LONDON: Horror connoisseur Mike Flanagan and Netflix are enjoying a lucrative relationship. The US writer-director is, after all, the man behind the streaming giants’ hit series “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” as well as upcoming show “The Midnight Club.” Flanagan’s latest for Netflix is “Midnight Mass” — a seven-part miniseries set on a small, isolated island community that, in typical Flanagan style, challenges many of the more pervasive of horror tropes to which audiences have become accustomed.
Mike Flanagan’s latest for Netflix is “Midnight Mass” — a seven-part miniseries set on a small, isolated island community. Supplied
Crockett Island is home to 127 people — which, at the start of “Midnight Mass,” expands to include Riley Flynn, a former islander-turned-city boy who, having served prison time for killing a young girl while driving drunk, returns to his hometown to be with his family. On the same day, the charismatic Father Paul Hill arrives on the ferry to fill in for Crockett’s beloved, aged preacher. As the two do their best to ingratiate themselves with the community, a series of bizarre occurrences begin to take place — seemingly centered around the island’s church and its new priest.
The show tells the story of a former islander-turned-city boy who, having served prison time for killing a young girl while driving drunk, returns to his hometown to be with his family. Supplied
To reveal anymore would be to strip “Midnight Mass” of its greatest weapon — surprise. Suffice it to say, this show does not end up where audiences might initially suspect. By the time episode three rolls around, Flanagan throws in a narrative curveball that flips the series on its head and “Midnight Mass” becomes an altogether more complicated blend of religious pondering, schlocky horror and supernatural thriller.
The show stars Hamish Linklater as Father Paul, Kate Siegel as teacher Erin Greene, Samantha Sloyan as overzealous community figurehead Bev Keane, and Rahul Kohli as world-weary Sheriff Hasan. Supplied
The show is underpinned by some excellent performances: Hamish Linklater as Father Paul, Kate Siegel as teacher Erin Greene, Samantha Sloyan as overzealous community figurehead Bev Keane, and Rahul Kohli as world-weary Sheriff Hasan. Flanagan gives each of these (and others) plenty of screen time, but balances this exposition with some expertly judged tension-building. The show’s strength is its reluctance to rely on cheap jump scares. While the aforementioned narrative bombshell does, at times, feel a little clunky, and pushes the show towards a slightly overblown final two episodes, there’s no disputing that Flanagan remains one of the genre’s most exciting storytellers.