I love creepy stories. Sure, horror in general can be enjoyable, but a well told tale that makes you uncomfortable and creeps you out is a wonderful thing. That’s probably why I enjoy reading classics by Lovecraft and Poe and the like. A contemporary classic that’s the epitome of creepy haunted house tales is Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. And Netflix has just brought the story back to life. 

The show is split between past and present. The past incorporates elements of the novel – a family living in a big, old house that just happens to be full of its past residents, most of whom are trying to keep the family there permanently. The present shows the family 26 years after they’ve left the house and the kids are grown and trying to live their own lives. Except what happened at Hill House still haunts all of them. In that way, the series explores shared trauma and different reactions to it.

The story builds slowly through the 10 episodes, which works really well for this genre, and there’s an overall creepy atmosphere that pervades all of it. Of course, there’re some jump scares too because what’s a ghost story without things randomly popping out? There’s discomfort in the fact that the character narratives can’t always be relied on, based on who is remembering what happened. Some characters have blocked out what they saw or refuse to accept it, while others experienced unique elements of a particular event. Slowly the threads are woven together, but there are still some holes left (intentionally and not).

The final episode does provide a decent resolution, though for me, the feel good epilogue was out of place in its tidiness. Still, Hill House is a perfect bit of horror and creepiness for this time of year. And if you’re easily spooked, you might not want to watch it alone at night – though I consider that the perfect viewing atmosphere!