This is the fourth show from Mike Flanagan for Netflix. I’ve liked them all so far aside from Bly Manor which I got distracted from watching after the first episode and never went back to (it didn’t grab me right away as Hill House did). Midnight Club is based on the book by Christopher Pike and is aimed more at young adults.
The show takes place at a juvenile hospice called Brightcliff. The eight kids all have terminal illnesses and voluntarily decide to go to this facility. They get a lot of leeway in what they get to do and it’s a comfortable place where they are well cared for. Their favorite thing to do is what they call The Midnight Club, where they gather in the library at midnight and tell each other scary stories. They also have a pact; when they die they will try to send a sign from the other side. This show is mostly about facing our mortality, and as these are teenagers, they are forced to deal with this much sooner than anyone should.
While this series is rather slow–Flanagan is never in a rush–I liked it a lot by the end. With a large cast there is a lot going on, hence 10 nearly one-hour-long episodes. The cast is excellent. Diverse and interesting, everyone has unique backgrounds and that is reflected in the stories they tell (the stories are taken from other Pike books). While death and children is already a heavy topic, it wouldn’t be a Flanagan show without the supernatural and cults involved.
I was surprised by how attached I got to a few of the characters, which is what propelled me through the show. It can drag on in places but I think the payoff is worth it. The main cast all get their time so no one is two-dimensional and forgotten about. The supernatural and cult plots propel the mystery of the show while to stories offer up the majority of the scares. There’s a lot of world-building done in this series and a lot isn’t answered at the end. There’s plenty to keep this going, which I hope they get to do. There’s nothing major in the violence and gore department, it’s mostly bump-in-the-dark and spooky threats like monsters and ghosts that bring the disturbing images. This is a very mature show though, the themes are heavy and the topics of fear, regret, hope, faith, and death are well discussed. The teenagers aren’t coddled, they’re respected as intelligent young adults. I really like the tone and messages of this show, it’s really well made.
This one is for the kids. Think Hocus Pocus but with fewer witches.
Halloween is a big deal in the town of Bridge Hollow. Everyone is gearing up for the big fair except for Sydney Gordon is mostly concerned about abruptly leaving everything and everyone behind in Brooklyn for this suburb in the woods. Her dad Howard took a new teaching job midsemester at the high school and it’s going to be an adjustment for everyone. Her life gets even more disrupted when she accidentally lets an ancient spirit out of captivity. This specter is on a mission to take over the living realm by bringing all the Halloween decorations to life to use as an army.
This is one of the better family movies I’ve seen in a while! It’s cute and goofy with just a little bit of scary moments (think giant spiders and clowns with big teeth) to keep everyone on their toes. I was really impressed by the VFX, they got a good budget to bring this script to life. The kids are fun, there’s a lot of running around to save the day and the funniest part is that we’ve reached the point where Marlan Waynes can be typecast as the awkward but loveable father.
Ben’s life is a bit of a mess. At 17 years old, his parents are getting divorced. He’s been acting out (there’s a story behind that broken arm) in frustration and good old-fashioned rebellion. His parents have separated and now Ben and his little brother go to live with their dad for the summer. His dad works at the marina and gets him a job there so he’s not going on vacation here. Things start out okay. He makes friends with his co-worker Mallory but he’s got to deal with some hazing from the local kids.
A couple and their two young kids move into the rental next to Ben’s place and they seem cool until Ben notices some odd things around their house. He investigates but doesn’t find anything but he can’t shake the feeling that something is lurking around them. The mother next door then starts acting really sketchy and Ben is put on high alert. Before long, the threat comes out of the shadows, and Ben is left to defend everyone from being taken.
This movie uses the most effective horror movie techniques to great effect. Keep your monster mysterious for as long as you can, giving only glimpses of it. Ratchet up the tension by making the threat slowly move closer to the protagonist in more and more disturbing ways. Isolate the protagonist; when no one believes you, it makes you an easier target. This makes survival feel even more difficult because the idea of help coming to save you goes out the window.
All of this with excellent cinematography and direction make The Wretched a lot of fun, I liked it a lot. There are a lot of nods to classic thriller and horror films that are done really well. The atmosphere is really great, the pacing is basically perfect and the ending is satisfying. Another horror movie with great VFX work that makes the monster look and feel real. There’s not much violence but scenes of body horror are used to get your hair standing on edge. I think it’s kept pretty tasteful. I highly recommend this one.