Netflix’s Best 10-Part Thriller Is So Good, They Made 4 More Just Like It

A family moves to a new town, adjusts to new surroundings, and realizes their house is haunted. It’s not the fresh start they expected, especially since at least one of them is complaining about seeing ghosts in the middle of the night. It’s not always the most interesting story to tell, either. How many TV shows and movies start that way? And I’m saying that as someone who would rather watch a horror movie than any other genre and who appreciates a haunted house tale. However, there’s a Netflix thriller about parents who start living in a beautiful mansion with their five kids, and it’s one of the most unique that I’ve seen.

The Haunting of Hill House was Mike Flanagan‘s first Netflix thriller, and while there are debates about which of his TV shows is the best, it stands out. I love the premise of the series and the main characters, along with how Flanagan’s subsequent series feel like a complete whole.

Mike Flanagan’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ Led to Four More Flawless Netflix Thrillers

Mckenna Grace as Theo Crain looking unnerved as she sits in a bedroom and stares off at something in The Haunting of Hill House.

After watching The Haunting of Hill House in October 2018, I wanted more of this kind of story, which speaks to Mike Flanagan’s talents. After all, when you watch 10 episodes about a family learning how to live with death, fear, and the panicked feeling that they will never be happy, why would you want to sign up for that again?

I couldn’t wait to watch The Haunting of Bly Manor, Flanagan’s second series for Netflix, which arrived in October 2020. It quickly became clear that Flanagan used the structure that worked so well in Hill House, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks he could have kept making these kinds of shows for much longer. Bly Manor shares the inherent sadness of Hill House and features more child characters who are scared of ghosts, real and imagined. It also makes a decades-old story feel new and relevant. I read the novella it’s based on, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, in high school, and was impressed by how the series explores anxiety and what makes a childhood happy or traumatic.

After that came my personal favorite, Midnight Mass, in 2021, followed by The Midnight Club in 2022, which shifted the focus to terminally ill teenagers (who were just as concerned with death). Rounding it all out was The Fall of the House of Usher in 2023, which switched things up by telling stories about unlikable and wealthy characters who are fascinating to watch.

Flanagan’s five Netflix thrillers have something else that makes them so great: at least one charming character. This began with Nell Crain (Victoria Pedretti) in The Haunting of Hill House. Whether you’re watching her as a child who was convinced the Bent-Neck lady was going to kill her, or seeing her as an adult finding love and getting married only to realize her pain isn’t over, Nell’s arc is beautiful and tragic. Pedretti gave another great performance in Bly Manor as Dani Clayton, a young woman who is hired as an au pair. Anya (Ruth Codd) and Ilonka (Iman Benson), two teenagers in The Midnight Club, are also unforgettable. You want them all to be happy, despite the doom and death coming their way.

How Will Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Compare To His Netflix Thrillers?

The changes Mike Flanagan made to Stephen King’s Carrie sound thrilling, and I’m counting the days until his Prime Video series premieres in fall 2026. Based on his storytelling track record, it’s easy to feel confident about his ability to take on King’s iconic horror story.

Flanagan’s experience making these five Netflix thrillers definitely allowed him to branch out into this new series. All six shows share a few things in common, from anxious young characters trying to handle dark emotions to an element that can’t be easily explained (like an old mansion filled with spirits… or a protagonist with telekinetic powers). Many are waiting for Flanagan’s The Dark Tower series, and I think he was just as well-suited to take on the tale of a high schooler who feels isolated and can’t lean on anyone while she adjusts to the realization that she isn’t like anyone else.

After Carrie, it’ll be just as fascinating to see what Flanagan does next. A Midnight Mass sequel? One can dream.