With a prolific and detailed resume of horror built on emotion and irreverence, Mike Flanagan has established himself as one of the best horror directors working today. His next piece, The Fall of the House of Usher — premiering exclusively on Netflix on October 12 — is a reimagining based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name.
Should it align with Flanagan’s usual precedence of excellence, competence, and tact, Usher will no doubt turn into a smash Halloween hit overnight.
That got me thinking. Flanagan has been a regular working director since 2011 when he made his feature film debut. At this point, he’s got a running list of different horror movies and television programs that all hit and espouse different, complicated themes. He is clearly a confident filmmaker who establishes his nightmare-like vision and usually executes it quite well, much to our (desired) fears.
Below is a ranking of all of Flanagan’s horror productions where he served as director. (Note: I have excluded one early short film) If you’re unfamiliar with much of Flanagan’s work, you’ll quickly find he is a versatile Swiss Army Knife capable of turning any of life’s happenings into dread. Sure enough, don’t be surprised when the House of Usher potentially climbs to the near-top of this list.
11
The Midnight Club (2022)
The Midnight Club’s concept — a group of terminally ill teenagers bond over telling horror stories to each other at night — is a lot better than its occasionally slow execution. But one can’t deny the sheer level of creativity and versatility displayed in each of the kid’s distinctly different short stories. This is a very inventive show that pulls at the heartstrings — a Flanagan trademark.
10
Before I Wake (2016)
Starring Kate Bosworth, the mother of an eight-year-old foster child, Before I Wake tells a lovely story about children’s frights at night from the perspective of their parents. It’s a little uneven, especially in pacing, but the idea of trying to patiently understand a child’s rationale for nightmares and fears in a horror context is very refreshing.
9
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Headlined by semi-frequent Flanagan collaborator Elizabeth Reaser, Ouija: Origin of Evil is a terrifying tale that nails practically every story beat and sets up an impeccably tense atmosphere. It is the rare horror prequel that actually works because it mostly keeps things simple.
8
Oculus (2013)
Starring Karen Gillan — who many might know as Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Oculus is a movie about trying (and failing) to overcome childhood trauma. The core conceit is that an evil mirror has been haunting Gillan’s character and her brother for their entire lives. What follows is an intelligent horror story constantly and thoughtfully shifting between dual timelines.
7
Gerald's Game (2017)
These days, a Flanagan production would probably feel incomplete without Carla Gugino. In Gerald’s Game, an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1992 novel, Gugino lives out a spouse’s worst nightmare when her husband dies of a heart attack after tying her up to a bed to spice up their sex life. What follows is a hypnotic thriller about a wife reflecting on her failed relationship while trying to figure out a way to escape and survive.
6
Absentia (2011)
Officially Flanagan’s feature film debut, Absentia is a masterful catalog of suspense centered around a woman’s poignant relationship trauma — she believed her missing husband was dead — that was never fully processed. The film can suffer a bit from its independent, low budget, but it doesn’t remotely sink what is a story that will have you covering your eyes more often than you’d like to admit.
5
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
After Flanagan’s eminently successful Netflix vision, The Haunting of Hill House, he ran some of the crew back — including Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Victoria Pedretti — in the meticulous The Haunting of Bly Manor. Provided you don’t go in with the expectation that it plays out similarly to Hill House, Bly Manor is a mind-bending romp about a haunted manor (duh) and the people in it who aren’t nearly what they seem to be.
4
Doctor Sleep (2019)
They said Stephen King couldn’t make a quality sequel to The Shining, so they had to say the same of Flanagan when he adapted Doctor Sleep, right? Anyway, the follow-up to one of the best horror movies of all time lives up to the hype. It is a gripping narrative about how the worst aspects of us can consume our entire lives and how they can almost … feed on us if you will. I couldn’t think of anyone better to play an adult Dan Torrance than Ewan McGregor.
3
Hush (2016)
Hush doesn’t mess around flipping the slasher genre on its head. The main character, another frequent Flanagan partner (also, his wife) Kate Siegel, plays a deaf-mute author who leaves the big city to write in peace in the woods. When a masked killer discovers she is deaf and mute, he chooses to play a sadistic game of cat and mouse that will raise your heart rate tenfold.
2
Midnight Mass (2021)
Midnight Mass is a living, breathing tour de force from Flanagan. At first, you believe it is tailored to be a cutting critique of religion, particularly traditional Catholicism. It evolves into a spellbinding meditation on grief, faith, and what it means to believe in something bigger than yourself. Every actor and actress here — from Hamish Linklater and Siegel to Zach Gilford — delivers the most explosive performances of their lives. This is, flat out, one of the best and most original horror stories ever told. It’s a masterpiece.
1
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
It has been half a decade since the release of The Haunting of Hill House, an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s famous novel. To this day, I try and rewatch it every October around this time, and I can still find no fault or flaw. The characters — a tortured group of siblings haunted by one nightmare evening of their childhood — are impossible to hate. Everyone receives appropriate screen time and is developed in such a delicate manner. The pacing is sublime, allowing story beats to flourish while never revealing too much of its countless jaw-dropping plot twists. It all comes together for a remarkable payoff that feels earned and exhausting. Plus, Flanagan’s penchant for well-written (but drawn-out) monologues shines better than ever here.
Hill House is Flanagan’s finest work, and it remains a towering, timeless addition to horror lore.
