La Chute de la maison Usher

I enjoyed pretty much everything about this series. The creative way the Poe stories were integrated to each episode and then tied all together with one big Usher bow. Just great.

However, the standout for me was Bruce Greenwood's performance. He, to me, really rose above the rest. I think it lies within the fact that he played against what we normally see from him: strong, stoic, often aloof characters. Seeing him as a sometimes pathetic soul: crying, crawling on the ground in terror, etc. Was fresh, unexpected and played perfectly (In my not so humble opinion). This will be a Halloween season classic for me from now on. Loved it.

I loved the show and the performances. What I don't actually love is seeing negative reviews of people that keep expecting Flanagan to make a series that's similar to the haunting of hill house. Don't get me wrong,that show was also my favorite like it was to many other people but I believe that every series should be appreciated in its own way. I would recommend everybody to give this series a try because it won't disappoint you. Also what I really enjoy is the fact that Flanagan recasts the same actors,they are all very talented and I've grown to admire them very much. I'm already waiting for Flanagan's next project(hopefully it will be as good as the others and not like midnight club which is the only one that I didn't particularly like).

It doesn't really get going until the end of the second episode. So bear with it.

Because this is monumental in its undertaking. It is no secret that this is an amalgamation of dozens of Poe stories and references that goes well beyond the titular source.

That being said, the modern updates to the principle tales are entertaining. The overall story being a Succession-like narrative of a unscrupulous family with a corporate empire and their ultimate decline. Not a spoiler - it's literally the title.

Each member of the family is then given their own chapter further inspired by another major Poe tale (or two). Within those there are even more minute details from increasingly obscurer Poe works. Like the security guard's moniker and the name of the ubiquitous pharmaceutical.

Sometimes the poetic monologues and voice-over get a little contrived, shoehorned and corny. But when all is said and done, the multi-threaded nature of the narrative meshes and resolves satisfactorily.

I enjoyed it.

In my opinion, polarising creations are always fascinating, and generally I don't think ill of people who happen to dislike what I enjoy very much. I'm not particularly fond of being meta in my reviews either, but I feel that in the case of "The Fall of the House of Usher" something needs to be said on this matter.

I'm not going to question personal taste when it comes to the technical aspects of this show, such as acting, directing, and production value. Personally, I think is an excellent TV series graced by some seriously spectacular money shots (the rave party's abrupt ending comes to mind), but that's just my take.

The hill I'm ready to die on is about whether or not Flanagan did justice to Poe's work, and I'm afraid I won't be very forgiving to whoever says he didn't.

Poe didn't just write Gothic literature, he added heavy personal touches to it that would eventually become genre-defying, and ultimately, the most iconic aspects of his work. If you ask Chat GPT to write like Poe, that's what you'll get.

But whilst extremely picturesque and entertaining - and tempting, from a Production's pov (the costumes, the Victorian gloomy setting, the riddles, it's a guaranteed spectacle) - those elements are the proverbial arabesques on top of something infinitely more substantial.

The deep psychological implications of his work is what makes Poe a genius, and not just a good writer. The man described illnesses and neuro-divergences centuries before there was even a name for them. He delved in universal fears and anxieties that not only have transcended his time, they couldn't be more relevant today: the unhealthy approach toward death, living in an alienating society that has lost its human touch, feeling the constant pressure of uncertainty.

The core of Poe's work is bleak and modern, and Flanagan captured it to perfection with "The Fall of the House of Usher". Above the must-have iconic references, he resisted the easy road of a shallow costume piece, and focused his script to what's underneath instead. I, for once, can't praise him enough for it.

The only reservation I may have with this TV series is about the title's choice, which may have mislead some spectator to believe that this was going to be an adaptation of the eponymous short novel instead of a broad homage to Poe's greatest hits.

Other than that, as a longtime fan of Poe's work, I won't shy from stating that "The Fall of the House of Usher" is storytelling at its best, and nothing short of one of the most quintessential Poe-esque piece of content in existence.

A huge family run empire at the height of its powers begins so crumble, as one by one the heirs and offspring begin to die.

It's a binge worthy eight part series, one you won't want to end. It's a twisted look at one greed and vanity can do, even among siblings.

It's dark and twisted, it gets better with every passing episode, Flanagan knows only too well how to spin a yarn, and this is another wonderful series. The final episode was perhaps my favourite segment, how rare for a series to end on such a high note, it's wonderful.

Beautifully produced as you'd expect, you get a real insight into what life is like for those that live with huge wealth, sadly they're all monstrous, every single time you think an Usher has come good, you have to think again.

It highlights what it is to have everything, and what it is to have nothing, only you have to question what exactly is worth having, does wealth amount to anything at all ultimately?

Lots of familiar faces, and they all perform, it's worth seeing for Mark Hamill alone, although it owes a great debt to the versatility of Carla Gugino, who gets some show stealing scenes.

Am already counting down for the next Flanagan series.

9/10.