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But it turns out that the criminal case is the least of their worries. Like "Hill House," "House of Usher" is a sprawling ensemble piece derived from the works of one of horror's great literary giants. It's sumptuous, detailed, and full of the kind of narrative flourishes that Flanagan excels at through an unrelenting passion for structural symmetry and thematic resonance. The first two episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2023 before the Netflix release the following month, being viewed more than 13 million times in its first two weeks. To secure their fortune — and future — two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.
The Black Cat
Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) attends a joint funeral for a number of his adult children, and in a montage of press coverage, we see how a series of “freak accidents” has wiped out his entire bloodline. The Usher patriarch then sits in a dilapidated mansion with Carl Lumbly’s Auguste Dupin (based on Poe’s famous recurring character who is considered the first detective in fiction) and offers him a confession. We then flash back a few weeks to when the Usher clan were on top of the world, having become Sackler-esque billionaires peddling opiates that have inflicted untold misery on the American public, and begin to watch their painful demise. Flanagan has form with making tributes to some of horror’s most beloved oeuvres. He took on Shirley Jackson in The Haunting of Hill House (which was fabulous), Henry James in The Haunting of Bly Manor (spooky but saccharine) and Christopher Pike in The Midnight Club (meh). Thankfully, Flanagan and Poe’s sensibilities prove a winning pairing, staying on the edge of terror without cascading into jump scares and sentimentality.
In film and television
It follows the ambitious yet ruthless twin duo Roderick and Madeline Usher, who build a family dynasty through their corrupt pharmaceutical company. But when their bloodline starts mysteriously dying one by one in a brutal fashion, secrets come to light, and they’re forced to face their dark, questionable past. We cut back to that New Year’s Eve party where Roderick and Madeline celebrated 1980.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
The decrepit house acts as a physical manifestation of the Usher family. The narrator observes the house as having an almost human-like quality, describing its windows as “eye-like.” Just as Roderick appears to radiate his own melancholy, so too does the house have a depressing air. Furthermore, the house, despite holding together as a totality, shows signs of physical decay, like crumbling stones, dead trees, and mushrooms growing from the masonry. Madeline herself is dying of a wasting disease, showing physical deterioration. Perhaps the most obvious parallel lies in the initially shallow crack in the manor, representing the impending destruction of the house.
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However, for horror fans of Flanagan’s work and gothic horror in general, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a must-watch and for parents, make sure to check out The Fall of the House of Usher parents guide section above. Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix horror series, The Fall of the House of Usher, is a visually stunning and atmospheric adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story. Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher releases on the streaming service across the United States today, October 12th.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher Review: Family Is Hell
Napoleon, who goes by "Leo," is the second oldest of "The Bastards," another of Roderick's illegitimate children. He's one of the most public-facing members of the family, as an important mogul and tastemaker in the video game world who has also parlayed his fame into fame as a socialite/influencer type. In Tamerlane, who is the second child of Roderick and Annabel Lee, the Usher family effectively has their own version of Gwyneth Paltrow. Her husband, Bill (or BillT as his loyal fitness influencer fans know him) is the face of her various Goop-esque entrepreneurial endeavors; they have no children, though, and have... Well, some interesting things going on in their private lives to say the very least.
In her new zombie-like state, Eliza goes to William’s house and murders him before falling down dead (for real this time) herself. From his arrival, the narrator notes the family's isolationist tendencies, as well as the cryptic and special connection between Madeline and Roderick, the final living members of the Usher family. Throughout the tale and her varying states of consciousness, Madeline completely ignores the narrator's presence. After Roderick Usher claims that Madeline has died, the narrator helps Usher entomb Madeline in an underground vault despite noticing Madeline's flushed, lifelike appearance. The bedroom door is then blown open to reveal Madeline, bloodied from her arduous escape from the tomb.
Netflix’s ‘Fall of the House of Usher’ premieres as horror master Mike Flanagan adapts Edgar Allan Poe - WTOP
Netflix’s ‘Fall of the House of Usher’ premieres as horror master Mike Flanagan adapts Edgar Allan Poe.
Posted: Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
He says it’ll take her three years to do so, and she agrees to do it. She calls him a monster and says she’ll take three years of misery getting off of Ligodone over a lifetime being married to him. Tammy gets ready for the launch event but before she’s able to walk up on the stage, she hears someone else’s voice introduce herself as Tammy. She looks out and sees that it’s Verna, so she doesn’t hesitate walking out behind her and asking her what she’s doing there. In the present timeline, Auguste and Roderick continue to speak when someone crashes through the window, which causes Roderick to fall to the floor. Auguste is alarmed because he can’t see anything, while Roderick sees Tammy’s dead body covered in blood.
Roderick and Madeline are the only remaining members of the Usher family. Frederick Usher was Roderick's first born, with his first wife, Annabel Lee (who we see in flashbacks played by Katie Parker). As an adult, he's an immature, petty man, clearly spoiled by a life of riches where he's been constantly coddled.
Stop motion is an art form that has gone by the wayside these days, and there is only a few places doing it. If creators of The House can successfully manage to partner with a crack writing team, I smell an Oscar on the horizon. Before Auguste arrives at the Usher home, Madeline comes to see Roderick and sits with him in the basement.
Guilt permeates every frame of Flanagan’s Poe universe, and buys into not so much the horror as the terror. The feeling that something awful is imminent makes for an engaging watch. The Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan.
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