Now that Halloween is steadily approaching, you may find yourself looking through streaming services for a good horror movie or series to watch. While it may be easier to click through whatever’s at the top of your homepage, I promise you that this show is worth the digging. Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House is one of my all-time favorites. I unfortunately didn’t discover it until earlier this year, but I’m already gearing up for a rewatch.

Terrifying imagery takes a lot of hard work. Courtesy of Insider on YouTube

Inspired by the 1959 novel of the same name, showrunner Mike Flanagan reinvents the characters as a family of seven that moves into the Hill House the summer of 1992. They originally planned to stay there long enough to flip the house, but things start to go south when the house starts affecting the family in mysterious ways. They all see shadowy figures whenever they’re at their most vulnerable and alone, and they start to have difficulty discerning what’s real and what’s not.

Each episode follows a different character’s experiences during their stay at the house, and in present day where their older counterparts continue to deal with the trauma of what happened. Most of the story isn’t shown in order, so it keeps you guessing right to the very end.

I really enjoyed this show because while it does have its fair share of jump scares, it’s not over the top just for the sake of it. It may be a little slow at times, but that’s because they spend valuable time on developing the characters and increasing the feeling of dread throughout.

Its story actually has a lot of depth; the core themes about dealing with mental illness, family and grief are presented in a way that doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, it’s been confirmed that each sibling represents a different stage of the grieving process, and that dynamic, along with their shared experiences, is what makes them the ultimate dysfunctional family.

That said, this show is still super creepy. You may have heard about it last year when Flanagan admitted that there are dozens of ghosts hidden in the background throughout the show.

I found possible hidden ghost during my rewatch, if you look closely at the dining room,

you can see someone watching Olivia and Shirley Crain. Photo by me via Netflix.

Even if you aren’t looking for them, that presence of someone watching the characters from a nearby window or doorway adds an extra layer of uneasiness.

I hope you’ll grab some popcorn and a blanket to hide behind to watch The Haunting of Hill House this October.