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.
Flanagan is renowned for his horror films, where he takes on the roles of director, writer, and editor. Some of his notable works include Absentia (2011), Oculus (2013), Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil (all 2016), Gerald’s Game (2017), and Doctor Sleep (2019). In addition, he has created, produced, and served as the showrunner for the Netflix supernatural horror anthology series, The Haunting. This series consists of The Haunting of Hill House (2018), based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), based on Henry James’ horror novella, The Turn of the Screw. Flanagan has directed, written, and edited episodes for both seasons. Furthermore, he has created and directed the Netflix horror mini-series, Midnight Mass (2021), and is currently working on the upcoming series, The Midnight Club.
Flanagan is married to actress Kate Siegel, who has appeared in most of his works since Oculus. Together, they also collaborated on the screenplay for Hush.