Mike Flanagan, creator of The Midnight Club is one of Netflix's most successful collaborators. After all, he's the guy who brought you The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor.
A master of subtle horror stories, rarely do his movies and tv series disappoint. This time around, he has adapted the 1994 novel of the same name by Christopher Pike.
What Is The Midnight Club About?
The setting for The Midnight Club is a hospice for terminally ill teenage patients.
Every night, eight patients, otherwise known as The Midnight Club members, come together to tell each other sinister stories.
The group then make a pact that the first one who dies must communicate with the rest of the group from beyond the grave. And then of course, one of them dies.
The Midnight Club Official Trailer
Is The Midnight Club Worth Watching?
If you're already a fan of the book, then you may notice some subtle differences between that and the tv series.
In the book, there were only five patients which of course means that we get additional horror stories from the patients that are not necessarily in the novel.
Otherwise, Mike Flanagan does an excellent job of weaving together the stories and their tellers.
Like his prior work, this is a subtle type of horror. You won't find blood and guts but more that eerie, creepy vibe that has become a staple feature of his shows.
And while the tagline implies a lot of bizarre occurrences after the first patient dies, The Midnight Club is not really about it.
The reality is that it's about terminally ill teens in a hospice, all of whom know their time in this world is limited.
And it's because of this that Flanagan is the perfect person to adapt it. There is always a certain level of sadness and poignancy in his characters and stories that ultimately leave you feeling slightly empty at the end.
So for those of you wondering if The Midnight Club is worth watching, I can only say that if you loved Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House then you won't be disappointed.
It's another triumph from Mike Flanagan.
The Midnight Club Release Date
The Midnight Club began filming in March 2021, finishing in September 2021.
Netflix confirmed that the 10-episode series would air on October 7th 2022.
The Midnight Club Netflix Cast
Mike Flanagan's Intrepid pictures is the production company behind The Midnight Club, so you know the camera work is going to be phenomenal.
However, it takes more than skill behind the lens to create a successful show. You also need an incredible cast…
Iman Benson as Ilonka who is hoping for a miracle cure
Adia
Igby Rigney
Ruth Codd
Aya Furukawa
Annarah Cymone
William Chris Sumpter
Sauriyan Sapkota
Heather Langenkamp as the doctor who runs the hospice.
Zach Gilford
Matt Biedel as Tim, Ilonka's guardian
Samantha Sloyan
Larsen Thompson
William B. Davis
Crystal Balint
Patricia Drake
Rahul Kohli
Elle
Entertaining series, however, it is less than thrilling that they show sensitivity toward a character with HIV, but not toward several fictional characters with HSV. Instead, they point out how HSV is an “STD” and will “stay with you forever,” acting grossed out and furthering the stigma that exists. This is despite the fact that the majority of humans are infected with HSV I or II, and its transmission to many people, including children, is not sexual in nature. Don’t take my word for it- read the statistics. This old stigma needs eradicating just as much as the HIV stigma. Do better!!