“You sold your soul to the devil” is a phrase most commonly used when you do something unspeakable to gain something out of it. This series embodies that, and Mike Flanagan delivers, yet again. The topic is grim but very beautifully told, as is a dark poem. The deaths of 9 Ushers compiled neatly in this short 8 episode run of The Fall of the House of Usher. I’ll go with “Usher” when pertaining to the title if the series, because the whole title is a mouthful.

This was Flanagan’s next project after his successful run of The Haunting of Hill House (2018-2020), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021) and The Midnight Club (2022). This was all everyone was talking about when it came out on Netflix. Just now did I have the time to actually watch it, and man, now I understand why this was a craze back then.

The plot was simple, make a deal with the devil, enjoy the fruits of your deal, and now its time to pay up. But Flanagan was able to tell the tale of how each of them died, and they could’ve died peacefully if they lived an honest life, but they got what they deserved. As brutal as most of it were, the psychological aspect leading up to it was grand.

Inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe

The series itself is loosely based on the 1839 short story of Edgar Allan Poe of the same name. Characters such as Roderick and Madeline Usher, the general plot, tone and themes came from the 1839 short story. The title of some of the episodes were also based on some of other works of Poe’s such as, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, and The Raven. It is a modern retelling of Poe’s works about wealth, power and the consequences of past deeds.

The lawyer, Arthur Pym, is a nod to Edgar Allan Poe’s only full-length novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838), which follows Pym’s harrowing sea adventures involving shipwreck, mutiny, and cannibalism. At one point, a clever bit of wordplay arises when Arthur remarks that he’ll be “having Richard Parker for dinner,” a direct reference to a character from Poe’s tale.

The joke about “a head on a platinum plate” is a reference to the 1841 Poe short story “Never Bet the Devil Your Head.”

Storytelling

The way they hinted at the next one to die on the episode prior to them dying was subtle and you’d get the hang of it. They’d show the next victim slowly spiraling out of control and just simply losing his/her mind. Until its his turn and the episode is aptly named just for them.

They used the method of which we start at the end and we’d end there as well. Usually, this method kind of gives away so much information prior to actually telling the viewers what happened leading up to this point. But Flanagan was able to show that it was worth knowing how they died, regardless of you knowing they will.

The pacing of the story was just right, for an 8 episode series, you’d think they’d jam it all up to make the cut, but they told the story with grace and patience. The time jumps weren’t an issue as well, it kind of helped the story move along a little faster.

Captivating Characters

Great character ensemble, wouldn’t want it any other way. And I’m familiar with a few of them because they were casted for Midnight Mass as well. Roderick Usher’s narration was splendid. His low raspy voice brings that darker tone to the table and fits really well with the narrative.
Each of the character’s fates were well deserved and blended well with their personality.

Verna (played by Carla Gugino) is a supernatural entity, an anagram of “raven,” and a manifestation of death, grief, and fate. She’s not a demon or a traditional villain, but rather an executor of karma and fate. Verna appears to the Usher family members before their deaths, often in the form of a raven, and seems to be watching over humanity with curiosity. Gugino have performed exceptionally well, appearing as a different character with different personas. By far my favorite character in the whole series.

Exceptional Music

Music have played a big part of Flanagan’s works. In Midnight Mass, you’d really feel like you’re attending a mass virtually, the hymns were moving and played an important role in giving a scene that certain oomph that it needed. The same thing can be said here. Every episode has at least one song, all of which drove the scene further, giving it a more emotional impact towards the viewers. Whether its a score for impending doom, spiraling into insanity, a certain clarity, or simply a curtain fall kind of vibe.

Among those my favorite was during Episode 6 — Goldbug, it features the score “Piano Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 Tempest: III. Allegretto” by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: This classic piece is both the opening and closing track of Usher’s episode 6.

Masterful Dialogue

One of the reasons why I love Flanagan’s works is because of great dialogue. From the narration of Roderick Usher and his timely poems, to even outbursts of characters during the series. Everything is well said, well spoken. Nothing was out of context. Nothing felt forced. Every word that was said helped the story move forward, nothing sounded like a brain fart. It is well written, as much dialogue as it has, it never got boring.
The poem parts were well written, though I’m not a poet myself.

Deathly Episodes

Every episode was carefully curated for one death, and I love how an episode doesn’t focus solely on one person. They subtly squeeze a thing or two, a hint of sorts, about the next death. They even go so far as to hint to another death 3 episodes ahead. I think it was well done and a genius way of being efficient with the small number of episodes they had to work with.
My favorite episodes in the whole series was episode 2 and 8., with the death of Perry (ep.2) and Rufus Griswold (ep.8).

Added information, the name Rufus Griswold is a nod to the poet Rufus Wilmot Griswold, who have met and worked with Edgar Allan Poe around 1841.

Conclusion

You can never go wrong with Mike Flanagan and he have made himself known in the industry as a storyteller with great dialogue and amazing cinematography coupled with a good sense to the choice of music to accompany the mood of the film. The Fall of the House of Usher is a bit on the gore side with great storytelling. Most of his works are available on Netflix and all of them are highly recommended.