‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ TV Review [Fantastic Fest 2023]: Mike Flanagan Crafts A Wildly Entertaining Piece Of Gothic Horror
Photo from Eike Schroter/Netflix
From Jeff Nelson
Mike Flanagan provides a fascinating voice to the contemporary horror scene across the television and film mediums. He uniquely combines stories both old and new, but he never fails to incorporate his own voice into every narrative he chooses to explore. The Fall of the House of Usher is an excellent piece of gothic horror that consistently entertains.
Based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, this story follows siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell), who built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals, one of the most financially successful and famous companies in the world. Together, they amassed great power, influence, and wealth that digs deeper than the public realizes. The heirs of the Usher dynasty start to die off under suspicious circumstances involving a mysterious woman from the past.
Over the course of eight episodes, The Fall of the House of Usher weaves Poe-isms and Flanagan’s style, which blends horror, drama, and hints of comedy. We’re quickly informed that the Usher children are dead, but the happenings surrounding their deaths only grow stranger the further along it unravels. It’s a big ensemble of characters, but they each get their opportunity to shine in all of their privileged, narcissistic glory. However, all of the power and wealth in the world aren’t enough to stop the ultimate consequence of mortality.
Flanagan wears his many influences on his sleeve, using irony as a sharp weapon to drive home his punchlines with satisfying moments of extreme violence. Similar to his own The Haunting of Hill House, the drama and horror elements act as one to deliver layered characters that give weight to intense death sequences, jump scares, and eerie sightings in the periphery of the frame.
The Usher family secrets aren’t particularly difficult to figure out, but even so, the journey is a worthwhile one. The story occasionally pulls the viewer out of the fantasy, connecting itself to the real world in ways that are funny, albeit become a tad preachy. Flanagan doesn’t always manage to successfully combine Poe’s storytelling with his own social commentary on class, status, and wealth, but it’s particularly effective when it does land.
The Fall of the House of Usher brings back a number of frequent Flanagan collaborators, including Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, Katie Parker, Samantha Sloyan, among others. It’s a tremendous ensemble with consistently stellar chemistry, effortlessly navigating the dark sense of humor and the more solemn moments. Gugino delivers outstanding work, while Mark Hamill is an absolute standout as Arthur Pym, a widely feared associate of the Usher family.
There’s no questioning that Flanagan has a real Halloween treat on his hands. The Fall of the House of Usher is a ferociously entertaining slice of genre television that shouldn’t be missed. Its secrets aren’t particularly surprising, but this work of gothic horror is certainly an addicting watch.
Rating: 4/5
The Fall of the House of Usher screened episodes 1 and 2 at Fantastic Fest 2023 on September 22nd, 2023, although this review covers all 8 episodes. It streams on Netflix on October 12, 2023.
