When Entertainment Weekly, a media outlet that’s been dissecting TV trends for over three decades, says The Haunting of Hill House is Netflix’s best original series, I have to admit-I wasn’t shocked. Sure, it’s tempting to lean toward the big hitters like Squid Game or Wednesday, but Flanagan’s ghost story was already a cult obsession the day it dropped. If you actually follow what’s happening in horror TV, this “upset” makes a lot of sense once you dig deeper.
On paper, The Haunting of Hill House seems like an odd pick over phenomena like Squid Game or even the pop-cultural juggernaut Stranger Things. But if you talk to long-time horror fans, you’ll hear the same refrain: mainstream audiences consistently underestimate the genre when it’s done right. Mike Flanagan isn’t some random showrunner-his body of work (Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher) redefined modern horror-TV, not just by scaring viewers but by making them feel something genuine. That emotional resonance is rare, and it’s exactly why this show has grown in reputation since its release.
If you only tuned in for jump-scares, you missed half the experience. Flanagan’s take on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel isn’t just another haunted house yarn—it’s a family tragedy, a slow-burning psychological unraveling that happens to be haunted (literally and figuratively). For me, what makes this show stand out is the way it blends monologues worthy of prestige drama with low-key, blink-and-you-miss-them ghost cameos lurking in the background of almost every scene. No other Netflix original has made rewatches so rewarding: horror nerds were trading screenshots of background specters for weeks after release, something you rarely see with Netflix dramas.
What really clinched Hill House’s legacy isn’t just that it’s scary—it’s that it never sacrifices story or character for easy frights. If you look at the competition, you’ll see a lot of flash (monster designs, big twists) but not the same willingness to sit in the sadness, loss, and trauma that makes this family’s haunting feel earned. Even after five years, no other series has quite blended horror and heart this seamlessly on Netflix.
This ranking isn’t just good news for Hill House fans—it’s a signal to Netflix and the wider streaming world. For years, Netflix pushed high-concept, high-viral potential originals, measured mainly by how much they trended on social media or broke “weeks at #1” records. But when a series like Hill House lands at the top, it proves lasting impact—deep engagement and rewatch value—matter to both critics and the core audience. Let’s be real: Squid Game broke records, but have you ever heard anyone rewatching it for hidden details? Not in the same way.
It also shows that, even as Netflix pivots to aggressive content churn and cancels promising genre shows left and right (R.I.P. Archive 81), the shows that blend bold storytelling and emotional intelligence are the ones that stick. If anything, Flanagan’s continued relationship with Netflix—at least until he jumped ship to Amazon—was a major reason to subscribe for a certain breed of horror fans. With a steady flow of high-profile series getting axed, maybe Netflix should take this ranking as a hint: substance over spectacle still wins long-term loyalty.
The Haunting of Hill House beating Netflix’s most viral originals is no fluke—it’s a testament to the power of smart, scary, emotionally resonant storytelling. If you skipped it because “ghost stories aren’t your thing,” give it a shot—the hype (and the hidden ghosts) are real.
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