This is possibly the greatest ghost story ever put on film and its due in part to the story also being a tremendously well executed dysfunctional family drama. Guaranteed it's gonna scare you more than once, but man did I cry more than once, too.
Yes! I'm so excited to get your take on this incredible show. Mike Flanagan is the KING of Netflix horror and he has a very specific style that I love. You can spot his work from a mile away.
My favorite easter egg in this episode was the ET lunch box when the boys were in the tree house , because the actor that played the younger version of the Dad, played the lead part of Elliott in the ET movie.
Paused and then rewatched this reaction a few times, as I'm also a wimp! I've also really lived in a 'haunted house' when I was in my teens - I'm a level-headed adult and even though I lived in an incredibly creepy house, where many unexplained happenings happened, I still question it to this day, 40 years after living there. There was no rational explanation to our three years of living in a specular family home. But it really did destroy our lives - My Mum and Dad divorced during this time, they were happy before we moved there - and then my darling Dad died at aged 48.
The series is based on the book The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Stephen King says that she was the inspiration for him writing horror. The characters of Steve and Shirley are named after them. Nell, Theo, Luke and several other characters are from the book as well as many direct quotes. The face Luke drew in the treehouse was the face of Nell when she screamed at Steve. The mirror Nell dances past at Hill House is a prop from the Mike Flannagan film Oculus. The series also deals with horrors of everyday life as well as the effects of the house on the kids. This is a great series, and it does ramp up episode by episode. Enjoy!!
Hunting of hill house is one of the best mini tv series last decade, every episode is great ( each episode from every family member perspective), my favourite is episode 5 & 6
Oh boy! here we go. Found your channel by searching True Detective season 1 reactions and since you loved the character development in that, I'm sure you'll love this one too. We're along for the ride.
No spoilers - New subscriber here - I'm not normally into horror either, but I really really loved Haunting of Hill House. To me it was a family/relationship drama that was wrapped in horror as a vehicle to deliver the family/drama stuff. Very well acted and well written. So many layers! And it's by far my fave of the three series by the creator.
I'm sure you know by now, but this series is based on a 1959 book of the same name. It has had several film adaptations in the past. The first one was in 1963 and just called "The Haunting" and it starred Russ Tamblyn as Luke. Tamblyn plays Dr Montague in this series. Hugh might seem familiar. He's played by Henry Thomas, who played Elliot in E.T.. There's a slight reference to that in this episode, in the treehouse you can spot an E.T. lunchbox with Thomas' face on it. E.T. owners Amblin TV were the ones who brought this show to Mike Flanagan to direct. In the novel (and most film adaptations), Eleanor, Theo and Luke are unrelated outsiders. The characters Shirley and Steven were created for this series (Shirley being named after the author, Shirley Jackson and Steven after Steven Speilberg, the director of E.T.). Mike Flanagan also directed Oculus, starring Kate Siegel, who plays Theo in this show. A reference to Oculus can be found in the first episode, the Lasser Glass itself is the mirror we see Nell dance through.
This damned show, man! I've seen it twice, I know every scare and I'm in a brightly lit room with all the comforts, but those Nell scenes still freak the hell out of me. Flanagan really knows his stuff!
i'm so glad you're reacting to this! it's much more of a family drama, than pure horror. not my favorite type of genre either, but this is one of the best shows i've ever watched. not to overhype it for you too much, lol. if you end up loving it, i hope you'll continue with the rest of flanagan's netflix shows.
This show doesnt rely much on jumpscares to scare people. In fact, a lot of ghost are well hidden in the background of every episode and it makes it all so much more creepy when you realise! And you should watch out for them Neil!
So excited to see you reacting to this! I cannot wait to hear your views on some of the absolutely phenomenal cinematography along with the beautiful writing. Stick with it - its fantastic. I am also not a huge horror fan, but this hits different.
Oh wow! An amazing show and just one of Flanagan’s amazing works. After watching this I binged and fell in love with all of his work. Such and amazing creator...love that he is in full control by being the writer, director, and editor of his work.
Awesome first "The Haunting of Hill House" reaction, Neil . This is going to be fun. The Haunting { as it's now being called as it's become an anthology series } was renewed for a second season, which is called "The Haunting of Bly Manor", it is based on the novel "The Turn of the Screw" { Desmond: "See You in Another Life Brotha" } by Henry James. Neil, small tip for you regarding THoHH. There are hidden ghost all over your screen though the series so keep your eyes peeled. There are anywhere from five to nine hidden ghosts per episodes. They could be in the shadows, reflections, or simply hiding just off to the side. Happy Hunting.
Was about to tell him the same thing, about all these "hidden" Ghosts throughout this Show. In this Episode alone there are at least 5 Ghosts hiding in the background in different Scenes. (It's not a Spoiler because Nell already watched this Episode. 😉)
I feel like the hidden ghosts should be saved for a second watch. When first watching the show, it's better to just take in the story and characters rather than play "Where's Wally" with the screen and potentially miss important info from the story.
@@liquidsnake321 Agreed. But with Neil's background in TV and Film work I feel likely he'll be able to do both, well spotting them easier then most. First and for most the most important thing of course is focusing on the story and the characters.
Excited to follow your journey with this show! It's my all time favorite series. You asked, and yes there's a real book called Haunting of Hill House, although it's by Shirley Jackson and not Steven Crain. Some of the characters in the show are based on and/or named after book characters (Hugh, Theo, Nell/Eleanor, Luke, the Dudleys), and Shirley is named for the author. Steven got his name from Spielberg, who loves the book and did a movie in 1999 called The Haunting. I'm glad to see you've posted the next episode already; off to watch that one!
I just found your channel through your Dune reaction (I can't describe why I loved that one but I did) and now I'm excited to start his series with you! Your reactions are so insightful!
It's funny that you mentioned Doctor Who and the weeping angels. A fan of this show wrote a comment on another reaction that answers this. They said there are a lot of little references to Doctor Who throughout this show because the show runners where fans. The comment even referenced the statues as playing homage to the weeping angels.
I like how you refer to the ghost encounters as "visions". If there are such things as ghosts, then perhaps it would be through visions that they'd appear. Just started watching your "Hill House"-reactions and I'm enjoying it so far! 😀
You should definitely watch the whole thing! Not just because the frights/scares are not that many, but because this is not a typical horror series. It is about collective, family trauma at an early age and its effects on the family members, set in a horror setting. There is a lot of character development and the scares are not cheap, they are there to push the story forward. The independent follow-up series, The Haunting of Bly Manor. will be even more up your alley, as that one is even tamer wrt scares, and there the story is more about personal traumas related to love and relationships.
I'm SO excited for this!!! Mike Flanagan is a master. I can't wait to watch you take this journey. I dont think you're gonna regret this!😊 I'm sure you know by now, but this is very, very loosely based on the book by Shirley Jackson by the same name. There have been a a couple different movies as well based on it. Theres a ton changed in this from the book. The book is fantastic!
I hope you stick with this, VERY much worth it. My attitude toward horror movies is not too different from yours and I came away from this thinking it was one of the best things I'd ever seen. Don't worry about getting characters confused early on - they'll slot into place for you very soon. 😀
Agree! Hill House is a masterpiece and for me it is one of the most underrated shows, especially for Netflix. This show fulfilled every filmmaking aspect, the acting is good, cinematography is ridiculous (especially episode six with that one long shot scenes), storytelling, soundtrack, everything. My ranking for Mike shows is Hill House 10/10 Bly Manor 7/10 Midnight Mass 7.5/10
Overall, I agree! There are some part of the series that I don't like that much and some (very few) bits that outright annoy me, but for the most part it's one of the best TV-shows I've ever seen. The cinematography alone is reason enough to watch it!
This is ' borrowed" from a novel by Shirley Jackson. The title, some character names, and some of the supernatural events that happen at Hill House are the same, but that's about it. Basically, don't pick up the book expecting this story, as they are very different things.
@@clarbri Oh, definitely. Pick up most anything by Shirley Jackson for that matter. My caution is only about the correlation between the novel and this series. Not their individual merits.
Neil, I hate horror too! I'm a massive scardy cat but Haunting of Hill House was one of the best TV shows I've seen in a while - I was gripped. Can't wait to see your reactions to the later episodes! Also as others have said, keep an eye out for the "Hidden" ghosts in the episodes, usually watching the characters from the background, it's very creepy and definitely adds a layer of depth to the show EDIT: E.G. the scene when they're running down the stairs @14:27, there are two ghosts to the right of the staircase
I'm just like you. I always avoid horror. A friend strongly encouraged me to watch this and it is definitely worth watching to the end. It's really very good - main focus on the characters and that family dynamic.
"I don't like horror but I'll watch Hill House" - another Mike Fanagan fan in the making. * There is a book, but not really. You can consider this as an original story with some vague nods to the book: some character names are the same, some scenes are taken from the book (in a completely different context), both have a haunted house, but the actual story and characters are not even similar between the book and the series. * I do like horror, but I also don't enjoy gore, torture porn or cheap scares. That said, Hill House is one of my favorite series ever, horror or not.
For the same reasons you mentioned I hesitated watching this show. But I did enjoy it for various reasons. Pro tip for me: don't watch it before you go to bed....little bit too haunting for me...
I hope you can stick it out, it's a little confusing for sure, but it's worth the effort, such clever writing and production. On the other hand, if it's going to give you too much anxiety, then don't put yourself through that for anyone else's benefit.
Don’t know if you will see this comment. But will leave it, Justin case. I’ve always seen horror movies as lame. Or cheap. Or just not very great writing to create. But this series really is a cut above. It has real writing talent. With try story. Not just things to scare. But actually writing, and scary things, are for the story. Not just to scare. Hope you enjoy it. If you ever have a chance of enjoying a horror, this is the one.
Great reaction! At some point you will naturally pick up on it, but just pay attention to everything. Some of the creepiest stuff is not the central focus of the scene.
The family information you can know at this point: Hugh - Dad Olivia (Liv) - Mom Steven apx 14 in 1992 and 40 in 2018 Shirley is about 12/38 Theo is around 9/35 And Luke and Nelly are 6 or 32 years old in each timeline The rest you will see as you go. :) Enjoy the ride
Thank you so much! I'm certainly open to trying new media like anime here on the channel. But I will admit that I'm a little intimidated, just because I have no idea where to start. I've seen almost none and I know that there are so many good series out there.
You're quite observant, Manuel! No, I'm not. However, I do brighten the playback footage in my editing process for certain scenes if visibility seems particularly limited. Have a great day!
Yes! This isn't a story about a haunted house with a family in it, it's a story about a family who lived in a haunted house.
This is possibly the greatest ghost story ever put on film and its due in part to the story also being a tremendously well executed dysfunctional family drama. Guaranteed it's gonna scare you more than once, but man did I cry more than once, too.
Yes! I'm so excited to get your take on this incredible show. Mike Flanagan is the KING of Netflix horror and he has a very specific style that I love. You can spot his work from a mile away.
My favorite easter egg in this episode was the ET lunch box when the boys were in the tree house , because the actor that played the younger version of the Dad, played the lead part of Elliott in the ET movie.
Paused and then rewatched this reaction a few times, as I'm also a wimp! I've also really lived in a 'haunted house' when I was in my teens - I'm a level-headed adult and even though I lived in an incredibly creepy house, where many unexplained happenings happened, I still question it to this day, 40 years after living there. There was no rational explanation to our three years of living in a specular family home. But it really did destroy our lives - My Mum and Dad divorced during this time, they were happy before we moved there - and then my darling Dad died at aged 48.
The series is based on the book The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Stephen King says that she was the inspiration for him writing horror. The characters of Steve and Shirley are named after them. Nell, Theo, Luke and several other characters are from the book as well as many direct quotes. The face Luke drew in the treehouse was the face of Nell when she screamed at Steve. The mirror Nell dances past at Hill House is a prop from the Mike Flannagan film Oculus. The series also deals with horrors of everyday life as well as the effects of the house on the kids. This is a great series, and it does ramp up episode by episode. Enjoy!!
Hunting of hill house is one of the best mini tv series last decade, every episode is great ( each episode from every family member perspective), my favourite is episode 5 & 6
If you’re able to stick this one out, Neil, this series has phenomenal writing.
Only show that has me as emotionally invested as “Lost”
While these two shows appear as horror. They are so beautiful in telling the story. Keep your eyes peeled for ghosts!
Oh boy! here we go. Found your channel by searching True Detective season 1 reactions and since you loved the character development in that, I'm sure you'll love this one too. We're along for the ride.
Wonderful series. Without going into spoilers, the ending really hit me hard and close to home and really stuck with me. Glad you're giving it a shot.
No spoilers - New subscriber here - I'm not normally into horror either, but I really really loved Haunting of Hill House. To me it was a family/relationship drama that was wrapped in horror as a vehicle to deliver the family/drama stuff. Very well acted and well written. So many layers! And it's by far my fave of the three series by the creator.
The jumping around in time confused some people but we are Losties so easy breezy 😊 Yayyyy!!!
I'm sure you know by now, but this series is based on a 1959 book of the same name. It has had several film adaptations in the past.
The first one was in 1963 and just called "The Haunting" and it starred Russ Tamblyn as Luke.
Tamblyn plays Dr Montague in this series.
Hugh might seem familiar. He's played by Henry Thomas, who played Elliot in E.T.. There's a slight reference to that in this episode, in the treehouse you can spot an E.T. lunchbox with Thomas' face on it.
E.T. owners Amblin TV were the ones who brought this show to Mike Flanagan to direct.
In the novel (and most film adaptations), Eleanor, Theo and Luke are unrelated outsiders. The characters Shirley and Steven were created for this series (Shirley being named after the author, Shirley Jackson and Steven after Steven Speilberg, the director of E.T.).
Mike Flanagan also directed Oculus, starring Kate Siegel, who plays Theo in this show. A reference to Oculus can be found in the first episode, the Lasser Glass itself is the mirror we see Nell dance through.
This damned show, man!
I've seen it twice, I know every scare and I'm in a brightly lit room with all the comforts, but those Nell scenes still freak the hell out of me.
Flanagan really knows his stuff!
i'm so glad you're reacting to this! it's much more of a family drama, than pure horror. not my favorite type of genre either, but this is one of the best shows i've ever watched. not to overhype it for you too much, lol. if you end up loving it, i hope you'll continue with the rest of flanagan's netflix shows.
YES!!!! I’m so happy you’re reacting to this show!!
This show doesnt rely much on jumpscares to scare people. In fact, a lot of ghost are well hidden in the background of every episode and it makes it all so much more creepy when you realise! And you should watch out for them Neil!
This is the best miniseries ever made without a doubt. Mike Flannagan is a genius! Keep watching plsss
So excited to see you reacting to this! I cannot wait to hear your views on some of the absolutely phenomenal cinematography along with the beautiful writing. Stick with it - its fantastic. I am also not a huge horror fan, but this hits different.
Oh wow! An amazing show and just one of Flanagan’s amazing works. After watching this I binged and fell in love with all of his work. Such and amazing creator...love that he is in full control by being the writer, director, and editor of his work.
Awesome first "The Haunting of Hill House" reaction, Neil . This is going to be fun.
The Haunting { as it's now being called as it's become an anthology series } was renewed for a second season, which is called "The Haunting of Bly Manor", it is based on the novel "The Turn of the Screw" { Desmond: "See You in Another Life Brotha" } by Henry James.
Neil, small tip for you regarding THoHH.
There are hidden ghost all over your screen though the series so keep your eyes peeled.
There are anywhere from five to nine hidden ghosts per episodes.
They could be in the shadows, reflections, or simply hiding just off to the side.
Happy Hunting.
Was about to tell him the same thing, about all these "hidden" Ghosts throughout this Show. In this Episode alone there are at least 5 Ghosts hiding in the background in different Scenes.
(It's not a Spoiler because Nell already watched this Episode. 😉)
I feel like the hidden ghosts should be saved for a second watch. When first watching the show, it's better to just take in the story and characters rather than play "Where's Wally" with the screen and potentially miss important info from the story.
@@liquidsnake321 Agreed. But with Neil's background in TV and Film work I feel likely he'll be able to do both, well spotting them easier then most.
First and for most the most important thing of course is focusing on the story and the characters.
Wasn't The Turning based on that novel?
I don't know why, but you watching this in a blankie is adorable.
Excited to follow your journey with this show! It's my all time favorite series. You asked, and yes there's a real book called Haunting of Hill House, although it's by Shirley Jackson and not Steven Crain. Some of the characters in the show are based on and/or named after book characters (Hugh, Theo, Nell/Eleanor, Luke, the Dudleys), and Shirley is named for the author. Steven got his name from Spielberg, who loves the book and did a movie in 1999 called The Haunting. I'm glad to see you've posted the next episode already; off to watch that one!
Was in the mood to destroy my soul for the 20th time, so here I am, about to cry along with you while I watch uour reactions to this fantastic series.
Lmao!! "it has nothing to do with adding an extra layer of security" I feel it
As good as this series is, Flanagan's recent series Midnight Mass is a straight masterpiece. You'd love it.
I just found your channel through your Dune reaction (I can't describe why I loved that one but I did) and now I'm excited to start his series with you! Your reactions are so insightful!
It's funny that you mentioned Doctor Who and the weeping angels. A fan of this show wrote a comment on another reaction that answers this. They said there are a lot of little references to Doctor Who throughout this show because the show runners where fans. The comment even referenced the statues as playing homage to the weeping angels.
I am the same normally, I don’t do horror or scary movies/tv at all but this show is 100% one of my favorite shows of all time.
I like how you refer to the ghost encounters as "visions". If there are such things as ghosts, then perhaps it would be through visions that they'd appear. Just started watching your "Hill House"-reactions and I'm enjoying it so far! 😀
You should definitely watch the whole thing! Not just because the frights/scares are not that many, but because this is not a typical horror series. It is about collective, family trauma at an early age and its effects on the family members, set in a horror setting. There is a lot of character development and the scares are not cheap, they are there to push the story forward.
The independent follow-up series, The Haunting of Bly Manor. will be even more up your alley, as that one is even tamer wrt scares, and there the story is more about personal traumas related to love and relationships.
Ah I love this show. And I love Bly Manor even more!
SOOOO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS WHEN I GET HOME FROM WORK TONIGHT!!!!
I'm SO excited for this!!! Mike Flanagan is a master. I can't wait to watch you take this journey. I dont think you're gonna regret this!😊
I'm sure you know by now, but this is very, very loosely based on the book by Shirley Jackson by the same name. There have been a a couple different movies as well based on it. Theres a ton changed in this from the book. The book is fantastic!
You gonna love this show
also im definitely getting on your patreon for this!!!
Great to see you’re getting into Mike Flanagan, another new series I’ve been watching is Yellowjackets. Well worth a watch 👍🏻
Yellowjackets is incredible !!!!
I love your British content and this one of my favourite shows. So happy to see this!
This is exciting that you're diving into this. It's an adaptation of a novel and Mike Flanagan is a master.
Yay, I am looking forward to your reactions to this series, in particular your commentary on the filmmaking 🤗
I hope you stick with this, VERY much worth it. My attitude toward horror movies is not too different from yours and I came away from this thinking it was one of the best things I'd ever seen. Don't worry about getting characters confused early on - they'll slot into place for you very soon. 😀
The word masterpiece is overused.. but I really think this series is one.
Agree! Hill House is a masterpiece and for me it is one of the most underrated shows, especially for Netflix. This show fulfilled every filmmaking aspect, the acting is good, cinematography is ridiculous (especially episode six with that one long shot scenes), storytelling, soundtrack, everything.
My ranking for Mike shows is
Hill House 10/10
Bly Manor 7/10
Midnight Mass 7.5/10
Overall, I agree! There are some part of the series that I don't like that much and some (very few) bits that outright annoy me, but for the most part it's one of the best TV-shows I've ever seen. The cinematography alone is reason enough to watch it!
This is ' borrowed" from a novel by Shirley Jackson. The title, some character names, and some of the supernatural events that happen at Hill House are the same, but that's about it. Basically, don't pick up the book expecting this story, as they are very different things.
Do pick up the book, though, because it's great!
@@clarbri Oh, definitely. Pick up most anything by Shirley Jackson for that matter. My caution is only about the correlation between the novel and this series. Not their individual merits.
looking forward to your reaction to this, great season of TV
Awesome show,, you'll like it. It is not a typical horror show, sure there are some scare elements, but it is so much more.
Neil, I hate horror too! I'm a massive scardy cat but Haunting of Hill House was one of the best TV shows I've seen in a while - I was gripped. Can't wait to see your reactions to the later episodes!
Also as others have said, keep an eye out for the "Hidden" ghosts in the episodes, usually watching the characters from the background, it's very creepy and definitely adds a layer of depth to the show
EDIT: E.G. the scene when they're running down the stairs @14:27, there are two ghosts to the right of the staircase
The bit in the basement 🙈
I'm just like you. I always avoid horror. A friend strongly encouraged me to watch this and it is definitely worth watching to the end. It's really very good - main focus on the characters and that family dynamic.
as much as it is a horror show, its even more so a show about relationships and trauma.
Very impressed with this series, you'll love it
"I don't like horror but I'll watch Hill House" - another Mike Fanagan fan in the making. *
There is a book, but not really. You can consider this as an original story with some vague nods to the book: some character names are the same, some scenes are taken from the book (in a completely different context), both have a haunted house, but the actual story and characters are not even similar between the book and the series.
* I do like horror, but I also don't enjoy gore, torture porn or cheap scares. That said, Hill House is one of my favorite series ever, horror or not.
💖 great reaction... it's a really good story much more than just a horror 💖
What a trooper. :)
I don't like horror but intrigued to see this.
It’s probably a bit late to comment now, but you should definitely watch this in the dark.
Funny cause back sleeping causes a nightmare every time for me
I am not much a fan of horror either but this is beyond that.
For the same reasons you mentioned I hesitated watching this show.
But I did enjoy it for various reasons.
Pro tip for me: don't watch it before you go to bed....little bit too haunting for me...
I hope you can stick it out, it's a little confusing for sure, but it's worth the effort, such clever writing and production. On the other hand, if it's going to give you too much anxiety, then don't put yourself through that for anyone else's benefit.
Oh, please keep going
Don’t know if you will see this comment. But will leave it, Justin case.
I’ve always seen horror movies as lame. Or cheap. Or just not very great writing to create. But this series really is a cut above. It has real writing talent. With try story. Not just things to scare. But actually writing, and scary things, are for the story. Not just to scare. Hope you enjoy it. If you ever have a chance of enjoying a horror, this is the one.
Great reaction! At some point you will naturally pick up on it, but just pay attention to everything. Some of the creepiest stuff is not the central focus of the scene.
The family information you can know at this point:
Hugh - Dad
Olivia (Liv) - Mom
Steven apx 14 in 1992 and 40 in 2018
Shirley is about 12/38
Theo is around 9/35
And Luke and Nelly are 6 or 32 years old in each timeline
The rest you will see as you go. :) Enjoy the ride
You will like its good show
Hey Neil loving your content more and more. I wonder if Attack On Titan is something you'd do one day. Keep on keeping on.
Thank you so much! I'm certainly open to trying new media like anime here on the channel. But I will admit that I'm a little intimidated, just because I have no idea where to start. I've seen almost none and I know that there are so many good series out there.
@@NeilTalks I think you'd do amazing. 🙏🏾👊🏾
Hey handsome, be looking around. Ghosts are often just chilling in the background and have no other purpose, story-wise.
I quit watching horror movies because when they are bad they are stupid and when they are good they make me spill my drink...
Are you watching the show with the brightness/contrast as blown out as it appears here?
You're quite observant, Manuel! No, I'm not. However, I do brighten the playback footage in my editing process for certain scenes if visibility seems particularly limited. Have a great day!
Hill House was great at atmosphere, says another person who is not a fan of the horror genre.
This is a decent series, but for the love of Jehovah DO NOT watch the follow-up, 'The Haunting of Bly Manor', as it is embarrassingly bad.