When it comes to making films, Mike Flanagan is as rare a talent as they come, and well on his way to becoming the King of Horror. His imagination is wild, enough to instill fear and anticipation in equal measure. A triple threat, he is credited for creating his films from the ground up, seeing them through writing, directing, and editing. Some of his greatest works that he’s singlehandedly worked on include 2011’s Absentia, 2013’s Oculus, and his 2019 film Doctor Sleep, to mention a few. A lot of Flanagan’s work is influenced by writer Stephen King. In an on-set interview during the making of Doctor Sleep, he had nothing but words of admiration to say to the author’s book that got him started:”…I was way too young to read it, I think…but, boy did I read it. And it completely changed the way I looked at the world. It terrified me in a way that in fifth grade I’d never been scared, but also made me feel empowered.”
For Flanagan, stumbling upon Stephen King’s work in fifth grade marked the beginning of his love affair with horror and Mr. King’s work in particular. “ It started this experience that I’ve had with so much of your work. Getting through the anxiety of being afraid while reading a story taught me, who was a very scared kid, how to be brave in short bursts, short increments, and it became an exercise of character for me to get through the books.” Flanagan said to Mr. King. Working on the film was therefore a solid full-circle moment and a dream-come-true for Flanagan.
When he began making films, Flanagan had one main challenge; financing. Making a film is not a walk in the park. For Oculus, for instance, he had to shoot a single chapter of the film to prove that he could direct. Only then did producers show interest in what he had to offer. Absentia was equally a challenge and filmed through a crowdfunding campaign. It also marked the beginning of Flanagan’s work relationship with Netflix. As soon as it got to the streamer’s platform, much to Flanagan’s surprise, it was a hit amongst viewers.
Working History With Netflix
The relationship between Flanagan and Netflix is that of a creator finding a place he calls home. Many creatives have in the past experience their frustration with getting their works out, and Netflix, it seems, has come to their rescue. After the success of Oculus, Flanagan’s next project, Hush, was released in 2016. The film featured his wife Kate Siegel, with whom he has worked on several projects, and told the story of Maddie Young, a deaf author of works of horror, who found herself in the state after a meningitis attack. Not only did Flanagan and Kate direct and star in the film respectively, but the pair were credited as the brains behind the screenplay.
In 2017, Gerald’s Game, based on Stephen King’s novel, was released on the platform. The film was well-received. On Rotten Tomatoes, it gained a 91% score on the Tomatometer, and an audience score of 70%. Of the 79 reviews, most of the audience ranked it as fresh, with Andy Crump of Hollywood Reporter writing: “ Unsurprisingly, the film is Mike Flanagan’s most accomplished to date, the result of the years he’s spent giving a damn about his characters and their anguish. He’s so good at it, he even makes it look easy.” Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly, however, did not agree. He thought the film was rotten and wrote: “ When it works, it’s because of Gugino, the rare performer who can suggest victimized despair and empowered triumph.” In 2018, Netflix acquired Before I Wake, after a Flanagan tussle with Relativity Media, and followed it up with The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, both of which are audience favorites.
‘Midnight Mass’ Makes Its Debut In The Fall
In July of 2019, Netflix made the announcement that seven episodes of Midnight Mass were to be developed by Flanagan. Flanagan was to be the show’s director, writer, and executive producer. The series would be one of many, signed as part of a multi-layer deal with the Flanagan-run Intrepid Pictures, Deadline reported. It tells the story of a tiny isolated island community turned chaotic by the return of a not-so-graceful young man and a priest. Their presence on the island spurs a series of unexplained events and a new wave of obsession with religion.
In February of 2020, only months after the announcement, the principal cast was unveiled, and it includes Friday Night Light’s Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Annabeth Gish, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, Henry Thomas, Rahul Abburi, Crystal Balint, Matt Biedel, Alex Essoe, Rahul Kohli, Kristin Lehman, Robert Longstreet, Igby Rigney, and Annarah Shephard. While production of the film was scheduled to begin in 2020, it was delayed by the pandemic, and rescheduled. Eventually, it kicked off in August last year, and the streamer just released the trailer for its fall debut. If the fans’ comments are anything to go by, we’re looking at yet another Mike Flanagan success:
- Arsal Khan wrote: “ Looks absolutely phenomenal. Can’t wait to see this. Haunting of Hill House was a masterpiece.
- Ethan Smith wrote: “ I’m hyped. Anything Mike Flanagan does is usually downright brilliant.
- Always8323 wrote: “ Mike Flanagan is my favorite face in horror right now.
- Chimezie Dimkpa wrote: “ Never knew ‘Why’ as a word could be so haunting.”
Fans of Mike Flanagan’s work have a reason to smile, as Midnight Mass is not the only film in the works. As its September release gets nearer, Flanagan is working on his next series, The Midnight Club, based on Christopher Pike’s 1994 novel that bears the same name. Although The Midnight Club’s release date hasn’t been set, filming is set to wrap up only weeks before the release of Midnight Mass. Just like the fans, we are holding out breaths waiting to experience what genius Flanagan has in store for us. We trust him to never disappoint.
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