In modern cinema and the television industry, horror covers a lot of directions, their creators boldly experiment with style, but still certain genre values ​​remain unshakable. For example, the theme of a haunted house. This is one of the most hackneyed cliches, but in skillful hands it serves as a metaphor for the trap of routine life, uncommunicativeness, sexual attraction and even childhood innocence. Mansions inhabited by otherworldly entities, with creaking floors, dark corners, the unexpected battle of an old watch, slamming shutters, have a unique power - the ability to draw the viewer inside a chilling story. Such a product is deservedly considered the film “The Ghost of a House on a Hill” (1963), its 1999 remake and the series 2018, the name of which is sometimes interpreted by domestic distributors as “The Haunting of Hill House”.
Model Horror
Unfortunately, for the most part, young viewers are not familiar with the cult horror movie of Robert Wise in 1963, at best they saw an unsuccessful remake of 1999. Although the "Ghost of a House on a Hill" is still an example of a horror movie about a house on a haunted hill. Heroes move to a dilapidated mansion, containing a bunch of evil forces. To study otherworldly essences, people open to the whole supernatural are invited, endowed with paranormal abilities. And then Robert Wise taught a lesson to all subsequent generations of horror makers, creating an incredible atmosphere. Such a number of frightening squeaks, unexpected shadows can not be found in any horror movie. "The Ghost of a House on a Hill" is deservedly included in the list of the most creepy films in movie history. Even now, it scares to trembling, forcing after watching sleep in the light. Despite the failure of the remake of the haunted house movie directed by Jan de Bont, which was unsuccessful by the public and ridiculed by critics, Netflix decided to take on the adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel.
The main serial hit of the fall
The premiere of the series Haunted Hill House (IMDb: 8.90) took place on October 2 at Netflix. The new film adaptation includes 10 episodes produced by showrunner Mike Flanagan, he managed to create a frightening television movie about important issues. A native of the city of Salem in his track record has several successful horror: “Oculus”, “Absence”, “Wiji. Curse of the devil’s board ”,“ Silence ”. The filmmaker collaborated with Netflix earlier during the filming of the film based on the novel by S. King “Gerald's Game”. Perhaps that is why Flanagan turned out to be an ideal candidate for the production of the series, although, having received an offer from the channel’s management, he almost refused at first. He, of course, can be understood, Robert Wise shot an exemplary horror from Jackson's book, an attempt by Jan de Bont turned out to be too clumsy. According to Michael, the novel is an ideal basis for a feature film about a house on a haunted hill, the director had no idea how to stretch it for a whole season. He had a lot to change.
Plot. Part one
The story takes the viewer back to 1992 when the Hills mansion is driven by the Crane family - Hugh (Henry Thomas), Olivia (Carla Gugino) and their children - Shirley, Steve, Theo and the Nell twins (short for Elinor) and Luke. The family business of heroes is based on the purchase of old houses, their repair and subsequent profitable sale. The repair process is vigilantly monitored by a married couple of caretakers Dudley, who in principle does not spend the night in the home. Soon, Elinor begins to see the ghost of the Lady with the Folded Neck, Shirley rescues the kittens, but they die, Luke spends all his time in games with a nonexistent girlfriend, and Steve tries not to react to what is happening. Theo begins to feel the essence of things, barely touching them. One day, the father collects all the children and takes them home, leaving his wife in it. What happened that night, Flanegan is in no hurry to explain.
Continuation
The story of the haunted house continues after 26 years. Already elderly and tired Hugh (Timothy Hatton) is sometimes visited by adult children. Steve (Michil Haushman) became a successful writer. Shirley (Elizabeth Reaser), along with her husband, owns a funeral agency. Theo (Kate Siegel) is a child psychologist. Luke (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is constantly undergoing rehabilitation courses. And with Elionor, everything is complicated. The woman is broken, is on the verge of hysteria. Without calling her family, submitting to an unknown force, she goes to Hill House and commits suicide. Tragedy brings together the whole family, and only they should cross the threshold of the mansion, the ghosts of the past will climb into the light in the literal and figurative sense.
The ending of “Haunted Hill House” consists of the words in the first paragraph of Jackson’s novel, in which the writer describes the Hill House with one major change. To do without spoilers, you can only recommend that the viewer pay special attention to the last words of Steve.
Solid virtues
One of the main advantages of the project is its technical perfection and memorable characters. Perhaps the whole point is in serial magic, which in a few hours is able to fall in love with the heroes of the viewer, or in the talent of scriptwriters who have written interesting and ambiguous images. Actors who embodied the characters on the screen, admire their skill. And not only the famous Carla Gugino and the “Oscar-winning” Timothy Hatton, but also everyone else who used every minute of time to demonstrate their talents. The director uses jump scare techniques not as an end in itself for the fright of those watching, but together with a detective, drama and psychological thriller. The series makes the viewer merge with the story, empathize with the characters, invest emotionally in their stories. The creators managed to turn an obsolete novel into a new story, carefully preserving the spirit of the original.