The Fall of the House of Usher review: a gothic horror hit

When it was originally announced that writer-director Mike Flanagan’s fifth Netflix series would be based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, few could have predicted that the resulting show would be a terrifying, Gothic look at the modern horrors of the Sackler family. . And the opioid epidemic. Still, that’s exactly it Fall of the House of Usher Is. Lest anyone think otherwise, the eight-episode limited series, which was partially written and directed by Flanagan himself, is as mean, acidic and ruthless as its ideas demand. In fact, it is the most reprehensible piece of horror fiction that Flanagan has had a hand in creating.

Out of respect for the Poe-written portions of the source material, Fall of the House of Usher sees Flanagan abandoning straight-up horror vocals midnight Mass And The Midnight Club In favor of something really crazy and even worse, okay, Terrifying, That shift produces a TV series that’s visually and narratively more straightforward than the filmmaker’s previous Netflix efforts, but no less engaging. As he’s already worked with the works of Henry James, Christopher Pike, and Shirley Jackson, Flanagan has created a TV series that not only matches his and his chosen inspiration’s styles, but also allows them to shine together. Also allows.

Based on several short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe, Fall of the House of Usher Focuses on the fictional Usher family. Led by brother-sister duo Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell), the Ushers are the powerful dynasty behind a corrupt pharmaceutical company that is believed to be responsible for the deaths and drug addiction of millions of Americans. However, after decades of enjoying the invincibility granted by their wealth, when Roderick’s children begin to die under increasingly mysterious circumstances, chinks in the Ushers’ armor begin to form.

As Roderick begins to question whether some of his past decisions are responsible for the sudden changes in his family’s fortunes, he and his loved ones find themselves haunted by Verna (Carla Gugino), a mysterious stranger who Have a habit of coming in front of someone. One of them dies. Soon, the Ushers are outnumbered and Roderick is forced to confess his many crimes to his longtime rival, C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly), a well-intentioned district attorney. Has gone. If this sounds like a spoiler, it’s not. Roderick’s midnight conversation with Dupin actually begins within the first few minutes Fall of the House of UsherAnd it serves as the springboard that leads to the rest of the show’s story, most of which takes place in the past.

As far as narrative devices go, using Roderick’s confession as the foundation of the series’ ongoing voice-over narration and flashbacks is undeniably fictional, but it also has a basis in the eponymous Poe story. What is less defensible is the repetitive nature Fall of the House of Usherepisodes, almost all of which follow the same set of plot beats. Each focuses on one of Roderick’s children and uses a Poe short story as the inspiration for their eventual demise. Their multiple deaths lead to sequences that are among the most bloody and terrifying ever created by Flanagan. However, by the time Roderick’s fifth and sixth heirs faced their fate, the impact of his death had diminished little. Fall of the House of UsherAn unfailing commitment to its own episodic formula.

While its narrative and structural flaws drag down the show’s later episodes, the power of its Gothic mood and the vibrancy of its giallo-esque aesthetic never diminish. stylistically, Fall of the House of Usher Never attempts anything directorially bold, similar to a one-take episode hill house haunt, but Flanagan and fellow director Michael Fimognari deliver a series that is not only visually cohesive, but consistently bold in its violence and supernatural imagery. The show is, with the exception of The Haunting of Bly ManorThe most aesthetically experimental and engaging of Flanagan’s Netflix titles.

Behind the scenes, Flanagan continues his now-famous commitment to his growing number of actors Fall of the House of Usher as an excuse to reunite with an impressive number of his past colleagues. Not all of them fit like others. midnight Club Stars like Ruth Codd, Igby Rigney, and Aya Furukawa feel out of place in a show that largely deals with ideas and themes more appropriate for its older characters, though. doctor sleep Star Kayleigh Curran plays an impressively vulnerable, quietly principled role as Roderick’s granddaughter, Lenore. Elsewhere, recurring Flanagan players like Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli and Samantha Sloyan give reliably strong and, in some cases, deliciously over-the-top performances as Roderick’s adult children.

Ultimately, though, The fall of the house is usher is anchored by tour de force performances given by Greenwood and Gugino. The former, brought in as a last-minute replacement, makes the role of Roderick completely his own – chewing up and spitting out every single line given by Flanagan until it’s impossible to imagine anyone else saying them. Go. Never before has Greenwood been allowed to bring so much gravitas and Machiavellian energy to a role, and it’s been years since the actor has felt quite a revelation. The same is true for Gugino, who gives a career-best performance as Verna, a sultry, mischievous supernatural entity who views the Usher family with equal parts both contempt and wonder.

The series differs from Flanagan’s previous Netflix shows in many ways, but none more notable than how brilliantly it presents its characters. However Flanagan proves himself unable to fully shake his sentimental Fall of the House of Usher Ultimately, the director views his latest group of characters with a level of disdain that is certainly rare for him. That aspect of the series allows Flanagan to turn in not only her sharpest political project to date, but also her meanest and most radical. This show isn’t that scary hill house hauntBut it’s gorier, gorier, and generally more twisted than fans of the director might expect.

it doesn’t work Fall of the House of Usher It’s a disappointing or strange conclusion to Flanagan’s long-running collaboration with Netflix. In fact, quite the opposite is true. By severing ties with the streaming service, Flanagan has ensured that her six-year horror experience ended not with a timid nod or a silent goodbye, but with a final flick of the knife and a sudden, gushing gush of blood Is.

Fall of the House of Usher Now streaming on Netflix.