TV Review: ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’

The man behind ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, ‘Midnight Mass’ and other chillers is back with a pointed set of Poe stories combined in a morality play.

Carla Gugino as Verna in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

Landing on Netflix on October 12th, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ has Mike Flanagan –– who knows a thing or two about scary stories –– remixing Edgar Allan Poe (ditto) for a truly fun new horror limited series.

Combining a committed cast and some memorably nasty surprises, ‘Usher’ represents Flanagan working in a different style from some of his previous work, and the results are a superb blend of Poe imagery and ‘Succession’ style rich family shenanigans.

What’s the story of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?

Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in Netflix's 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.

Ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power.

But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) from their youth.

The plot for this one takes its inspiration from various Poe stories and poems, including ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘Annabel Lee’ and more, weaved in either as narrative elements, settings or character names.

Who else stars in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?

Carl Lumbly as C. Auguste Dupin, Nicholas Lea as Judge John Neal, and Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym in Netflix's 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

The sprawling ensemble for Flanagan’s latest also includes Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Paola Nuñez, Henry Thomas, Kyleigh Curran, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel, Ruth Codd, Annabeth Gish.

Some of them, such as Siegel (who happens to be Flanagan’s wife), Codd, Thomas and Gilford are Flanagan regulars who have popped in various shows.

Flanagan directed half of the series’ eight episodes, while Michael Fimognari handled the others.

Is ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ a good scare?

Ruth Codd as Juno Usher in Netflix's 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.

Mike Flanagan has been making horror series (and the occasional movie) for Netflix for a few years now, but he and creative producer creative partner Trevor Macy are upping sticks and heading for a new deal at Prime Video.

Based on the quality of ‘House of Usher’, Netflix should be kicking themselves that they let this talented filmmaker slip from their grasp. The latest limited series from Flanagan finds him leaning almost into Ryan Murphy mode with its tale of spoiled siblings and the supernatural comeuppance that hunts them down.

‘Usher’ is Flanagan in a wilder, campier mindset than the mostly moody ‘Midnight Mass’, but that’s not to say that this new series doesn’t work. In fact, a blend of ‘Succession’ and the spooky justice that befalls people in Poe’s stories offers up truly entertaining snark and gore.

It’s even more impressive when you think that Frank Langella was cast as Roderick, only to be fired partway through shooting for inappropriate behavior. Flanagan called on one of his regulars in Greenwood, and he fitted in perfectly.

Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

Not only that, but the clever use of different Poe tales for both the overarching theme and the separate stories is also effective –– it doesn’t come across as a splintered anthology series but functions as a whole.

Flanagan has also rounded up some of his regular cast and recruited some new faces (even if some of the “newcomers” are genre veterans such as Mark Hamill, who fits in perfectly as gruff, dangerous lawyer/fixer Arthur Pym).

Anchored by Greenwood, McDonnell and Lumbly, there are few weak links in the ensemble, who bring the various Usher children (plus spouses, offspring, victims and more) to life. Carla Gugino, meanwhile, is pure smoldering brilliance as Verna, the architect of all their pain.

Smartly, Flanagan never pushes the weird style to excess except in certain moments where it actually serves the story; he’s careful to keep the characters largely believable.

Credit also to his team, who bring all manner of locales to life, from the crumbling home that Roderick finds himself in, to the glossy skyscraper that houses Fortunato.

Are there any problems with ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?

Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

Did the world, which has already seen a number of stories such as ‘Dopesick’ and Netflix’s own recent ‘Painkiller’ really need Mike Flanagan to come along and craft a meditation on the terrible harm caused by those (the Sackler family is the clear model here) who push addictive pharmaceuticals with little to no warning? Probably not, but that angle is just one facet of ‘Usher’.

And yes, given that ‘Succession’ has already brought a near-perfect story of spoiled rich spawn squabbling over control of a family company to screens, there’s the slight feeling of familiarity. Yet Flanagan predicted that, and thanks to the Poe connection, ‘Usher’ heads off in interesting directions.

You could be disappointed that Flanagan has chosen to re-mix and meld the Poe stories into this tale, so if you’re looking for more straightforward adaptations, it’s best to look elsewhere.

And if you’re a fan of Flanagan’s spookier offerings, such as his chilling ghost stories, this might not exactly be what you’re hoping for from him. But give it time; it’ll start to win your over with its audacious mix of classic horror and modern sensibilities.

Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

Is every performance up to the level of, say, Greenwood, McDonnell and Gugino? Perhaps not, but it’s never enough to ruin the fun.

‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ won’t be for everyone. But it stands as one of the best shows (especially in the wake of the slightly less-than-thrilling ‘The Midnight Club’) that Mike Flanagan and his repertory company have produced.

This feels like a show that could become an annual Halloween treat, assuming Netflix doesn’t vanish it from the servers after a few months in retribution for Flanagan daring to head elsewhere.

‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

Paola Nuñez as Dr. Alessandra Ruiz, T'Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade, Kyliegh Curran as Lenore Usher, Crystal Balint as Morella Usher, Henry Thomas as Frederick Usher, Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'

(L to R) Paola Nuñez as Dr. Alessandra Ruiz, T'Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade, Kyliegh Curran as Lenore Usher, Crystal Balint as Morella Usher, Henry Thomas as Frederick Usher, Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson in 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023.