Finally, Netflix Does Something Right: The House of Usher Gets 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Summary

• Mike Flanagan's new series based on Edgar Allan Poe's short stories is another acclaimed hit.
• The series proves that Netflix users love the horror filmmaker's projects, and the service is growing in popularity.
• But can Netflix continue to delight its subscribers?

Speaking of Netflix, for every successful show there are several failed or simply mediocre projects, causing more and more subscribers to leave the streaming service in search of alternatives like Prime Video or Max.

However, Netflix producers have always had one intriguing ace up their sleeve — Mike Flanagan and his thought-provoking, shivering horror series. The recently released The Fall of the House of Usher is his latest project, and it has garnered an incredible 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The runaway success of Flanagan's latest project

The Fall of the House of Usher is a horror show loosely based on the short stories and poems by gothic fiction genius Edgar Allan Poe. The series brings the Usher family into the present day, telling the story in the style of – you won't believe it – Succession.

The show follows a family of billionaires brought together by the traumas of the narrator's ambition, the cynical patriarch Roderick Usher, and his twin sister Madeline. As events unfold, we learn that his children, heirs to his powerful pharmaceutical conglomerate that has brought no small amount of misery to the world, are mysteriously dying one by one, and the cause is Roderick and Madeline themselves.

This is an incredibly gripping drama with elements of mysticism, psychological thriller, and an almost satirical critique of capitalist greed. Coupled with Flanagan's usual superbly written script and the outstanding skills of the cast, the series has been highly praised by critics, earning a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the most popular shows of the year.

Flanagan was key to Netflix's triumph

Mike Flanagan has brought Netflix immense popularity through consistently successful projects. His first collaboration with the streaming giant was the critically acclaimed adaptation of Stephen King's novel Gerald's Game.

This was followed by the true phenomena of the horror genre, the haunted mansion-style series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as what many fans consider the pinnacle of the genre, Midnight Mass. The latter has garnered an entire cult following for its suspense, vivid acting, thoughtful monologues, and philosophical musings on religion and existentialism. Each of the projects listed has a score of at least 85%.

Can the platform thrive further?

Unfortunately, The Fall of the House of Usher was Flanagan's last collaboration with the service, as the filmmaker has moved on to Amazon Prime and is currently developing a new adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower, as well as another yet-to-be-announced project. In other words, Netflix needs to find new talented and promising creators, and as ratings show, they need more horror projects.