Mike Flanagan has become a prolific name in the horror genre in the past few years. With incredibly emotional and terrifying stories, many eagerly wait for his new releases. The filmmaker’s next project will be released on Netflix on October 12th and is an adaptation of various works by Edgar Allan Poe. It is a limited series called The Fall of the House of Usher.
Flanagan’s next project is with Prime Video and will adapt one of Stephen King’s most famous and loved series, The Dark Tower. The project is currently on hold as the writers’ strike happens. Until this situation is resolved, the studios won’t be able to do much work.
In the meantime, while waiting for the Poe adaptation and news about The Dark Tower, let’s look at Mike Flanagan’s filmography ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes score.
11 Before I Wake – 67%
A common thread in Flanagan’s work is the idea of dealing with grief and mixing it with supernatural elements. In the feature film Before I Wake, this comes into play early in the narrative, as a couple fosters a young kid, Cody (Jacob Tremblay), as they are dealing with the loss of their child. However, Cody is terrified of his dreams as they become real — including nightmares. This is a fun twist on the idea of nightmares and childhood phobias.
10 Oculus – 75%
Oculus was Flanagan’s second feature film and was based on a short film he also directed with the same name. Oculus tells the story of siblings who had incredibly different lives after a tragedy struck their family: one went to jail for it, while the other didn’t and firmly believes what happened had supernatural reasons involved.
It’s a story about the possibility of the supernatural mixed with family drama and trauma — all the elements that the filmmaker loves to explore.
9 Doctor Sleep – 78%
There is no surprise when it comes to how much Flanagan loves Stephen King novels. To adapt the continuation of one of the author’s most loved and renowned works, The Shining is a great challenge. However, Flanagan took it and, as even King stated, knocked it out of the park with Doctor Sleep.
To see Danny (Ewan McGregor) all grown up and struggle with the trauma from the Overlook Hotel and his addiction while helping a little girl who also got the shining; it’s a terrifying, and yet weirdly satisfying thing to be back in this character's life.
8 Ouija: Origin of Evil – 83%
To pick up and do a prequel movie from a previous movie you were not involved in the first one is something most filmmakers wouldn’t do – but Flanagan did and, once again, crushed it. Filled with supernatural jump scares, painful possession scenes, and an uneasy ending, Ouija: Origin of Evil is a fun watch for those who love a good Ouija story. Compared to the first film, which had a 5% rating, Flanagan found what works on this story and deeply explored it.
7 The Midnight Club – 86%
The Midnight Club was Flanagan’s latest project released with Netflix. The young adult series is based on various books by Christopher Pike. It follows the lives of teenagers who go to live in Brightcliffe Hospice, a home for sick teens with terminal diseases.
There, they create a midnight club to tell stories — usually scary ones. There’s more than meets the eye in the hallways of the hospice, and the teenagers will soon find out how they can be haunted in real life. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after one season.
6 Absentia – 87%
Flanagan’s first feature film, Absentia, which was written and directed by him, had a good reception from critics. There were some clear elements that he used in this story, such as the slow burn that leads to a greater horror, which can be seen in almost all his works. Absentia follows a woman and her sister when they discover a tunnel that could be related to some disappearances.
5 Midnight Mass – 87%
Midnight Mass is the third limited series created by Flanagan with Netflix. Set on a secluded island, a new priest arrives, but he brings a dark creature with him. It’s a story about trauma, addiction, and the violence of faith. It gives new light to a monster everyone has seen before: the vampire.
Flanagan really explores the atmosphere and gives into a slow burn even grander than usual, creating an emotional tale that also knows when to get gory.
4 The Haunting of Bly Manor – 88%
The second installment of The Haunting anthology series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is based on the classic work by Henry James, The Turn of the Screw. Bringing back almost everyone from the cast of the first season, many who also appear in most of his films, Flanagan said that this is a love story rather than a scary one.
Nevertheless, the hidden ghosts and troubled pasts come back in the next series of the anthology. A story about the real meaning of sacrifice, this is a must-watch for any Flanagan fan.
3 Gerald’s Game – 91%
Another Stephen King adaptation, Gerald’s Game, is a hard story to translate to the screen: there’s basically one character stuck in a room where she can’t move. Nevertheless, the director, alongside the screenwriter Jeff Howard, who is a constant presence in Flanagan’s filmography, and the talented Carla Gugino, created a movie that you can’t stop watching. It plays with something King loves: is it supernatural or trauma?
2 Hush – 93%
Hush takes the trope of home invasion and makes it even more interesting with a compelling lead. What is interesting about the movie is that he gives the protagonist a disability: she can’t hear. This heightens the stakes and makes the viewer even more dreadful.
This story enters the thriller genre rather than the supernatural one, which is the usual go-to, but nevertheless, it makes the viewer want to look away from the screen from pure tension.
1 The Haunting of Hill House – 93%
The show that really skyrocketed Flanagan’s career as a horror filmmaker, The Haunting of Hill House, is considered by many his best work and one of the greatest modern horror series. It is based on the classic novel by Shirley Jackson of the same name but adapted to modern times — which includes the scares.
Following the Crain family as they navigate through grief, trauma, and the memories inside Hill House, the show will make you scream and cry in the same episode.