If you’ve followed Stephen King for any length of time, you know the legendary author isn’t shy about sharing his opinions on new horror movies, the best shows on Netflix, or buzzy TV schedule releases. The Master of Macabre’s commentary is often as entertaining as his novels, and this week he turned his attention to what might be Mike Flanagan’s scariest series yet, The Fall of the House of Usher. His glowing review alone is enough to make me want to hit play on it all over again.
King took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to share his thoughts after finally sitting down with the 2023 release. In the post, which you can read below, the author explains he had missed the initial release because of hip surgery.
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Netflix): I missed this when it bowed due to hip surgery, but this is a case of delayed gratification. Scary, involving, with writing that's witty and moves the plot. There's a case to be made for Mike Flanagan being the Quentin Tarantino of…August 24, 2025
Pretty high praise coming from the man who reshaped modern horror. King’s description of the show as “scary” and “involving” echoes what so many fans and critics noted when Usher dropped in 2023. Flanagan’s miniseries, which blends the gothic imagery of Edgar Allan Poe with contemporary greed and corruption, quickly became one of Netflix’s most talked-about limited series. It isn’t just a great Netflix horror series, but possibly one of my favorite horror shows of all time.
It’s not uncommon for King to shine a spotlight on horror creators he admires. Still, comparing Flanagan to Quentin Tarantino is striking. Tarantino is often celebrated for reworking existing genres into stylish, referential masterworks. By likening Flanagan to him, King is essentially saying Flanagan has done something similar for horror by remixing classic influences, like Poe, into a sleek and modern streaming event.
The Fall of the House of Usher reimagines Edgar Allan Poe’s classic through a modern lens, centering on Roderick Usher, the corrupt CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals, who loses all six of his children within a two-week span. Haunted by grief, he invites his longtime nemesis, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Auguste Dupin, to his crumbling childhood home to confess his family’s darkest secrets. Told across multiple timelines, the series explores the Ushers’ rise to power, their unraveling legacy, and the sinister figure of Verna—an otherworldly presence tied to the family’s downfall.
Given that Stephen King adaptations already make up a big part of Mike Flanagan’s résumé, with Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck under his belt, plus an upcoming Carrie TV series and Dark Tower project still ahead, King’s praise feels almost like a “passing of the torch.” It signals that the author doesn’t just see Flanagan as someone capable of adapting his work, but as a generational filmmaker shaping the horror genre.
If you caught The Fall of the House of Usher when it first came out, King showing up late is a great excuse to check it out again, especially since spooky season is coming up. The mix of psychological horror, wild visuals, and sneaky dark humor makes it worth watching more than once. Plus, hearing King call the writing “witty” is a solid reminder of how sharp the dialogue really is.
If you haven’t streamed it yet, now is probably the perfect time. The series is available in full with a Netflix subscription, and considering King himself has stamped it with approval, it’s hard to come up with a better recommendation.
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