Filming has finally begun for Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, an upcoming limited series from Netflix that pairs up two of America’s greatest masters of horror: Mike Flanagan and Edgar Allan Poe. Though a premiere date has yet to be announced, horror enthusiasts are already gearing up for the show that will adapt several as-of-yet unnamed pieces from Poe’s diverse bibliography.
Adaptations of Poe’s work are rare, likely since many of his stories are short, self-contained, and feature little dialogue. But Flanagan has long proven his mastery of the macabre with his innovative interpretations of works by Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and others, making this upcoming series one of the most highly-anticipated of 2022.
The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020)
Stream On Netflix
Flanagan’s sophomore series for Netflix is based on The Turning of the Screw and other works by Henry James. In an interview Flanagan did for TheWrap, The Fall of the House of Usher will be much faster-paced and explosive than his slow-building Haunting anthology, but this series owes much to Poe.
While literal ghosts and hauntings are mainly absent from Poe’s writing, his protagonists often battle inner demons and feel the spiritual presence of deceased loved ones. The characters in The Haunting of Bly Manor are similarly haunted by their pasts – and Flanagan’s take on ghosts is unique and profound.
Black Mirror (2011 – 2019)
Stream On Netflix
This anthology series isn’t just beloved for its science fiction elements – there’s plenty of horror throughout its 22 episodes. Common themes and motifs in both Black Mirror and Poe’s work include obsession, madness, body horror, revenge, torture, and mankind’s impulse to destroy.
The best episodes of Black Mirror feature tightly-paced narratives in which the characters are forced into situations that test their mental fortitude, something shared with Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.”
The Simpsons (1989 – )
Stream On Disney+
The iconic, long-running cartoon might seem like a strange choice – but no other show on television has so deftly satirized and paid homage to Poe’s work. The writers have inserted references to the master of horror several times over the decades, but it is The Simpsons‘ first Treehouse of Horror episode that really stands out.
The third segment of the episode simultaneously parodies and honors Poe’s most famous work, “The Raven.” The animation’s sharp angles and shadows match the poem’s sinister, sorrowful tone, and asking James Earl Jones to narrate was a stroke of genius; his mastery of language and powerful voice add gravitas to what could have easily been a cheap joke.
Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991)
Stream On Paramount+
Beneath its humorous, quirky facade, David Lynch’s surrealist, psychological thriller explores obsession, madness, and most importantly, the dark underbelly of suburbia. It looks at mankind’s most sadistic and violent urges without giving its viewers an easy “why.”
The reasoning behind the cold-blooded murder in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is the narrator’s revulsion toward his employer’s cataract. In “The Cask Of Amontillado,” an insult is punishable by death. This tradition of making criminals’ motives weird and ambiguous is not just present in Twin Peaks – it has become a popular trope in many modern horror movies and shows.
American Horror Story (2011 – )
Stream On Hulu
Though anthology series American Horror Story may have lost its touch in recent years, its early seasons were provocative, thrilling, and heightened explorations of mankind’s capacity for terrible acts.
The show’s first season, Murder House, combined weird horror with body horror and gave both a supernatural twist. But it is the show’s desire to shock its audience that directly correlates to Poe’s disturbing tales. And even if later seasons were lacking in certain aspects, the production design of the series has always been just as visceral and grim as Poe’s detailed descriptions of his gloomy settings.
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015 – 2017)
Not Currently Available To Stream In The U.S.
Based upon Mary Shelley’s psychological thriller, this horror show set in 19th-century London gave Sean Bean one of his best roles. He plays a detective who searches for answers after discovering a corpse amalgamated of many different human bodies.
Besides the grotesque body horror and Gothic vibes, The Frankenstein Chronicles features many characters who are outsiders and social outcasts. Poe was not interested in the mundane; his extreme characters were often outsiders who did not adhere to society’s rules and expectations, such as the narrators of “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat.”
The Following (2013 – 2015)
Stream On AMC+
This short-lived series created by Scream’s Kevin Williamson stars Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent brought back to the agency to help investigate, then recapture an escaped serial killer who has gathered a cult following.
The show directly references Poe’s work, with the serial killer persuading members of his cult (similar to the Manson Family) to commit murders that echo events in his short stories. The writing is riddled with direct quotes from Poe’s poetry and stories, but it is The Following’s determination to make its viewers squirm that makes it the most Poe-esque.
The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)
Stream On HBO Max
Flanagan’s first series for Netflix is arguably his scariest. The slow-building horror based on Shirley Jackson’s novel has great jump scares, skin-crawling sequences, and, like Bly Manor, Flanagan’s unique interpretation of ghosts. The show is heightened and atmospheric, key qualities in all of Poe’s works.
The epic, horrifying climax that reveals what really happened to the twins and the children’s mother, Olivia, is a scenario that could have come straight from a Poe story. And similarly to the family’s frantic escape from the house, the narrator of “Usher” flees from the manor right before it crumbles into the earth.
Penny Dreadful (2014 – 2016)
Stream On FuboTV
This Gothic horror series directly borrows characters and storylines created by Poe’s European contemporaries, writers he greatly admired. Social outcasts are common in his writing, likely since the orphan and struggling poet was one himself for much of his life. Penny Dreadful’s main characters are ambiguous outsiders plagued with guilt who live outside society’s purview.
The production design of the show gives the viewer a real sense of place, just as Poe did with his lush and comprehensive scenic descriptions. And though he was primarily focused on the terrible acts humans were capable of, there is certainly a supernatural element to his work.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955 – 1962)
Stream On Peacock
Edgar Allan Poe didn’t just horrify his readers – he’s often credited with writing the first detective story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” whose lead character will feature in Usher. Poe’s artistic descendant Alfred Hitchcock created this anthology series that similarly bends genres, infusing its episodes with drama, suspense, and mystery.
It is the episode “Lamb to the Slaughter,” based upon a short story by Roald Dahl, that is most evocative of Poe’s style. Mary Maloney’s dark journey is a shocking, twisted, and exciting revenge tale – and it’s also humorous, a quality of Poe’s often ignored. She’s akin to the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” but without all that troublesome guilt.
