Mini-series - 8 episodes
Watch The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix
Created by: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, T'Nia Miller, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Michael Trucco, Katie Parker, Sauriyan Sapkota, Matt Biedel, Crystal Balint, Ruth Codd, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
To secure their fortune and future, two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die one by one.
Verdict
I really enjoy Flanagan's work, and this is no exception. This exemplifies how adaptations must evolve for a new medium. The real world take of a pharmaceutical company and the direction that goes is excellent and timely. While you might can guess what's at play that doesn't diminish how entertaining this remains. I was engaged with each episode as this manages to add just enough depth to the characters. The final episode does a fine job of wrapping plot lines and ending an already great series on a strong note.
Watch It.
Review
I've enjoyed almost all of Mike Flanagan's work which focuses on the horror genre, and I couldn't wait for this release. Midnight Mass is my favorite mini-series he's done by far, but I enjoyed The Midnight Club, The Haunting of Hill House, and his sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep. I'd rank this behind Midnight Mass.
Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) is head of the family and of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. He runs the company with his sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell). In a not so subtle parallel to the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, Roderick's main product is an opioid for pain relief they claim isn't addictive. It's made him and his extensive family rich beyond any reasonable measure. The family is quite large, in addition to Roderick's two children with his first wife he has three illegitimate children, all of which are provided for lavishly.
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| The Usher family |
While the series is based on an Edgar Allen Poe short story, each episode title is named after a Poe story, sharing character names and even plot points. There are a lot of references, and they're integrated well. This is more an inspiration than adaptation, but it makes it a lot of fun when you recognize the parallels.
This open with Roderick confessing to the murder of his children as he begins to tell his and the company's story. His company is on trial for murder due to the deaths their drugs perpetuated. We're introduced to each of his kids, and they're distinct enough to tell them apart. Funny enough, the will and inheritance comes up in every conversation. We're told the business is the family, and the family the business. The first episode is a great hook.
In each episode his kids face peril. Money has made their lives incredibly easy to a fault. Many of them don't even work. Early on I began to wonder how Roderick got to the top. It certainly seems like he made some kind of deal with the devil. The price becomes clearer with each episode.
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| Mary McDonnell, Mark Hamill play Madeline, Pym |
Mark Hamill does a great job as the family lawyer Pym. Episode four has a zoom in/enhance joke with security footage as Pym and Roderick are trying to discern who is responsible for the murders. We've seen the person, but we're left to guess how all the pieces fit together. There's an emphasis on choices made, but the question is whose choices are responsible.
Roderick is telling the story of what happened with his children to Auguste (Carl Lumbly) after the fact. Questions arise of their past and what Roderick and his sister Madeline did back when. There's a lot going on, but it makes for a lively plot.
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| Carl Lumbly, Bruce Greenwood play Auguste Dupin, Roderick Usher |
The final episode does a great job of finally putting all the pieces in place, a culmination of everything we've seen. We learn why the Usher family never faced repercussions, and it's certainly a shot at the Sackler family. The explanation for the Usher family is what I expected, but it's still a well played reveal. There's a lot of monologuing, but it's engrossing. Madeline's mea culpa turns into a rant about how it isn't her fault it was the public. She just provided them what they wanted. She conveniently ignores how she facilitated it.
This comes down to how Roderick and Madeline made a deal with the devil, but it's more that Roderick became the grim reaper for the devil. He's responsible for an insanely high body count with the drugs he pushed. With all that happened, I don't think Roderick would have chosen a different path. He got what he wanted, and when he decided on that path, he knew there would be consequences. I loved the entire series, but the final episode puts such a nice punctuation on the entire season.
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