MovieChat Forums > The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) Discussion > My thoughts

My thoughts

posted 8 months ago by SherlockJunior (67)
8 replies | jump to latest

Hey all, first of all, I am big Mike Flanagan fan since I saw his horror film Oculus. Since then I wanted to check out all his other stuff, including his ultra low budget debut Absentia (which is already very creepy and shows a lot of potential). When Mike moved into his long format naratives with his Netflix shows I started to even love him more, as a writer and director.

So this is where I am coming from. That said, I am also critical on some of his stuff. For instance Midnight Club was not really my cup of tea. It felt geared toward a younger audience, and I didn't like the overarching story that much.

Here Mike is back in full swing. This is the most extravert I ever caught him writing dialogue and edgy scenes. It took a couple of episodes to get really hooked, because there is a lot of characters, but at the same time I was never confused during the show. Mike's writing has improved again and I love this show is a big melange, hommage and ode to the works of Edgar Allen Poe.

All the actors do an amazing job, I love the fact that Mike has a real family of actors who always return. Standouts for me are Bruce Greenwood, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Carla Cugino and Mary Mcdonnel. A special mention for kid actor Kyliegh Curran
Actrice, she held her own and made her character believable and grounded in some very over the top scenarios.

I won't review the plot of the movie and won't go into spoilers, but I can say that some of the gnarliest death scenes where in episode 2, 7 and 8. Episode 2's ending left me in awe..
I always like the fact that Flanagan has an eye for macabre aesthetics. Some of the shots and lingering moments in this show are pieces of dark art. Very moody, creepy or just violently poetic.

I love how the themes are handled and actually thought the scenario is full of suspense and people threating each other horribly.

I loved Flanagans Midnight Mass and the excellent writing, but thought a couple of the monologues where less interesting than others and where a bit too long (even though I love that show as a whole and think it's incredible) . Here actually I loved the dialogue even more and never found one to be too long. I was interested in all of it all the time.

For a long time I thought I could empathize but not sympathize with most of the characters because most are really evil and bad, but towards the end I noted that the good people got more on the forefront and even the good in the title character (or what was left) came through. Loved the arcs here.

This show has a unique combination of genre's. It's a Gothic horror mystery drama with some black humor and beautiful visuals and dialogue. I think it's Flanagan's masterpiece.

For me his best shows are
1. The Haunting of Hill House 10/10
2. The Fall of the House of Usher 10/10
3. Midnight Mass 9/10
4. House of Bly Manor 7.5/10
5. Midnight Club 6/10

What did you all think of it?

[–] TylerAArse (2728) 8 months ago

I thought it was pretty good. I know nothing of the "Poe" aspect, so it's just a series for me. I almost gave up after 1 episode, but I hung on, and it got better with each passing episode.

[–] SherlockJunior (67) 8 months ago

Yes I get what you mean, there are so many storylines and characters introduced. The series really has a flow that syncs in the longer you watch it, it interweaves each threat so carefully. And the finale delivers and makes everything fall into place. If the finale wasn't so well done it could have fallen apart. But luckily it sticks the landing big time.

[–] TylerAArse (2728) 8 months ago

The finale was pretty good. I'll give it that.

[–] SandyR (7727) 8 months ago

From what I've read, Poe has very little to do with this series beyond the title.

[–] Ant1238 (856) 8 months ago

Not true, he served as executive producer. Not sure how hands-on he was though.

[–] OldG (629) 8 months ago

Not my favorite Flanagan show (I haven't watched Midnight Club yet)... All the Usher (grown up) kids annoyed me... the flashbach part with young Roderick interested me the most (as it was pretty obvious that each episode would end with one of the kids dying)... I just think when it all was concluded I just thought was it just that... which seemed to obvious...

I think Hill House, Bly Manor and Midnight Mass are all superior to this show... House Usher is a 5 or 6 out of 10 for me...

[–] NoEasyBuckets (335) 8 months ago

I think Mike Flanagan needs to ease up on the monologues. It's not as bad as Midnight Mass in that department but there's just way too many. I think Carla Gugino had three in a matter of 10-15 mins in the final episode. A lot of the times it's meant to make the characters look clever which really in turn is to make him look clever since he's the one writing it.

I thought the show got better after the first two episodes. Most people will rightfully be annoyed by the kids so you have to get past their introduction to when they start getting picked off to really enjoy it.

[–] SherlockJunior (67) 8 months ago

I see your point! Because how much I still loved Midnight Mass, for me it was bogged down a bit by the length of some of the monologues. Especially in the final 2 episodes of that series. At the same time some of the monologues where really fascinating and spellbinding in that show.

But with 'Usher' I felt actually that the flow was better and I actually was a fan of all the monologues and dialogue 'battles' in the final episodes. I loved the witty one on one of Pym Reaper and Verna. And Verna's monologue with Lenore was just heartbreaking. I can see your point that Verna had a lot of dialogue but the way she spoke was music to my ears, I really loved it.

The show definitely picks up steam while it's going, although me personally I loved it from the get-go. It must have been quite a challenge to weave together so many story threads. This series totally sticking the landing, with some added emotional gut punch and lingering thoughts about it all made it a modern classic to me.