The first reactions to Midnight Mass are in – and Netflix’s horror mastermind Mike Flanagan has done it again. The Haunting of Hill House creator has delivered a miniseries that has fans and critics alike throwing around words like "masterpiece", so you know it’s going to be worth your time.
"Not a single false note. Frightening. Illuminating. Powerful," critic Richard Newby said on Twitter.
That unequivocal praise is matched elsewhere. "Horror at its best," says Rotten Tomatoes’ Tessa Smith. Others are similarly effusive: "May be the best show of the year," says one, while another describes it as Flanagan’s "best work to date."
So, does it match up to Haunting of Hill House? On this early evidence, almost definitely. "Probably the best thing Mike Flanagan, one of the masters of modern horror, has achieved," says critic Nicolás Delgadillo. "The best horror TV I’ve ever seen," posits filmmaker Issa Lopez.
More also rank it as Mike Flanagan’s greatest work, surpassing both Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor. "Absolutely the best thing Mike Flanagan has ever put on screen," says actor and writer Aaron Pruner, while Digital Spy’s David Opie says it has "the makings of a masterpiece."
Elijah Wood has even got in on the act, following on from Stephen King’s glowing tribute to Midnight Mass.
"Had the pleasure of seeing the first two episodes of [Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass]," Wood said on Twitter. "It's beautiful, haunting and quietly ratchets a growing sense of dread and mystery upon his island's denizens with his signature masterful hand."
Midnight Mass is streaming on Netflix from September 24. For more from the streamer, check out the best Netflix shows.
Squid Game creator says he changed the ending of the Netflix show halfway through: "This is not where the story should be headed"
Squid Game season 2's star Lee Jung-jae says he felt "horror" stepping back into the arena on the Netflix show: "It's a kind of feeling that I would never forget in my life"
