Haunting Of Hill House - Blog Posts
My thoughts on
The Midnight Club (2022)
I just finished watching The Midnight Club last night and couldn't help feel how it was like a beautiful work of art left unfinished. When I started the show, I was really impressed by the way the foundation was laid but several things were left unexplained but we'll get there later.
First off, let's talk about the true essence of the show; the stories. While I absolutely loved the way the characters expressed their unconscious/concious desires through the stories knowing that they wouldn't come true, that the future they paint will continue to remain trapped behind words, I couldn't help but feel that we could've been introduced to this world in a better way.
By the time we learn about Natsuki's story regarding the Japanese myth, it's already progressed into a "frenzy of jump scares" which completely ruined the atmosphere for me and I found myself wanting it to be over as soon as possible.
The next thing I wish to address is Ilonka's character. She is a complex teen who is unable to accept the terminal nature of her life and that she cannot be saved. Initially, I liked her drive to survive but as the episodes carry on, we see her completely lose herself in the desperate attempt to grasp what's left of her life. Her character itself had multiple flaws which were further enhanced by the fact that so many things about her were left unexplained.
Why was Ilonka having visions?
Was it because of her medication? Maybe. But it could also, be due to her being most open to the spiritual aspect of the place. She openly sought to achieve wellness through the nature and was engrossed by the past which might've manifested in the form of visions. Maybe her sharing these thoughts with Kevin was the reason for his own visions.
Another aspect of the show I really wanted to see were the stories coming together in the end (as we had in the haunting series) but was really underwhelmed. There were too many plot holes which raised a lot of questions.
Who is Dr. Georgina Stanton?
In the final episode, her ties to the Paragon are hinted at. I personally found myself drawing ties between her and Regina Ballard (Aceso). Regina, upon performing the ritual had lost her hair which kinda made me think if Stanton had also tried to do the same for her son (resulting in the loss of her hair, being the only survivor).
Who are the old ghosts?
This really got me scratching my head finding answers. Maybe they're yet again manifestations of the negative emotions arising in the kids but I'm not sure. Also, how is Kevin connected to the old woman and why does Ilonka keep seeing her where Kevin is?
All these are left unanswered which really irks the viewers to know more.
(I have not read the books and all my interpretations are solely based on the show)
“I loved you completely and you loved me the same. That’s all, the rest is confetti…”
Mike Flannigan your days are numbered
Haunting of Hills house tour/interview
Dani and Jamie
they deserved the world <3
I feel like they were one one of the healthiest couples displayed on T.V :(
something something mike flannagan something something "this room is like the heart of the house. no, not a heart, a stomach." something something "you didn't feed them though, did you? you starved them."
i think what fucked me up most about the midnight club is how desperate everyone was to believe in something, in anything. and in their desperation, all they found was each other. the stories mike flanagan create are actually heart-wrenching but this was on another level. the fact that he’s shown in every show that ghosts are not simply ghosts, they are wishes, and faith, and love, and sadness, and desperation. how when no one can bring themselves to believe in the truth they take to tales, and stories, to help themselves feel better. how every ghost story in the show was just themselves coping with their diseases and their pain. how fantastical is it that they held onto something so tightly, but it slipped through. like the sunlight in the trees or the wind through the grass. how no one blamed ilonka for believing in something so.. strange to make her friend better.
at the end of the day all they wanted was each other to do better. to live. how terrifying is it to know that you cannot live for much longer? to accept it? to let go of the ghosts and to simply stay present? how do you love and how do you lose? how do you accept loss? how do you grieve? how do you hold someone’s hand and not let go even when they do? how do you let someone go when they’re ready to but you’re not?
anyways this was my little tangent thing i’m still sobbing over the show. no one hmu will be rotting in my room for the next month