The Haunting series emerged as Netflix’s response to the iconic horror series American Horror Story, but here is why exactly The Haunting does it better.
Once it was stated that Netflix’s show The Haunting of Hill House was the start of an anthology series. It began garnering comparisons to Ryan Murphy’s iconic horror anthology American Horror Story.
With the comparisons between the two, The Haunting seems to be Netflix’s response to AHS, but it applies the anthology format and the horror genre in a more impactful approach.
Also Read: The Haunting of Hill House season 2: date of release and details we know so far
What each Haunting series portray?
At the time of drafting this article, AHS has its 10th year coming up with no conclusion in sight. Each season tells a completely unique horror story with a repeating cast of performers; nevertheless, Murphy has woven each season together into one connected universe.
Meantime, The Haunting presently has two segments under its belt. Mike Flanagan’s series takes this classic horror literature and spins it into distinct narratives brought to life by a core group of actors, primarily focusing on ghost tales.
There are parts of all series that are too similar to ignore; nevertheless, Murphy and Flanagan did find ways to ensure their respective shows can stand on their own feet, with Flanagan leaving a greater impact on his audience.
The fact that they are commercially successful horror anthologies is the biggest correlation between AHS and The Haunting. Horror is more of a recess genre, so both shows of the identical style reaching that level of fame are bound to draw comparisons.
The Haunting series has more grounded characters with a lower form of horror. AHS uses ghosts, but it also features vampires, serial killers, killer clowns, and the antichrist as villains. The Haunting has so far only utilized spirits. With a laser focus on ghosts the series perfected the way it uses these spectators.
While they’re scary, they are even more used to represent emotional trauma. This forms a deeper, more frightening experience as it digs into the core of the viewer. So The Haunting finishes up being more effective in scaring its audience, proving that less can also be more.
The Haunting series may be the stronger show. But there’s a reason that AHS has been working for almost a decade. It’s a fun watch and setting down several years’ worth of definite connections is some clever Marvel-level work.
