"The Fall of the House of Usher" Review

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a horror drama miniseries created by Mike Flanagan, who also created "The Haunting of Hill House" and "The Haunting of Bly Manor". It centers on a corrupt pharmaceutical CEO and his family as they reckon with the consequences of their actions, learning that every act has a price that must be paid and that no amount of power and influence can truly cover up the rotten core of the Usher family.

The writing is engaging and delves deep into the psychology of the dysfunctional Usher family members, dissecting the reasons for their horrible behavior and decadence while not making any excuses for them, showing how they do, on some level, deserve the terrible fates in store for them. The Usher family are all flawed people who, through their own choices and letting the power they have go to their heads, suffer grisly ends delivered by a mysterious woman out to take them down. 

The performances are excellent, particularly from Bruce Greenwood, Willa Fitzgerald, and Henry Thomas, creating believable and believably flawed characters, and even even scenes of two people talking become enthralling to watch due to the gravitas of the actors on screen. Many of Flanagan's recurring actors show up here, and all of them are at their best here. The references to Edgar Allan Poe's works throughout, whether by quoting his work or directly homaging events with Poe's writing, and of course the title of the series being from one of Poe's most famous, all enhance the richness of the story. The score from recurring Flanagan collaborator the Newton Brothers is also superb, giving an ominous grandiosity to the music throughout the series.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is in my opinion the best work Mike Flanagan has created and is one of my favorite series to watch. I highly recommend you check it out on Netflix. Please don't miss it!