serving as Therapy

Director Mike Flanagan shares how The Haunting of Hill House helped him cope with family tragedy and how horror helped with his mental health.

Mike Flanagan is considered horror royalty these days, given how much he's reinvigorated the genre from making classic horror films into Netflix TV series like The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher on top of being one of the most trusted figures to bear the torch for several Stephen King works from Doctor Sleep (2019), Gerald's Game (2017), and the upcoming Carrie remake. While promoting his latest King collaboration, The Life of Chuck, Flanagan spoke at the inaugural SXSW London (via Deadline Hollywood) about how The Haunting of Hill House provided a therapeutic coping mechanism following a personal tragedy in his family. The following contains sensitive and triggering subject matter concerning mental health and references to suicide; reader discretion is advised.

How 'The Haunting of Hill House' Helped Director/Writer Mike Flanagan Weather His Family Tragedy

Through the character and story of Nell Crain (Victoria Pedretti), Flanagan was able to channel his trauma. "There are images in that that are dreams and nightmares I had during that time," he said, reflecting on Nell's tumultuous journey that led to her committing suicide. "That show is me trying to deal with grief and loss. I'm going to be dealing with it forever, but having a creative outlet to try and pour that into has been incredibly therapeutic, and I hope it's therapeutic for people going through a similar situation to me."

The Haunting of Hill House, which was Flanagan's first in the "Haunting" anthology series, was loosely based on the 1959 Shirley Jackson novel of the same name. The series features an ensemble cast in Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, and Pedretti as siblings in adulthood with Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas playing parents, Olivia and Hugh Crain, respectively. The plot alternates between two timelines, following five adult siblings whose paranormal experiences at Hill House continue to haunt them in the present day.

Flanagan noted there are "misconceptions of what horror can be," referencing Jordan Peele's work. "People outside the genre remain perpetually surprised that there is a really good story in here and it's not just about the scares," he said. "But that's always been the case. Horror was always a popular genre in film but then the industry and some audiences tend to reset and be surprised again that it is just as dramatically viable, complex, and beautifully artistic as any other genre." For more on how other projects like Doctor Sleep and Midnight Mass helped Flanagan get sober, and how it makes no sense to box King solely into the horror genre when his works have far more sophisticated themes, you can check the complete coverage. The Haunting of Hill House is available on Netflix.

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