The Fall of the House of Usher

Year: 2023

IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Drama, Gothic horror

Directors: Michael Fimognari, N/A, Mike Flanagan

Cast: Katie Parker, Carla Gugino, Rahul Kohli, Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Matt Biedel, Willa Fitzgerald, Henry Thomas, Sauriyan Sapkota, Crystal Balint, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan, Ruth Codd, Michael Trucco, Bruce Greenwood, Mark Hamill, T'Nia Miller, Kyliegh Curran, Mary McDonnell

Siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built a pharmaceutical company into an empire of wealth, privilege and power; however, secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying.

The Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan. All eight episodes were released on Netflix on October 12, 2023, each directed by either Flanagan or Michael Fimognari, with the latter also acting as cinematographer for the entire series. Loosely based on various works by Edgar Allan Poe (most prominently the eponymous 1839 short story), the series adapts otherwise unrelated stories and characters by Poe into a single nonlinear narrative set from 1953 to 2023. It recounts both the rise to power of Roderick Usher, the powerful CEO of a corrupt pharmaceutical company, and his sister Madeline, the firm's genius COO, and the events leading to the deaths of all six of Roderick's children. It stars an ensemble cast led by Carla Gugino as the mysterious "Verna" who plagues the Ushers, and Bruce Greenwood and Mary McDonnell as an elderly Roderick and Madeline. The first two episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2023 before the Netflix release the following month, and the miniseries counted more than 13 million views in its first two weeks. It was met with positive reviews, with critics praising its production values, directing, and performances (in particular from Gugino, Greenwood, and Mark Hamill), although they were divided on its narrative, notably in relation to the source materials.

Philip Winthrop calls upon his fiancée, Madeline Usher, at her family home. His presence is unwelcome, especially to Madeline's brother, Roderick. Roderick explains that the Ushers are cursed, suffering from hereditary physical defects. By Madeline marrying Winthrop this would only likely continue the affliction. It soon becomes clear that something sinister is afoot: not only due to Roderick's determination to prevent Madeline from leaving but also due to the evil that seems to lurk in the house itself.