The Haunting of Hill House star Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who played Luke Crain, reflects on the Netflix show’s surprise success. Created by Mike Flanagan and loosely based on the novel of the same name by author Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House was released on Netflix in 2018, telling the dual-timeline story of one family’s trauma stemming from their old home. The series ended up becoming a major hit, sparking subsequent Flanagan Netflix horror shows like The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass.
During a recent interview with Film Updates, Jackson-Cohen looks back on The Haunting of Hill House‘s big success. The actor recalls the show being something of an experiment for Netflix, and one that evidently paid off in a big way. Check out Jackson-Cohen’s full comment below:
“The great thing was that Hill House came along and Netflix sort of left us to it. We were just like this experiment, it felt like. Netflix knew then that horror was their biggest thing that was being streamed and so they were like, ‘Oh, this could potentially work on our platform.’
“And this has been something that Mike had been developing for 10 years. It was his baby so we went off and shot it, and I genuinely remember having a conversation and just saying like, ‘I don’t really know if people are gonna like this,’ because it’s basically us just talking about our childhood trauma and crying over our dead sister, but in a horror show. And I think [the success] took us all by surprise. All of us were so proud to be a part of it. What Mike did with Hill House was incredible.”
Is The Haunting Of Hill House Flanagan’s Best Netflix Show?
Since his first project with the streamer became a hit, Flanagan went on to make The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher. All the creator’s shows have been met with positive reviews from critics, but some projects still stand somewhat taller than the others.
Title | RT Critics Score | RT Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
The Haunting of Hill House | 93% | 91% |
The Haunting of Bly Manor | 88% | 67% |
Midnight Mass | 87% | 79% |
The Midnight Club | 86% | 55% |
The Fall of the House of Usher | 90% | 80% |
As seen in the chart of Rotten Tomatoes scores above, The Haunting of Hill House squeaks past as the highest-rated show in the larger Flanagan-verse, beating The Fall of the House of Usher by just 3%. The Fall of the House of Usher reviews were exceedingly positive upon the show’s release last fall, with critics praising its darkly comedic twists and turns and exploration of relevant themes. The Midnight Club stands as the lowest-rated Flanagan Netflix show so far, though not by much, with its 86% coming in just below Midnight Mass‘s 87%.
Audience scores, as well, suggest that The Midnight Club is Flanagan’s least successful show thus far. Once again, The Haunting of Hill House emerges victorious in this regard, boasting a strong 91%. It’s worth noting that Flanagan’s first Netflix show is also his highest-rated on Metacritic with a score of 79. Of course, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores are useful mostly just for grabbing a broad snapshot of a project’s reception, and whether The Haunting of Hill House is Flanagan’s best Netflix show will always be a matter of personal preference.
The Haunting of Hill House
Loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name, The Haunting of Hill House follows the Crain family’s experience in their beautiful – and deadly – home. With a story told using two timelines simultaneously, The Haunting of Hill House chronicles both the haunting itself, and the lasting effect it had on the Crain children as they struggle through adulthood decades later. Directed by Mike Flanagan as the first entry in his Haunting anthology, The Haunting of Hill House features a large ensemble cast including Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, Carla Gugino, and Henry Thomas.
- Release Date
- October 12, 2018
- Cast
- Michiel Huisman , Carla Gugino , Henry Thomas , Elizabeth Reaser , Oliver Jackson-Cohen , Kate Siegel , Victoria Pedretti , Lulu Wilson , Mckenna Grace
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Shirley Jackson, Mike Flanagan
- Writers
- Mike Flanagan
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Mike Flanagan
- Showrunner
- Mike Flanagan
