shannonlong636

Movies that disturb me are way more memorable to me than those that scare me. This one will sit with me for a while. I understand why some viewers did not enjoy this film. It's gritty, it's ugly, and it's disturbing. But that's why it feels like a true horror film, the kind that's actually horrifying. I agree that the plot is not exactly groundbreaking, but the way it's filmed and acted is unrelentless. The film grabs you early on. It does get a little slow for a bit, but once it ramps back up it never lets go.

I get why it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I think it's highly underrated and unappreciated for it's ruthless intensity and realism. It's a lot like other indie horror movies coming from Canada lately. Everything horrific in this film could actually happen, however unlikely it may be. It's not the kind of movie you enjoy. It's more like something you are meant to experience.

The Midnight Club is not really horror. It has horror elements but it's mostly teen drama. If you're expecting a series along the lines of Mike Flanagan's previous Netflix horror series', you may be disappointed. But if you go into it knowing that it's based on young-adult rather than classic literature, perhaps you can appreciate it for what it is. The Midnight Club is based on material by highly successful YA author Christopher Pike, not on classic ghost stories by writers like Shirley Jackson or Henry James.

Since I knew going in what the source material is, I was expecting a teen drama with some horror elements, and that's exactly what this is. It started pretty strong, lots of mystery, and the characters drew me in. Most of the cast are very good, and the series is beautifully shot. There's no mistaking that this is 100% Mike Flanagan. And like everything Flanagan does, it's heavy with emotion (at times too heavy).

Unfortunately, it does get slow about halfway through the season, it's a bit hard to follow at times, and it just doesn't have the same magic that Hill House, Bly or Midnight Mass do. I still found it moving and entertaining, but I didn't love it. There are too many unanswered questions and disconnected ideas. Rather than moving slowly and leaving all those unanswered questions for a probable season 2, I would have preferred Flanagan had stuck to his formula of one-season stories that move quickly and wrap up nicely in the end.

I have great respect for Mike Flanagan and his vision and ability to tell a story with both horror and heart. Though by no means terrible, The Midnight Club is not his best. I still have high hopes for The Fall of the House of Usher. Flanagan has proven what he can do with classic horror. I can't wait to see what he does with the works of Poe.

**Unlike some others, this review was written after watching the whole season.

Though I have been a horror film fan all my life, I could never really get into the Hellraiser movies. I was hoping for a fresh take on the original movie. Ultimately, I must say while the general plot is different, it's not any better or more entertaining than the original film. I do have to give credit to the creative team for maintaining a Clive Barkeresque feel and look througout the film, I don't think it improved upon Barker's original movie. I didn't find it scary at all and it dragged a bit through the middle. I really wanted to like this one, but in the end, I'm just not impressed. It's just OK.