While horror movies and TV shows are a fun way to knock your socks off, not all subgenres offer the same scares. If you’re someone who prefers cerebral horror that challenges your mind more than simple slashers, then Mike Flanagan is your guy.
Since his adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House premiered on Netflix under the same name, Flanagan has only aged like fine wine. He has a rare ability to blend modern storytelling with deep psychological horror, creating shows and films that haunt you long after the credits roll. For Netflix subscribers, it’s been nothing short of a blessing. Thanks to Flanagan’s multiyear deal with the streaming giant alongside producing partner Trevor Macy, he delivered a string of unforgettable gems before officially moving over to Amazon Studios in 2022.
So, if you’re ready to explore the master of slow-burn dread and emotional terror, here are Mike Flanagan’s essential horror works from Netflix, ranked from worst to best.
6. The Midnight Club
Starting off the list is not exactly the worst of Mike Flanagan’s works, but the least preferable among his six Netflix projects. The Midnight Club feels like a darker, modern twist on the classic The Breakfast Club. Instead of teens in detention, a group of terminally ill kids gather in a mysterious hospice manor where they form a secret club, swapping stories and searching for signs of the paranormal within the building’s unsettling history.
This series was the fourth entry in Flanagan’s Netflix run and one of the few that ventured into the young adult horror genre. At its core is Ilonka (Iman Benson), who arrives at the hospice with hopes for a miracle cure. What she finds instead is a tangled past filled with sinister secrets. The story makes room for each member of the group to shine, with standout performances from fresh faces like Iman Benson and Igby Rigney, alongside Flanagan regulars Samantha Sloyan and Zach Gilford, whose presence adds extra weight.
Although the scares are there and the young cast brings energy, The Midnight Club sits lower on the list compared to Flanagan’s more powerful works.
5. The Haunting of Bly Manor
The Haunting of Bly Manor followed directly after Flanagan’s instant classic The Haunting of Hill House, but it was always going to be difficult to match his own masterpiece. Nevertheless, it is far from a disappointment, offering nine episodes filled with gothic chills and emotional storytelling that keep you engaged from start to finish.
Released in 2020, the series leans into gothic horror, centering on American governess Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti), who is hired to care for two orphaned children, Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), at a mysterious English country estate. As Dani settles in, she begins to sense the manor’s sinister history, and the haunting gradually grows more unsettling.
The story loosely adapts Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw, reimagined with Flanagan’s signature blend of psychological horror and heartfelt drama. The cast is outstanding, with Pedretti delivering one of her strongest performances to date. She is joined by familiar Flanagan collaborators, including Oliver Jackson-Cohen, T’Nia Miller, Amelia Eve, and Rahul Kohli. While it has plenty of supernatural moments, the tender romance between Dani and Jamie (Amelia Eve) gives the show its emotional weight.
Though not as terrifying as Hill House, Bly Manor carries the same atmosphere and emotional depth that made its predecessor unforgettable.
4. Gerald’s Game
Unlike most of the entries on this list, which are series, Mike Flanagan’s 2017 Netflix film Gerald’s Game stands out as a tightly crafted feature. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel, long considered “unfilmable,” the movie manages to be both terrifying and emotionally powerful. The story follows Jessie Burlingame (Carla Gugino), who finds herself handcuffed to a bed after her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) suddenly dies from what appears to be a heart attack during a weekend getaway.
What makes the film so impressive is its ability to create tension almost entirely within a single room. Instead of feeling repetitive or dull, the confined setting heightens the suspense as Jessie grapples with her inner demons, traumatic memories, and the eerie figure known as the “Moonlight Man.” Alone and vulnerable, her battle for survival blurs the line between reality and hallucination, keeping viewers unsettled until the very end.
Carla Gugino delivers one of the most fearless performances of her career, praised as a defining role. Greenwood is equally compelling, bringing charm and menace in equal measure. The film even earned recognition with nominations such as Best Horror Movie at the IGN Summer Movie Awards, cementing its place as one of Flanagan’s boldest achievements.
3. The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher was Mike Flanagan’s final Netflix project, and he left with an undeniable bang. Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, the series follows the wealthy yet cursed Usher family, led by patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood).
As his heirs begin to die in increasingly twisted and gruesome ways, a mysterious figure named Verna, played by the incomparable Carla Gugino, appears to be pulling the strings. Verna’s presence is chilling, and Gugino’s performance steals every scene she inhabits.
The eight-episode series weaves together Poe’s most gruesome short stories but modernizes them with themes of greed, corruption, and legacy. Each episode takes inspiration from a different Poe tale while still maintaining continuity, so viewers never feel lost. The cast is just perfect, with Flanagan regulars Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, T’Nia Miller, and Henry Thomas delivering layered, memorable performances.
Critics praised the series for its bold storytelling and atmospheric dread, and it currently holds an impressive 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. With its haunting visuals, unforgettable characters, and literary roots, The Fall of the House of Usher stands tall as one of Flanagan’s most ambitious and striking Netflix creations.
2. The Haunting of Hill House
This is the series that started it all. The Haunting of Hill House, which dropped in 2018, was the moment Mike Flanagan went from horror favorite to one of Netflix’s biggest storytellers. The show takes Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel and twists it into something modern, emotional, and absolutely terrifying.
At the heart of it is the Crain family: Hugh (Henry Thomas in the past and Timothy Hutton in the present), Olivia (Carla Gugino), and their five children, who grew up inside the infamous Hill House. What happened to them there never really left, and as adults, the trauma still claws at them, forcing them to face what really went down in the mansion’s dark halls.
Flanagan’s choice to jump between past and present gives every scare an extra sting. He also makes sure each sibling gets their own spotlight, with Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, and Michiel Huisman all turning in incredible performances. The result is a show that is terrifying but also deeply human, proving horror can be more than just cheap jump scares.
The series cleaned up with awards, winning the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Screenplay and the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Series. It also scored Saturn nominations and was named one of Netflix’s best of the year. Sitting at 8.5 on IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a must-watch whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or not.
1. Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass, which premiered in 2021, is often seen as the pinnacle of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix work, and it’s easy to understand why. The story follows Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), a troubled young man returning to his isolated hometown of Crockett Island after a tragic accident. His return coincides with the arrival of Father Paul (Hamish Linklater), a charismatic new priest whose presence sparks both miraculous events and terrifying consequences. As the islanders face these strange happenings, they must confront the darkness hiding within their own community.
The cast is exceptional, with Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Annarah Cymone, and Henry Thomas delivering strong, memorable performances alongside Gilford and Linklater. Flanagan balances horror with deep emotional and philosophical themes.
Scenes like Riley and Erin discussing “what dying is” feel almost otherworldly. At the same time, the series’ slow-burning approach, using psychological tension and religious undertones instead of jump scares, keeps viewers on edge.
Midnight Mass proves that Flanagan is not just a horror director; he is a storyteller capable of haunting both mind and soul.
Which Mike Flanagan Netflix horror gem is your favorite? Share your pick and let us know which one gave you the chills!
