The Haunting of Hill House

[Brigante9]

I like horror, but I’m easily freaked and stuff stays with me. I’ve read reviews of this and they’re either very dramatic or this film has made people puke and pass out! I know they said this about The. Exorcist which didn’t freak me (bar the crucifix scene, I had a religious upbringing!)

Has anyone seen it and if so, is it really horrendous? I’m still freaked by the little brother flying at his brother’s window after being turned into a vampire in Salem’s Lot!

I've just watched episode 6 and it's the best one so far. Not for the horror element but the dynamics between them all.Young Nell saying at the end that I was right here screaming and none of you heard me , so sad that she was right there as adult nell screaming for help and again no one heard her.
I love a good horror and although this does have jumpy moments I find I'm liking the drama and family stuff more likeable than the actual horror element.

Oh she did but I think she was possessed by the house, they all had the house whispering in their ear.
And yes I think the ghosts have to haunt Hill house forever because the house doesn't want to let them go and some like the Dudleys want to stay together forever.

I guess anyone who entered the house had a high chance of never leaving again, like the clock repairer.

Someone mentioned above how they would have noticed that the ‘rooms of the red room’ didn’t really exist (there was no reading room, dance space etc). I kind of took that as a symbol for how broken and separate the family were; they didn’t notice that one of them ‘disappeared’ every now and then, and that continues into adulthood. I thought it was a very clever show, absolutely bloody terrifying but with this whole other story going on beneath the ghosts.

The book (on which it is very loosely based) is entirely different and much better than the series.

The book (on which it is very loosely based) is entirely different and much better than the series

The 1963 film of the book called The Haunting with Deborah Kerr is very scary. The remake with Catherine Zeta-Jones is dire. Apologies if that has been posted before.

I sat through it with DD who insisted on seeing it. Lights on, ready to be petrified.
I found long stretches of it quite boring to be honest. A couple of jump scares and overall more sad than scary.

Is the book worth reading, has anyone read it?

The 1963 film of the book called The Haunting with Deborah Kerr is very scary

Lass you may be mixing up two films. The 1963 film The Haunting, which is based fairly closely on Shirley Jackson's novel, stars Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. The scary film starring Deborah Kerr is The Innocents (1961) based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.

@Mingo the posting by @Lass just two above yours answers your question

oh god the bit in episode 8 scared me senseless. I've not found any of it scary apart from that. I know I'm a wimp but as my partner was away last night I decided to sleep in my dcs room and had the worst sleep of my life because I could hear teeth grinder boy (dc1) and fidgetgirl (dc2) all night. Should have risked my chances with bent neck lady in my own room instead.

I won't be watching (total wuss) but wanted to say how much I loved the comment of 'I've seen scarier episodes of Rentaghost' from ginghambox 😂

I have just finished watching this. I really enjoyed it, I didn't think it was that scary though the story was good.

Does anyone remember ‘the haunting’ film from the late 90s I think, also based on the book, with Catherine zeta jones and Liam neeson. That was a pretty terrible film!

@beef Yes, it's been mentioned upthread more than once. We all agree it was shit.

I think the bent neck lady was the scariest

well the ending was the biggest pile of crap ever. How disappointing.

I have to agree. One of the worse endings to s story I have ever seen.

Oliver Jackson Cohen should be a big star though- he is totes adorable. As was the little boy who played him as a child.

The book is very, very different. Also not scary and very of its time.

Lass you may be mixing up two films. The 1963 film The Haunting, which is based fairly closely on Shirley Jackson's novel, stars Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. The scary film starring Deborah Kerr is The Innocents (1961) based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.

No I'm not mixing them up but I got Julie Harris' name wrong. As you say Julie Harris is in The Haunting She plays a character called Nell.

yes adult luke is beautiful and the young luke is adorable. I don't know if I'd want a second season now that they've given such a shit ending

I didn't know adult Luke is English.

Q

Have just binge watched it for the second time and got it more than when I watched it the first time. However, the ending is still shit. It's like this monster of a house has just turned into a cuddly mummy figure keeping all the ghosts together. But then I don't know how it could have ended differently really.

They could have ended it with the house and the ghosts dwelling within terrorising the remaining family, scaring them to death. The bent neck lady haunting her sisters. The tall man chasing luke. the zombie downstairs lurking around every corner. the dancer woman manipulating and convincing them to kill each other or themselves and all building to a massive finale where a single survivor escapes.
Cutting too a time lapse of the house decaying and falling in on itself.

Something scary to end a 'Horror' TV show that is supposed to be scary.