Netflix The Fall of the House of Usher (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

This is Mike Flanagan's final project for Netflix, having since signed a TV deal with Amazon.

With the "The Haunting of Hill House", Flanagan adapted Shirley Jackson's gothic horror novel and the acclaimed 1963 film that was adapted from it. With "The Haunting of Bly Manor", he adapted Henry James's horror novella The Turn of the Screw while also drawing from James's other works. With "The Midnight Club" he drew upon the works of young adult author Christopher Pike.

With this, he goes back to one of the earliest American practitioners of Gothic fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, adapting The Fall of the House of Usher while drawing heavily from Poe's entire body of work.

The Usher Family:

• Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher, the family patriarch. (He replaces Frank Langella, who was fired after engaging in inappropriate conduct on set)
• Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher, Roderick's twin sister
• Henry Thomas as Frederick Usher, Roderick's eldest son
• Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, Roderick's eldest daughter
• T'Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade, the eldest of Roderick's illegitimate children
• Kate Siegel as Camille L'Espanaye, one of Roderick's illegitimate children, and the sharp-tongued public relations head of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals
• Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, another of Roderick's illegitimate children
• Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, the youngest of Roderick's illegitimate children
• Katie Parker as Annabel Lee, Roderick's first wife
• Ruth Codd as Juno Usher, Roderick's second wife, and a recovering drug addict
• Crystal Balint as Morelle Usher, a former model and actress, Frederick's wife, and Roderick's daughter-in-law
• Matt Biedel as William "Bill-T" Wilson, a fitness influencer, and Tamerlane's husband
• Kyliegh Curran as Lenore Usher, Frederick and Morelle's daughter and Roderick's granddaughter

Other Main Cast:

• Carla Gugino as Verna, a mysterious woman with ties to Roderick's past who seems determined to bring about his downfall
• Carl Lumbly as C. Auguste Dupin, a police investigator. The character appeared in three of Poe's detective stories
• Michael Trucco as Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a real world historical figure who was Edgar Allan Poe's bitter rival in the literary world.
• Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, "a character surprisingly at home in the shadows". Pym was the title character in Poe's only full-length novel.

Recurring Cast:

• Paola Nuñez as Dr. Alessandra "Al" Ruiz, Victorine's girlfriend and co-worker
• Igby Rigney as Toby, a character from Poe's short story "Never Bet the Devil Your Head"
• Aya Furukawa as Tina
• Daniel Jun as Julius. Julius Rodman was the title character in Poe's serialized novel The Journal of Julius Rodman, which was never finished after Poe was fired by the magazine publishing it after six installments.
• Annabeth Gish as Eliza
• Robert Longstreet as Mr. Longfellow. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was another of Poe's literary contemporaries.
• Sarah-Jane Redmond as Mrs. Longfellow
• Nicholas Lea as Judge John Neal
• JayR Tinaco as Faraj

Trailer:


Clip ("Meet the Ushers"):

 

[Malcolm R]

I watched "Hill House", but still haven't caught up with the rest of these series.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I also really liked Midnight Mass.

I thought The Midnight Club was particularly good despite the unsettling subject matter (terminal teens), but was hugely disappointed that the story wasn’t concluded. I hope he has the chance to revisit that someday, but don’t know how likely that is.

I’m looking forward to this one.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I watched "Hill House", but still haven't caught up with the rest of these series.

You don’t have to worry about catching up with anything if this looks interesting to you. Each of these series are all their own thing. But if you like the genre they’re all worth checking out.

 

[Joe Wong]

I also really liked Midnight Mass.

I thought The Midnight Club was particularly good despite the unsettling subject matter (terminal teens), but was hugely disappointed that the story wasn’t concluded. I hope he has the chance to revisit that someday, but don’t know how likely that is.

I’m looking forward to this one.

I thought Midnight Mass was pretty good as well.

I like how Flanagan has a roster of actors who pop up in his productions - Kate Siegel (his wife), Rahul Kohli, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Annabeth Gish, etc.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I like how Flanagan has a roster of actors who pop up in his productions - Kate Siegel (his wife), Rahul Kohli, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Annabeth Gish, etc.

Right, similar to the way AHS has done things.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I like how Flanagan has a roster of actors who pop up in his productions - Kate Siegel (his wife), Rahul Kohli, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Annabeth Gish, etc.

This might actually have his most returning actors yet. In addition to the ones you mentioned, most of the rest of the cast has worked with him before, too:

• Bruce Greenwood was the title character in Gerald's Game, the doctor who led the AA meetings in Doctor Sleep, and one of the uncredited ghosts in "The Haunting of Hill House".
• Samantha Sloyan played the main character's friend in Hush, the wife of the eldest Crain sibling in "The Haunting of Hill House", Bev Keane in "Midnight Mass", and Shasta in "The Midnight Club".
• T'Nia Miller was the housekeeper in "The Haunting of Bly Manor"
• Kate Siegel as Camille L'Espanaye, one of Roderick's illegitimate children, and the sharp-tongued public relations head of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals
• Sauriyan Sapkota was Amesh in "The Midnight Club"
• Katie Parker had roles in "The Haunting of Hill House", Doctor Sleep, "The Haunting of Bly Manor", and "The Midnight Club"
• Ruth Codd was Anya in "The Midnight Club".
• Crystal Balint had roles in both "Midnight Mass" and "The Midnight Club"
• Matt Biedel had roles in both "Midnight Mass" and "The Midnight Club"
• Kyliegh Curran was Abra Stone in Doctor Sleep
• Carl Lumbly was Dick Hallorann in Doctor Sleep
• Michael Trucco played one of the victims in Hush and the mayor in "Midnight Mass"
• Igby Rigney had roles in both "Midnight Mass" and "The Midnight Club"
• Aya Furukawa played a number of characters in "The Midnight Club"
• Robert Longstreet had roles in "The Haunting of Hill House", Doctor Sleep, "Midnight Mass", and "The Midnight Club"
• Sarah-Jane Redmond had a small role in one episode of "The Midnight Club"

 

[Andy Dwyer]

Just watched first 3 episodes and it's been great so far. I loved the original Haunting of Hill House but not a fan of the other entries. This one has a great creepy vibe and story, which if I understand is derived from an Edger Allen Poe story of the same name.

 

[Tommy R]

We’ve only watched the first 2 episodes thus far. Probably the 3rd tonight. Good stuff so far. An improvement over last years Midnight Club, which I felt mixed over. I felt mixed with Midnight Mass as well, but that’s not to say I didn’t like both. But anyways, judging by just the first two episodes I think this could be my favorite since the first series.

I DO miss the Haunted House special feel of Hill House and Bly Manor, though. I actually was thinking it would be AWESOME to have a serious take on Casper, specifically the set up of the 1995 film, and make a “The Haunting of Whipstaff”. Now THAT would be awesome!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Just finished it. There's some contemporary political commentary in the last episode that feels jarring considering the timelessness of the remainder of the episodes. But it's a good ride that resolves well, in a manner that feels inevitable.

I would rank it third among the Flanagan Netflix series, behind "Hill House" and "Midnight Mass" but ahead of the others.