Every single time a Mike Flanagan limited series or film comes out you know its going to be good, he has a track record that is currently unmatched by any horror director. From his debut Absentia to The Fall Of The House Of Usher , Flanagan has never disappointed.
As always the same cast returns from all of his films which gives his projects this cohesive thread throughout and as always they're great, the standouts of The House Of Usher are Bruce Greenwood and Carl Lumbly, followed closely behind by Kate Siegal and Mark Hamill.
Bruce Greenwood has all the gravitas of a fallen king, his performance is very King Lear as the aging patriarch Roderick Usher watching his empire crumble before him as each member of his bloodline begins to die.
The dialogue is exactly what you've come to expect from Flanagan, every character goes on long drawn out monologues that are beautifully written and don't get me wrong this isn't in any way a criticism, it's his style. Flanagan understands the power of poetry, and clearly from The Fall Of The House Of Usher, he understands Poe.
Each episode is a loose adaptation of a famous Edgar Allan Poe story,
and the series is drowning in references to the late poet that may even go unnoticed. Edgar Allan Poe's work permeates every single aspect of the show as if he himself was present within the reels of tape while it was being shot. There's references and direct story points that are from the tell tale heart, Hop-frog, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Annabelle Lee, and of course The Raven.
The show is one giant love letter to Edgar Allan Poe's work and i enjoyed the whole damn thing.
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