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‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ review [Netflix]

After having tackled the work of Stephen King, Christopher Pike, Shirley Jackson, and Henry James, Mike Flanagan now turns his sights towards the works of Edgar Allan Poe in his new show, The Fall of the House of Usher. Arriving on Netflix on 12th October, the show sees several of Poe’s classic literary tales blended together to form one concise story. The Fall of the House of Usher review continues below.

The Fall of the House of Usher review
The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Carl Lumbly as C. Auguste Dupin, Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in episode 101 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023

Set primarily in the present, The Fall of the House of Usher does exactly what the title suggests, telling the downfall of a powerful family dynasty. It begins setting up the tragedy that is to come as headlines scream the news of a slew of deaths, all from within the same family. After this initial flurry of action, House of Usher settles in with the family patriarch, Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), and lawyer Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly). The pair have previously been on opposing sides of a bitter lawsuit, but a shared history connects them and Roderick has a very important confessional to share. Over the course of one long evening, and the show’s eight episode run, Roderick recounts the truth behind the death of his family. 

Mike Flanagan has been a force to be reckoned with in television since The Haunting of Hill House took the world by storm. Since then, his other shows have proved equally popular and so Flanagan fans will be chomping at the bit to see this new show. House of Usher is another strong offering from Flanagan. In fact, it might just be his best story yet. Flanagan is known for his Gothic sense of wonder, heavily emotional plottings, and gut-punch scare reveals, but each of his other creations have come down harder in one direction over another. This has left a slight imbalance in tone and has seen factions arise that champion each individual project. House of Usher however, just might be the one to unite the audience. It has all the expected components of a Flanagan show, but they are distributed more evenly. 

The biggest bow in House of Usher’s arsenal is that this time the story is far more modern. Yes, one of the subplots takes place during the tail end of the seventies and into the eighties, but the bulk of the story exists within the very recent past. This enables the family business to be more relevant. The Usher’s have made their money as a pharmaceutical company, though each of Roderick’s children have forged their own careers. This opens up the story to explore exciting modern debates; from AI and medical advancements, to wellness brands, PR and computer games, this family has their fingers in plenty of pies. Their success generates their greed and warrants infighting within the sibling unit. It also means that, early on especially, House of Usher becomes almost a Gothic horror rendering of Succession, going some ways to fill the void that show has left for the viewing public. 

The Fall of the House of Usher also holds the deed for being Flanagan’s grisliest story yet. Whilst the horror in Hill House came from the surprise supernatural appearance, House of Usher embraces the power of gore. This is a story about a series of unexplained violent deaths, and Flanagan does not hold back. Each deceased family member meets their maker in extravagant and imaginative ways. The highlight showpiece comes fairly early doors and will leave the viewer quaking with either fear or excitement depending on their tolerance for the macabre. Subsequent deaths can’t quite match it, but all are equally grim with Flanagan allowing the viewer a sense of glee at seeing these self-obsessed rich people dispatched in horrific ways. 

The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, Kate Siegel as Camille L’Espanaye, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym in episode 101 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023

That the ideas explored come from the works of Edgar Allan Poe makes House of Usher all the more exciting. Poe is perhaps most famous nowadays for being the inspiration behind The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror story, The Raven. In truth though, the writer wrote many wicked stories and it is thrilling to see so many of them having been worked together to form the fabric of House of Usher. They are intrinsically woven together with breathtaking results. Each episode is named after a different Poe story, giving a subtle clue as to the fate of the next family victim. These teases will delight those more familiar with Poe’s work, but never fully give the game away. In some moments, Flanagan is also unafraid to lift dialogue and prose directly from Poe; Bruce Greenwood does an exceptional job at getting his tongue around the tricky formations. Everything combined screams an ode to the great. 

A magnificent fusion of Gothic and modern, The Fall of the House of Usher has everything that Flanagan fans have come to love, and a lot more. The most tonally balanced and most effectively paced of his work so far, this might just be the best series Flanagan has ever created. Mark the 12th October in your diaries, as this is one appointment you do not want to miss. 

The Fall of the House of Usher will be available on Netflix on 12th October 2023. 

The Fall of the House of Usher

Kat Hughes

The Fall of the House of Usher

Summary

An elegant swirl of opulence, greed, gore, and horror with Gothic affectations, The Fall of the House of Usher is Flanagan’s best creation yet. 

4

Kat Hughes is a UK born film critic and interviewer who has a passion for horror films. An editor for THN, Kat is also a Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic. She has bylines with Ghouls Magazine, Arrow Video, Film Stories, Certified Forgotten and FILMHOUNDS and has had essays published in home entertainment releases by Vinegar Syndrome and Second Sight. When not writing about horror, Kat hosts micro podcast Movies with Mummy along with her five-year-old daughter.

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