I love Edgar Allan Poe’s work, and luckily for us, Netflix and Mike Flanagan have managed to pay an intense tribute to the king of macabre with a modern and unexpected twist.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Unless you’ve lived in a cave for most of your life, you have been exposed to a few of the works of Edgar Allan Poe either by studying this author in literature class or watching Vincent Price play one of his characters in a film. This is the third series that I have reviewed that was created by Mike Flanagan. I think Mike has some very strong psychic/medium gifts because he understands death and the mysteries taking place on the other side of that curtain that separates life and death… that said, I think that The Fall of the House of Usher is his masterpiece.
Mike Flanagan has taken the darkest of Poe’s tales and added a modern theme by following the life of two ruthless siblings as they build their dynasty of death. Created by Flanagan, and directed by Flanagan and Michael Fimognari, this eight-part series features Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, T’Nia Miller, Michael Trucco, Mark Hamill, Kate Siegel, and Carl Lumbly. Luckily for us, a few stars from Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, are also in this series.
The Usher Siblings
What causes people to become evil? Was it always hiding within their souls or did circumstances beyond their control contribute to this choice. Flanagan has somehow melded with the mind of Edgar Allan Poe to tell a story about siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher who were born into poverty and madness. Their mother was the secretary for the powerful rich owner of the Fortunato Co, but the children were treated as bastards by the father. Through a series of orchestrated deceit and corruption, Roderick and Madeline take over Fortunato and begin mass producing a highly addictive opioid called Ligadone. Just like in real life, the Ushers are aware of the dangers, but money is money.
The story, which hints at the title, begins with District Attorney Dubin (Carl Lumbly) coming to the deteriorating childhood home that belonged to Roderick and Madeline. There, Roderick tells Dubin that he is ready to confess to all the crimes that his wealth and a very smart lawyer named Arthur Pym (Mark Hamill) had, up to that moment, kept him out of prison. It isn’t just the siblings who are causing chaos in the world, but also Roderick’s six children. Dubin wants a confession, but that strange noise coming from the basement is unnerving.
Each episode introduces one of Roderick’s children, and it also reveals their fate. Frederick (Henry Thomas) and Tamerlane (Samantha Sloyan) were the children of Roderick and Annabelle Lee (Katie Parker). Roderick’s greed drove Annabelle Lee away. The other children were all products of Roderick’s uncontrollable greed.
One, by one, the children meet a gruesome end beginning with Roderick’s son, Perry (Sauriyan Sapkota) who fills the spot of Prince Prospero and Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Each child somehow meets the mysterious Verna (Carla Gugino). Each death is a link to Poe’s stories and mind.
Conclusion
Carla Gugino has starred in all of Flanagan’s series: The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and The Fall of the House of Usher…but it’s in this series that she excels as the talented actress that she is. She is connected to every death, but why? It isn’t until the last two episodes that you realize who or what she is. Is she the angel of death, as witnessed by Roderick’s bloodline? Is she a demon who tempted the young Roderick (Zach Gilford) and Madeline (Willa Fitzgerald) as they stole Fortunato from an equally villainous Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco)? Or was she the Raven who is witness to man’s folly and losses? You will need to watch the series to find out who Verna is, but I will tell you this, I am digging out my book of Poe’s works and rediscovering his magic.
One day, maybe soon, I would love to ask Mike Flanagan about his work, and if he has ever seen a spirit or heard the disquieting bumps that happen on a midnight dreary.
