(Photo courtesy of TV Insider) Mike Flanagan’s most recent effort shows once again why he is a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre.

Maxwell Valin
Connector Editor

In recent years, writer, producer and director Mike Flanagan has made quite a reputable name for himself in the genre of horror. Along with helming the film adaptation of Stephen King’s “Doctor Sleep”, Flanagan has been the creative vision behind multiple Netflix series such as “The Haunting of Hill House”, “The Haunting of Bly Manor”, “Midnight Mass” and just recently, “The Midnight Club”, a brilliant story that shows just how impactful character writing can be when done adequately (though “adequately” would be selling this show short and then some). While all these shows have been critically praised (and rightfully so), “The Midnight Club” is sure to stand out as one of Flangan’s best. 

In this most recent outing, Flanagan tells the story of a group of teenagers and young adults living together in a hospice center. Each of them is dealing with terminal illness and the knowledge that their deaths are inching closer with every second. A concept that is self-evident in its ripe potential for deep, character-driven storytelling, this series is one of the most profound and emotionally potent explorations of death during youth that has been released in quite some time.  

The protagonist in our story is Ilonka, a teenage girl who after being diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer, researches different hospice centers to figure out where she wants to spend her final days. After some looking, she comes across the Brightcliffe Home, a small house outside of Seattle that takes care of teenagers and young adults as they decline in health. However, there is more to her decision than simple appeal—doing some digging, Ilonka discovers that long ago, a resident patient at Brightcliffe entered a mysterious and improbable remission—a story that Ilonka believes there is more to than meets the eye. This intrigue brings her to Brightcliffe, where we meet the rest of our cast, a group of teenagers who the viewer will be sure to come to love over the course of the ten episodes this show offers. 

After meeting with her new peers at Brightcliffe for the first time, Ilonka realizes that in a tradition passed down through generations of past residents, the teenagers meet in the library of the establishment in secret—always in the middle of the night—to tell scary stories to each other. This group is referred to as, you guessed it, the Midnight Club. While it may seem to be a harmless bit of fun at first, the stories the characters tell us throughout the show are actually their ways of expressing their grief, trauma and fears about death, dying and regrets they have from their time in the land of the living. These stories serve up some incredibly deep and layered introspection from each character, giving all of them plenty of emotional development. 

Of course, this is still a horror show, and there is certainly more to discuss than the more endearing aspects of the premise. Throughout the season, viewers will come to understand that there is a layer of mystery to Brightcliffe, and that secrets of old cults and ritualistic practices may lie within its walls. While this show is certainly emotionally poignant with its character work, the horror never falls flat, as Flanagan masterfully incorporates classic horror tension and jump scares to keep viewers on edge between all the feels.  

As per usual with Mike Flanagan’s shows, a recurring cast of actors and actresses return to help make these stories come alive—with plenty of newcomers, as well. It cannot be understated just how well the cast does its job here—every character is brought to life with such passion and dedication from their respective actor, making the scary scenes scarier, the tearful scenes more emotional, and the bonds between them ever more real. Truly, if there was any justice in this world, every one of them would be commended via awards for the stellar performances they put on here. 

To discuss the plot details of the show further would be a great disservice to the brilliant setups and payoffs the writers have crafted with the intention of being viewed on-screen for the first time. In short, “The Midnight Club” is yet another masterpiece by the great Mike Flanagan. Gripping narrative beats, characters that come alive and themes that are sure to leave viewers thinking introspectively make this show one of the best of the year. 

Grade: A+