Summary
- Critics are unanimously praising Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher, calling it a grisly and fantastic adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s work.
- The series has been compared to the hit show Succession for its dark and deadly portrayal of a powerful family.
- The returning Mike Flanagan stars and newcomers in the cast, including Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, are receiving high praise for their performances.
The reviews are in for Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher. The upcoming horror show, which is adapted from the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name, is the latest outing from creator Mike Flanagan. Flanagan will be reuniting with cast members from his previous popular series including Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club, and The Haunting of Bly Manor as well as newcomers such as Star Wars icon Mark Hamill.
Ahead of the official The Fall of the House of Usher premiere date on October 12, critics have been allowed to share their reviews of the miniseries. So far, they have shared more or less unanimous praise for the series. Indeed, Linda Codega of Gizmodo has called it “a grisly marionette production of Poe’s greatest, weirdest, freakiest, most fantastic hits.”
Why Critics Are Loving The Fall of the House of Usher
Quite a few have praised the miniseries by comparing it to the hit HBO show Succession, which just went off the air earlier this year. Keith Phipps of TV Guide describes the show as Succession with the “Sacklers taking the place of the Murdochs and a much higher body count (and way more blood).” Amelia Emberwing of IGN asks readers to “imagine watching Succession and seeing each of the series’ miserable players get what they deserve in the most lethal way possible.”
The returning Mike Flanagan show stars are also being praised, in addition to the newcomers in the cast. Gerald’s Game‘s Carla Gugino as the shape-shifting villain Verna is especially being highlighted, with The Spool‘s Gena Radcliffe calling her “magnetic” and one of “Hollywood’s most underappreciated actors.” Flanagan newbie Bruce Greenwood is being praised across the board as well, with Total Film‘s Amy West calling him “nothing short of miraculous.”
The Fall of the House of Usher is Flanagan’s final Netflix horror show released as part of his current deal, so critics are also considering its place in his overall canon. While they are largely hesitant to call it his best, Joshua Rivera of Polygon says it “doesn’t abandon his humane and heartfelt approach to horror.” Paste‘s Lacy Baugher Milas chimes in, calling it “crueler and more traditional” than his recent shows.
Source: Various (see above)
