TBT Reviews:
The Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan’s masterpiece remixes Edgar Allan Poe’s Greatest Hits
I love a good mini-series. Netflix has a new one, The Fall of the House of Usher, and gad damn, is it a wild roller coaster ride of love, death, horror, madness, betrayal, and sacrifice. I think this might be Mike Flanagan’s (creator and director) greatest work yet. If you’re into gothic horror and have a taste for gruesome, almost final destination-like deaths and some black comedy, then you’re in for a treat this Halloween season. 🎃
⚠WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD⚠
What I loved about the show:
● The cast, most of whom are past Flanagan collaborators, was amazing. My favorites would have to be Bruce Greenwood playing Roderick Usher, the legendary Mark Hamill playing Arthur Pym (reaper IFYKYK), Carla Gugino playing Verna, and Carl Lumbly playing the ever-so-smart C. Auguste Dupin.
● The story, a modern retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classics, mashed into one giant nightmare. It is a tragic and righteous downfall of a dynastic family empire filled with greed, lust, sex, drugs, and violence. It’s such an insane story it could only come out of the minds of Poe and Flanagan. A Faustian bargain told in the perfect way.
● The characters are despicable but, at the same time, relatable. Their descent into madness is something to behold. I especially disliked Michael Trucco's character, Rufus Griswald, and he played his role perfectly.
● The horror is palpable. The dread of seeing ghoulish, almost deadite-looking ( Evil Dead) figures pop up for a jump scare is always there. I love horror, and these days, I don’t get scared that much, but there was a moment when I felt holy F-bomb; I got startled. If a show can do that, it's done its job. One of my favorite deaths happened in the The Masque of the Red Death episode. The scene of the aftermath is just horrific but so well portrayed, like an apocalyptic painting.
● The pop culture references and the ancient Egyptian easter eggs. I loved those. I might write a listicle on these soon.
What I didn't like:
There weren't enough episodes ☹. In all seriousness, it was the right amount; I'm just greedy.
I wish there were more Dupin scenes. He's a really great character. Arthur Conan Doyle got his inspiration for Sherlock Holmes after reading Poe's stories.
That's about it. I couldn't find any real flaw in this mini-series. I thought it was perfect. I feel like rewatching the horror again.
The opposite of nevermore…
There are eight episodes in total, and I binge-watched most of them. It’s a must-watch, in my opinion. I give it 5/5 ravens.
★★★★★
