There are quite a few Edgar Allan Poe stories that stay with you long after you’ve finished them. I often think about The Cask of Amontillado, where a man ends up buried in the walls, or The Masque of the Red Death, where characters are trapped in a house with a mysterious killer. And one of Poe’s best stories, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, is the inspiration for the new Mike Flanagan Netflix series!
The Flanagan formula mixes supernatural horror with personal trauma, creating compelling characters that fans connect with. His previous series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club, and Midnight Mass received widespread acclaim. Now, he’s marrying that specific brand of horror with one of Poe’s most legendary stories. And the trailer for The Fall of the House of Usher features a cast as iconic as the story itself.
Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), is a wealthy man who invites his friend (an unnamed narrator in Poe’s story) to his home after writing him a letter recounting his illness. Greenwood is joined by Flanagan mainstays Katie Siegel, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino, and Rahul Kohli, along with newcomer Mark Hamill. The setting for the series looks significantly more modern than the original story (and is giving Succession vibes), and there’s an undercurrent of dark humor that makes TFOTHOU seem less heavy than Flanagan’s previous shows. But still, I don’t see how much of Poe’s story can change given the vivid imagery present in his work. It is a story of betrayal, deceit, and the corruptive influence of money and power.
The fear that Flanagan brings
In each of his Netflix series, Flanagan manages to bring you into the story whether you’re a horror fan or not. His films are just as engaging, especially his adaptation of Doctor Sleep starring Ewan McGregor as an adult Danny Torrance from The Shining. It’s not surprising that Flanagan would want to continue the story, given that much of his work seems to be influenced by Stanley Kubrick.
In my opinion, there is no one I’d rather see adapting Edgar Allan Poe stories for the screen. Mainly because they’re not simply horror stories, although they remain quite scary: They’re telling a tale of loss or angst in the midst of a mystery.
Edgar Allan Poe’s world
As a spooky kid who often had Halloween-themed birthday parties (given where my birthday falls in the year), I love the spooky season. More importantly, I love a spooky story. For so many of us, Poe was our first introduction to horror. Whether it was reading The Raven or The Tell-Tale Heart in school, his stories were often a gateway to a longtime love of all things scary.
I’m excited to see how Flanagan and company adapt the story into a series. It will be a wild ride with all of Flanagan’s favorite actors, and I can’t wait to see it. The Fall of the House of Usher premieres on October 12 on Netflix.
(featured image: Eike Schroter/Netflix)
