The Haunting of Hill House Episode 1: “Steven Sees a Ghost”
“A ghost is a wish …”
Spook Factor: 👻 out of 👻👻👻👻👻
One out of five ghosts for minorly scary setting, frightening imagery throughout, descriptions and discussions of supernatural phenomenon, and suspenseful situations.
CWs: drug addiction, description of car wreck and death, description of supernatural phenomenon, frightening imagery (begins before the opening theme), discussion of suicide
OWs: sex scene, drug use (cannabis), implied nudity, strong language, mentions of occult tools (tarot cards, ouija board)
# of Jump Scares: ZERO
What to Expect:
In the first episode, we jump back and forth between Then and Now, as described by on-screen text. The Hill House is the setting of a lot of childhood trauma for the Crain children, who are depicted in this series as adults in the Then portions. These traumas and their consequences are denied, explored, and exploited in various ways by these children as they grow up and try to navigate their adult lives.
As in many horror stories, the first scene helps set the tone and atmosphere for the entirety of the work. The first episode of HoHH is no different. First and foremost, we see the setting of a large part of the season: the titular house. But this element of the story is much less interesting overall compared to another: family. This episode sets the scene for a family dealing with a haunted house. Small children are frightened out of sleep and have other unsettling experiences in this episode, but the most unnerving aspect of the first episode of this series is how slow it may feel. But as we often see with horror masters like Stephen King, build-up is an essential part of a slow burn. Without extensive background for these characters, they can seem unrelatable, distant, disconnected from ourselves. And isn’t that the most important part of horror? To be able to insert yourself into the terror that each character is experiencing? So sit back and enjoy the gorgeous setting and Carla Gugino’s warm on-screen presence.
