The 1 Way Midnight Mass’ Ending Outshines The Haunting Of Hill House
Mike Flanagan’s underrated horror series Midnight Mass is better than the more popular The Haunting of Hill House for one specific reason. Flanagan made four unsettling Netflix series, and they’re all completely different from one another, which is rare and impressive. Whether he’s focusing on families haunted by the past or fatally ill teenagers, Flanagan’s work is always heavy and emotional.
It doesn’t seem possible for Flanagan to miss when it comes to the horror genre, as he also co-wrote and directed the sad and powerful movie Before I Wake, and he’s great at making you feel something while you’re being spooked. However, he perfected one part of Midnight Mass that was more powerful than The Haunting ofHill House.
Midnight Mass Has A More Memorable And Unexpected Ending Than The Haunting Of Hill House
Bev Keane (Samantha Sloyan) standing outside in Midnight Mass
The Haunting of Hill House is unmatched in so many ways, but the ending doesn’t feature any special, surprising twists or any plot points that you don’t expect to be part of the story. Since the focus is on the Crain family, who have seen more suffering than most, it’s beautiful to see the adult siblings closer than ever before.
When they’re spending time together and happy that Luke (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is sober, it’s thrilling and moving, but you could argue that you assumed they would get to a better, happier place by the story’s conclusion. After all, it’s a tale about trauma and growing up. By contrast, Midnight Mass has a wild ending that no one would have predicted.
Even though the creature in Midnight Mass isn’t called a “vampire,“ and Crockett’s Island is altered by their presence, you still might not think that almost every character is going to die. And the deaths are so terrible, too. It’s impossible to forget the striking image of Beverly Keane (Samantha Sloyan) burning to death in the sun on the beach.
The Haunting of Hill House‘s most intricate, detailed, and memorable moments happen earlier on, not at the end. Seeing a grown-up Nell Crain (Victoria Pedretti) become the Bent-Neck Lady and travel through time to scare her younger self is heart-wrenching and unnerving. The final moments of the family together again are sweet, but the eding doesn’t land the same as Midnight Mass’.
Why Midnight Mass’s Ending Is So Good
Kate Siegel as Erin Greene looking scared in a scene from Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass drives home a gruesome message that several Crockett Island characters become too interested in the idea of living forever, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process. But while watching them pass away in the sun is scary and significant, it’s the two characters who live that make it such a fantastic ending.
Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) and Warren Flynn (Igby Rigney) leave the island in a boat, and Leeza, who was able to walk again thanks to the magic that came to her hometown, realizes she’s paralyzed again.
While this is upsetting, you’re still somewhat optimistic about these two characters finding another home and helping each other through their trauma. It’s rare for a horror show to shock you with such out-there deaths and then still create a sense of optimism before the credits roll.
Not All Of Mike Flanagan’s Horror Shows Have Perfect Ending
Spencer (William Chris Sumpter) looking scared and sitting on the ground in The Midnight Club
Mike Flanagan is at the top of his scary storytelling game, no matter what project he’s released into the world, but one of his horror shows has an ending that could be a lot stronger and more impactful.
Since Netflix canceled The Midnight Club before season 2, the season 1 finale is ultimately unsatisfying, especially when compared to his other series. While it’s interesting to see that Dr. Georgina Stanton (Heather Langenkamp) has a tattoo that reveals she’s in a cult, that reveal feels a bit weak without more information being given in the next season.
Additionally, it would have been powerful to see how every teenager at Brightcliffe Manor passed away. It makes sense that Flanagan didn’t show how all those character arcs ended, since he was hoping for a second season. But even though this couldn’t be helped, it would have made their stories feel fully complete.
Whether it’s the moving The Haunting of Hill House final moments, The Midnight Club twist, or creepy Verna (Carla Gugino) in a cemetery at the end of The Fall of the House of Usher, Flanagan is generally good at crafting finales. It’s telling, then, that nothing compares to Midnight Mass‘ epic conclusion and the hope you feel for the two last characters.
0 Comments