As I’ve mentioned about a million times, there’s zero shortage of excellent Halloween watches, and though I struggle to fall asleep even in my most calm and peaceful state, I’m a sucker for scare your socks off movies and series. I was super pumped when I found out Mike Flanagan (creator of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor) would grace us with another Netflix series this spooky season!
Midnight Mass released late last month, and I could not wait to stream seven episodes guaranteed to make me afraid of the dark. In case you’re currently (shaking) in the dark, I loved both hauntings and reviewed/compared them here. Don’t have time for another read? I’ll sum it up: The Haunting of Hill House may as well be The Haunting of Leigh Ann House, because two years later, I don’t even have to close my eyes to conjure up images of bent neck lady in all her horrific detail. So yes, I loved Hill House, but I will never rewatch. The Haunting of Bly Manor was still very scary, but without giving too much away, the ending was so sweet, and the characters were so perfectly splendid, that it takes top spot between the two, and I would absolutely watch again. Partly because I love Owen, and partly because I’m trying to find every hidden ghost in the background.
Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat, Midnight Mass is not another haunted house. In fact, set on Crockett Island, a sleepy and isolated New England beach town, the only spirits haunting these people are those of their past mistakes. Mike really has a knack for character development, and that’s what draws me in and keeps me watching (and nail biting) each year.
Our leading man Riley, has a bit of a sordid past and finds himself back home with his parents, sleeping in his childhood room, after being released from prison. As he re-acclimates himself to his former life on Crockett Island, we meet some old and new players, most notably a new priest at the local church, Paul. After his arrival, the town experiences a renaissance of sorts, and it’s not long before they’re witnessing actual miracles.
Beyond that, I don’t want to spoil anything. I’ll just say, things get a little spooky in totally unexpected ways. This series shares a very poignant stance on acceptance and faith, and since I’m deeply invested in haunting twitter, I know this was a story very close to Flanagan’s heart. It’s beautifully written and portrayed. And so, my final verdicts are as follows:
Rank Scariest to Least: Hill House, Bly Manor, Midnight Mass
Most Watchable (with eyes open): Midnight Mass
Most Rewatchable: Bly Manor
Favorite Character: Still Owen
Favorite: Still Bly Manor – it’s so strange to experience fear and a warm heart simultaneously.
So yeah, hop on the ferry and take a trip to Crockett Island. If you make it back to the mainland, let me know what you think…
xoxo Leigh Ann
laughingatleighann.com 
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