While I was watching The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix; I already knew that I was going to post this review; and before the show even ended, I knew how this review was going to be. A couple of episodes down and I was totally addicted, so bad that I watched all 10 of them in a row, one after another. When I was mid-away, I was absolutely in love with how the story was progressing and by the time it ended, I was left with only one word “Wow”. I watch a lot of horror and there is rarely anything anymore that surprises me anymore.
My expectation when I started watching it was of a story of yet another house with a creepy and traffic past and a few scares but it left me surprised completely. It is totally different than the regular trash they are producing these days in the name of horror; and I would highly recommend watching the show.
The Haunting of Hill House is actually a 1959 gothic horror novel by American author Shirley Jackson. A finalist for the National Book Award and considered one of the best literary ghost stories published during the 20th century; this story has already been adapted in two feature films and a play; and is the basis of a television series. What made this novel so famous and story so intriguing was the fact that Jackson’s novel relies on terror rather than horror to elicit emotion in the reader; using complex relationships between the mysterious events in the house and the characters’ psyches. (Source Wiki)
The Haunting of Hill House
I have not really watched the two movies based on the show so I am not sure how they were. The Netflix series however is not really the exact story of the novel. True that the base of the story is the same but it is way different than the novel. One thing that is common however is the fact that both the novel and this series are equally entertaining and definitely worth your time.
Most of the things about the show are great. Do a quick Google search looking for reviews on it and you will find that almost all of them are positive. The acting by every actor is great, believable, true and realistic. The direction is excellent. Episode after episode the series tells the story, unraveling the secrets patiently. The story may be different from the novel but it is still awesome and well executed. The amount of scares, the mysteries, the answers, the doubt, the reveals; everything just fits in so smoothly. True that it is a story of a house, but it’s also a story of a family. It could very well be described as a dark family thriller. CGI are great and the jump scares do not seem cheap. They are very well placed and will work on you.
Final Verdict
In the end, I would like to stay that The Haunting of Hill House is a great show that is definitely worth a watch. See it with an open mind, let a couple of episodes pass, allow it time to grow on you and you will definitely enjoy watching it till the end. I am not much of a reviewer but I would love to hear your views on the show if you have seen it. Please do share in the comments section below.
