Warning: This article contains information about suicide and other traumas, which some may find triggering.
The Haunting Of The Hill House is a horror, drama, mystery Netflix Original mini-series with a unique twist from Shirley Jackson's novel.
Although the show presents itself as being about a haunted house and paranormal activity, it goes so much deeper than that. When you dig deeper it is a tale of how mental illness, trauma, and grief haunt people in their everyday lives.
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE Official Trailer (2018) Netflix, Horror Moviewww.youtube.com
The Crain family moves into the eery mansion, "Hill House" intending to fix it up then resell it, in an attempt to make enough money so they can begin to build the forever home they have always wanted. The five children start to see things in the house and are often frightened about the things they experience.
Yet, the parents do not think it is a major issue and think it is just usual childhood fears such as being scared of the dark. Soon after, the mother begins to experience the same things the children are but still tries to play it off as their big imaginations. that did not last for long until a mysterious tragedy happens and they are forced to flee. Many years later as the father wakes up from a horrifying nightmare, he gets a chilling call from his youngest daughter, setting up the plot for the rest of the show.
The show then goes back and forth between the families' adult lives and their memories of living in that house. Broken down they try to confront their terrifying memories from the Hill House, in an attempt to get past difficulties in their current life. They go on to argue about if the house was ever really haunted or whether the family has an illness causing them to be mentally unstable causing them to need treatment.
There are different types of horror techniques used throughout the series, it doesn't fit into one category of horror in my opinion. This made it so much more interesting to watch because I really never knew what was going to happen. where I feel some other horror plots tend to be more predictable. This show does go into some graphic images and details about varying traumas and suicide. So please keep that in mind if you choose to watch it.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or to your local suicide crisis center.