The Midnight Club

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to connect with teen series. With kids, like in Stranger Things, it's easier, but with teenagers, the characters often feel unrelatable and annoying. This was definitely the case here. Mike Flanagan's young adult horror series has his signature quality, but it just didn't captivate me. The atmosphere builds for a bit, only for you to realize halfway through that you’re not sure what's happening, or even if you care about it. I had a similar experience with his Midnight Mass. I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if Flanagan peaked with The Haunting of Hill House. (10/27/2022)

Well, Flanagan didn't make me happy this year. It's not that he has lost his directing skills, but in Midnight Club he tackles themes that I'm not interested in, or rather, I didn't enjoy wading through in the relatively generous space of ten one-hour episodes. I understand the purpose of the the stories the characters tell each other. They illustrate the depth of the characters, because every story reflects its author in some way. But it wasn’t fun. On their own, the stories are too short to be satisfying, and I would probably find the events in the hospice more appealing in a shorter, tighter form. (10/19/2022)

I had been putting off watching The Midnight Club for a long time, as I didn't have much faith in this teenage project by Mike Flanagan. But over time, I realized that as a fan of his work, I should catch up on it. And let me tell you... fortunately, it's not a disaster! Among all his projects, this is the least horror-focused in terms of jump scares and such, and I agree with most reviewers on that. On the other hand, The Midnight Club isn't primarily about that. It deals mainly with heavy life topics, especially death, in a way that makes you deeply reflect. Besides that, the series boasts a great cast that you grow fond of as you watch. To this day, I don't quite understand how Flanagan is always able to write each individual character so precisely. You can simply tell he's a master. And the ending will leave no one dry-eyed, I guarantee it. Anyone who actively seeks out his cinematic creations won't regret choosing The Midnight Club. I give it a 7/10. (11/09/2023)