The intriguing new series is the latest work from horror maestro Mike Flanagan.
In recent years, Mike Flanagan has made a name for himself as one of the most talented filmmakers currently working in the horror genre – and his latest work, Midnight Mass, is another brilliant addition to his back catalogue.
As with his previous projects, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass is a limited series made for Netflix, and some fans might be wondering if there are any connections between the shows.
Read on for everything you need to know.
Is Midnight Mass related to The Haunting of Hill House?
No, the only connection between the two shows is that they both fall within the horror genre and share a few actors in common. Like many directors, Flanagan has developed a reputation for using the same actors in multiple projects – and many of the names who play prominent roles in Midnight Mass previously appeared in either one or both of Hill House and Bly Manor. Returning faces include Kate Seigel, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Annabeth Gish and Alex Essoe, although they are all playing new characters.
Midnight Mass also differs from Flanagan’s previous TV output in that it doesn’t have its roots in a classic work of horror fiction. Whereas Hill House was loosely based on the work of Shirley Jackson and Bly Manor on that of Henry James, Midnight Mass is a completely original show with no specific text serving as direct inspiration (although Flanagan has said that the series can be said to have its roots in the Bible).
While there isn’t a tie to either of his previous shows, Midnight Mass does have an intriguing link to Flanagan’s big-screen output. Characters can be seen reading a book titled Midnight Mass in both Hush and Gerald’s Game – suggesting that this project has been in the writer’s thoughts for some time. Indeed, in Hush, an extract of the book’s blurb can be glimpsed which reads, “But the 512 souls on sleepy Crocket” and “church put Riley face to face with a terrifying secret.”
Now, it’s highly unlikely that this suggests any sort of “Mike Flanagan cinematic universe,” but it’s still an interesting Easter Egg for fans to note, and it helps to give an impression of just how much of a passion project Midnight Mass is for Flanagan.