Before Mike Flanagan stunned everyone with his beautifully made Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, two of his best horror movies, Oculus and Hush, were released in 2013 and 2016. Those were my first two Flanagan projects, and his touching storytelling impressed me. But while I agree that there aren’t enough good things to say about Hill House, it wasn’t until Flanagan’s third Netflix series was released in September 2021 that I got really excited.
Midnight Mass stars Zach Gilford as Riley Flynn, who comes back to Crockett Island and spends time with his old friend Erin Greene (Kate Siegel) at a particularly wild time. Riley is shocked, along with his fellow residents, when Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater) comes to St. Patrick’s Church. Mike Flanagan shared more about this series in a compelling interview, and it’s clear why this is his greatest work.
‘Midnight Mass’ Is a Meaningful Story for Mike Flanagan
In a 2025 interview with GoldDerby, Mike Flanagan talked about his amazing career, and he shared more about Midnight Mass and his Stephen King film adaptation, The Life of Chuck. He said:
“In TV, the one that came most from the heart was Midnight Mass. And for my features, this is it.”
He continued:
“And I kind of feel like that feeling I’ve always had of, ‘What if your career goes away? What if Hollywood doesn’t want you anymore?’ If that happens now … I’d be crushed, of course, but I’d walk away being like, ‘I got to do Midnight Mass and Chuck. I’m good.’ Those are those are my favorites.”
Flanagan spoke about the “personal” nature of the TV series in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2021. He called it “the best project I would never make” because it was too long as a movie, and he couldn’t sell the TV show at first. Two of his movies include Midnight Mass references, which is cool. A book with this title is featured in the Stephen King Netflix adaptation, Gerald’s Game, and in Hush.
When Midnight Mass was released in the fall of 2021, Flanagan explained in a letter that, as he had been sober for three years, he wanted to explore that topic in one of his works. The series also dives into atheism, a subject he is familiar with since he was raised in a Catholic family and then became an atheist. The characters who live on Crockett Island are all religious, and Riley returns home after driving drunk in an accident that becomes tragic.
Why ‘Midnight Mass’ Only Improves With Time
I think Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass is his most powerful story because it matters so much to him. Yes, The Haunting of Hill House is about families dealing (and not dealing) with trauma. There are jump scares, ghosts, and mysterious characters in The Midnight Club, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. But only Midnight Mass dives into religion, belief, and alcoholism in such a memorable and important way.
When I watched the series as soon as it premiered on Netflix in September 2021, I could tell it was something special. At first, I was mostly excited about a new Flanagan show and seeing Zach Gilford back on TV after watching his powerful arc as sensitive Matt Saracen on Friday Night Lights. Then, it became clear this was a raw and fascinating story about the sometimes suffocating nature of small-town life, and a show about religion, life, and death. (You know, the easy subjects.)
Some horror and thriller TV shows can only be watched once. Midnight Mass feels more exciting with each passing year because you’ll always find something fresh to think about and focus on. The first time, you might be shocked by the deceased cats on Crockett Island at the end of Episode 1, “Book I: Genesis.” Or perhaps you’ll focus on the beautiful reveal of Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) walking again after being paralyzed. The more times you get through these seven episodes, the more you can reflect on what Flanagan seemed to want to say: that everyone struggles, everyone needs hope, and sometimes you turn into a vampire and disappear when the sun shines on you. (Just kidding about that last one.)
Mike Flanagan’s ‘Midnight Mass’ Features One Particularly Memorable Scene
Since Flanagan’s story “came from the heart,” and he hoped to bring it into the world for so long, Midnight Mass is a beautiful and inspiring example of when an artist can take their lived experience and create something incredible. I’m sure that Flanagan could have written a moving story about being sober if he hadn’t experienced it himself. He’s one of the most talented horror filmmakers and showrunners working today. The fact that he knows what it’s like, though, made this show work so much better.
Riley is tortured by his past, the reason why he went to jail, and the time he has spent away from Crockett Island. Anyone who has moved away and then found themselves living in their hometown again can relate to that part of the story. And anyone who has faced challenges and gotten a second chance can empathize with Riley. It’s interesting to watch a character who isn’t afraid of dying because they’ve already gone through so much.
While Erin’s monologue about death has been criticized, it’s my favorite moment from Midnight Mass, and I think that it’s one of Flanagan’s best pieces of writing. Riley asks, “What happens when we die?” and Erin explains her thoughts. Yes, it’s melodramatic. Erin talks about “atoms” in her body and how she’s “energy.” I understand why some think this is a bit much. Still, it’s one of those thought-provoking scenes that makes viewers stop and reflect on how they really feel about their mortality. Most people don’t like to talk or think about death, but Flanagan encourages it.
Of course, slasher films, vampire stories, and supernatural movies feature death, but the high kill counts and gore are meant to shock. I didn’t expect to hear a character talk about what they think it’s really like to die in a horror series. The show feels surprising, not because of any big reveals but because the characters are so open about their emotions. While Flanagan’s other series, like the underrated The Midnight Club, are amazing, I always come back to Midnight Mass.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
