‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is an eight episode horror series created by Mike Flanagan, starring Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan and T’Nia Miller among others. It is inspired upon Edgar Allan Poe‘s works.
It has been some time since Edgar Allan Poe wrote his tale about the Ushers. Times have changed, and the aristocracy of the past is now, shown as a powerful family with business in the pharmaceutical industry.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” brilliantly updates Poe’s story with an exceptional production, paying homage to the American author’s entire literary work. Without a doubt, this series is one of the highlights of the year as this literary gem offers a luxurious production that we can only but recommend.
Mike Flanagan has achieved, with “The Fall of the House of Usher,” everything that could be expected from a modern adaptation of Poe’s gothic horror story.
Premise
The Usher siblings, Roderick and Madeline, have successfully established Fortunato Pharmaceuticals as a prominent entity characterized by prosperity, privilege, and influence. However, their dark history resurfaces as a mysterious woman from their past begins to claim the lives of the Usher dynasty’s heirs.
Review of “The Fall of the House of Usher”
This series is really engaging, especially if you are familiar with the spirit that inspired it – the spirit of E. A. Poe, the gothic and the macabre, like the fear of being buried alive. It presents a brutal modernization of the master of American horror literature, but from a contemporary perspective, which is not overly brutal, but scary nonetheless.
Certainly, the essence is there: the terror, the dark, suffocating atmosphere, and the updated aristocracy, now transformed in the form of pharma billionaires. Maintaining that profound inspiration of the author in an intelligent configuration, counting on remarkable quality when it comes to production design in all its aspects. Sets, costumes, and cinematography are so lavish that they captivate us visually in this intriguing series.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” is narratively strong throughout, smartly intertwining stories and managing to relay the tumultuous chaos of resources. Although it sometimes leans more on the aesthetic rather than the narrative, causing some perplexity, but navigates smoothly through the spirit of the gothic and the author’s inspiring tales. It is worth mentioning that it is not devoid of humor, and that it features some impactful sequences and very strong performances by the cast.
Even though the central story revolves around the Ushers, many of Poe’s other tales are also present, providing titles for the episodes and enriching the series with literary references. It is a well-deserved tribute to one of the most recognizable and remarkable authors of classic American literature.
Yes, Netflix releases ten or twenty movies and series per day (exaggerating, I know), and not all of their products are of the highest quality. But let’s acknowledge that there is a lot to choose from now, and among the vast films and series on offer by the platform, there are some gems in between, and every once in a while. “The Fall of the House of Usher” is one of those gems that undoubtedly makes the subscription worth the while.
Our Opinion
A surprisingly good series, which I can only but recommend. It is a visually rich, and it manages to update Poe’s literary spirit with style, insight, and respect, while also daring to provide a completely different and ingenious modernization. Mike Flanagan has succeeded in this series and deserves recognition for it.
The Creator
Mike Flanagan, born on May 20, 1978, is an American filmmaker and a partner at Intrepid Pictures. Flanagan’s directing style, which focuses on characters and explores themes rarely seen in horror, has garnered praise from critics. Notably, esteemed figures such as Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino, and William Friedkin have commended his work. Read more
The Cast
Samantha Sloyan
T’Nia Miller
Rahul Kohli
Kate Siegel
Sauriyan Sapkota
Zach Gilford
Willa Fitzgerald
Katie Parker
Malcolm Goodwin
Michael Trucco
Henry Thomas
Mark Hamill
About Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was the master of Gothic fiction and helped pioneer the psychological horror genre. His dark romantic style and macabre imagination produced some of the most haunting works in literature. Poe’s Gothic tales like ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ feature crumbling castles, characters descending into madness, and a pervasive sense of gloom. In poems such as ‘The Raven’ and ‘Annabel Lee,’ Poe explored themes of loss, mourning, and the agony of undying love. Read more
