This article contains slight spoilers.
Director Mike Flanagan has once again brought a new mind-twisting miniseries to Netflix with “Midnight Mass.” If his name rings a bell to fellow horror fans, you might recognize him as the director of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
While differing from the plots of his previous work, Flanagan’s new miniseries maintains the same haunting feel fans have come to love. While both “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” were based on the gothic novels (“The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and “The Turn of a Screw” by Henry James), “Midnight Mass” is an original story by Flannagan. All the masterful twists and turns are his completely.
The story of “Midnight Mass” follows the residents of the fictional Crockett Island. Upon the arrival of a new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), the predominantly Christian town begins to unravel as they are rocked by seemingly sudden religious miracles.
The small, close-knit community of Crockett Island as well as its religious imagery, make for the perfect small-town horror story. In true Flanagan fashion, audiences are supposed to root for this story’s skeptical main characters. Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), a previous resident of Crockett Island who returns to his hometown after serving a four-year prison sentence for killing a girl in a drunk driving accident, is the first character introduced into the series. Riley and his childhood sweetheart Erin Greene (Kate Siegal), along with Sheriff Omar Hassan (Rahul Kohli), are not as easily swayed by Father Paul Hill’s divine intervention.
The general eeriness of the show is enough to get everyone ready for the Halloween season. To add to the horror element that audiences crave around this time of year, Flanagan takes viewers on a trip of plot twists which leads to an ending that will leave you forever skeptical of communion wine.
Flanagan’s previous works have provided fans with a more classic ghost story plotline, while still throwing in enough twists and turns that will have viewers researching theory analyses of his shows until 2 a.m (or maybe that’s just me).
However, “Midnight Mass” introduces a new kind of villainous entity. The Angel (Quinton Boisclair) is a wildly different character than anything audiences have seen in “The Haunting of Hill House” or “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” The vampiric and religious entity contributes to what makes the series unexpectedly and continuously entertaining.
The combination of religion and the secluded island imagery perfectly captures the essence of horror. The fog, the rainstorms and the quaint mystery all mirror Flanagan’s previous work, but the introduction of the Angel brings a surprising and refreshing twist not yet seen by the director.
Much like Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story,” Flanagan has brought back many familiar faces from his previous series. Kate Siegal, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli and Annabeth Gish are among the list of actors who returned for “Midnight Mass” from either “The Haunting of Hill House” or “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
In each series, the recurring actors have managed to seamlessly play such different roles, viewers will be left wondering if they are truly played by the same actors. This choice creates excitement for viewers to see what Flanagan will do next in his haunting universe and who he will grace their screens with, next.
If you are looking for a new binge-worthy show to usher in the Halloween season, look no further than “Midnight Mass.” The suspense, mystery and plot twists will have you glued to your screen for all seven episodes.
“Midnight Mass” is currently streaming on Netflix.