Stephen King Calls Mike Flanagan "Quentin Tarantino of Horror" for Creating This Show
Stephen King loves his horror projects, but this Mike Flanagan series seems to have occupied a special place in his heart.
Mike Flanagan is one of Stephen King's most prolific collaborators. He directed the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, adapted Gerald's Game, and his next project will be a TV adaptation on Carrie.
Stephen King Praises Mike Flanagan's 'The Fall of the House of Usher'
King trusts Flanagan to adapt his works and has praised his style more than once. However, until recently, King had not seen one of Flanagan's best TV projects, as he admitted on X:
“THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Netflix): I missed this when it bowed due to hip surgery, but this is a case of delayed gratification. Scary, involving, with writing that's witty and moves the plot. There's a case to be made for Mike Flanagan being the Quentin Tarantino of horror.”
So, what makes The Fall of the House of Usher so special that King compared Flanagan to Tarantino?
What Is 'The Fall of the House of Usher' About?
Roderick and Madeline Usher own a large pharmaceutical company. Their drugs are addictive and have caused the deaths of many people.
However, they always manage to escape justice. Only detective Auguste Dupin doesn't give up and spends years investigating the family's crimes.
One by one, members of the Usher dynasty die in mysterious ways. Roderick seems to know who is behind these incidents. He invites Dupin to his house and recounts the story of his life.
'The Fall of the House of Usher' Is a Real Feast for Fans of Edgar Allan Poe
The Fall of the House of Usher draws from several works by Edgar Allan Poe. For instance, the show's main plot line is taken from Poe's story of the same name. It is built on the dialogue between Roderick and an old acquaintance of his.
Each episode's plot refers to Poe's stories or poems: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Masque of the Red Death, and many others.
Fans of Poe can guess some plot twists from the episode titles. For example, the appearance of a killer monkey. However, the creators reinterpret the works so that the story doesn't become obvious or predictable.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'?
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The Fall of the House of Usher has 91% from critics and 81% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.9/10.
