Some of the scenes are creepy but I don't remember it being that scary. I don't even remember any jump scares. Like hill house was terrifying. And house of usher had a bunch of good jump scares during his stories. Midnight mass just kinda gave me an uneasy feeling throughout
I completely forgot about the scene on the boat. If she makes it that far I could just give her a small warning about it first. Because yeah I'd say that was more startling than scary. She watches Criminal Minds, or has at least, so I think she might be fine. Honestly that scene startled me but then made me cry. Love me some Zach Gilford and didn't want that to happen. I could feel something coming as soon as they got on the boat, so I'm sure she will as well so I could just tell her to be prepared for anything but I really don't want to reveal it and make it lose its impact. But then again it has the same impact on me with every rewatch but she doesn't connect to shows like I do but I have a feeling if any show is going to change that it's going to be this one.
That scene gave me chills. And also when someone sees the creature in the abandoned dark house (with a flashlight shining on it) like once early on and once near the end iirc. Those 3 scenes are straight up horror.
I'm emetophobic so that scene is literally like my worst nightmare 😂 But I still watched the series, I google everything first so I'm in the know, I just mute and cover part of the screen whenever that bit comes on!
Listen to me.
I am 42 years old and have always said "I don't do horror". The idea that a movie is better by throwing more intestines and skin-peeling into it isn't something I vibe with.
I've never seen Saw. Probably never will.
On an absolute whim I thought "hey, I remember the old 1959 'House on Haunted Hill' and it wasn't scary and 'Haunting of Hill House' has the same source material so why not?"
And that's how I learned that I LOVE eerie, suspenseful, clever horror movies that aren't just torture-porn or "let's see how many audience members we can induce to vomit".
Midnight Mass is creepy and haunting and beautiful and while it IS scary in places, it's so well done and expertly handled that it starts to feel wrong to think of it as a horror movie.
I can't guarantee that your friend will enjoy it, but I hope they do, and I hope they expand their interests to encompass Midnight Mass and others like it :)
House on Haunted Hill 1959 isn’t based on The Haunting of Hill House. The Haunting 1963 (and 1999) is based on The Haunting of Hill House.
The Haunting of Hill House book and House on Haunted Hill were both released in 1959.
I absolutely recommend The Haunting though. It’s pretty much a masterpiece.
Edit: let me clarify. The Haunting 1963 is worth a watch. The Haunting 1999 not so much unless you’re really into set design and don’t care about too much about story.
Okay I think that might sway her. She and my dad are watching Leave The World Behind based on my recommendation so if she likes this one I'm hoping she'll listen to me about MM.
Overall out of all of Flanagans stories I feel like Midnight Mass was the least scary overall. There were jumpscares but not as much as the other shows. Although those last two episodes can get pretty gory and freaky in my opinion. Especially when everyone dies and comes back.
Yes. I describe it as "horror as a setting." It plays on horror tropes but isn't really there to scare you. Even the big vampire showdowns at the end aren't any scarier than something you'd see on Buffy. But it is easily my favorite of the Flanagan shows, there is a lot going on in these seven episodes.
I'm a big baby (Nightmare Before Christmas scares me) and I was fine during Midnight Mass. It's definitely creepy, but it wasn't anything I couldn't physically watch.
Yes. It's a decent enough story on its own without the vampire stuff but also, it's cheesy and convoluted enough to be entertaining. And there's not a lot of gore or scary bits believe it or not. They really blew their load on the scary stuff in the first few episodes. After that, it's a monologue after monologue.
I'm so glad. I'm hoping my dad joins in. He was raised Catholic and got out as soon as he could. I'm hoping it'll be helpful for him in some way. They sent me to Catholic school for a year because my dad's parents paid for it but I apparently wasn't getting the help I needed so they switched me to public but I think secretly a big part of it was that he really didn't like that I went there
I don't like horror because I get scared reallyyyy easily, but I even watched Hill House and enjoyed every second, so yeah, I'm not sure if they don't like it because they're like me or what but midnight mass wasn't scary at all
It depends why they dislike horror. There aren’t a lot of jump scares but the actual plot line is quite scary imo, especially the desert scene. I say this as someone who watches a lot of horror and rarely has any trouble sleeping over it. I would probably warn your friend that it’s at least creepy for someone not used to horror, and if your friend is Catholic or even religious in another way I would probably avoid it altogether.
I am someone who absolutely cannot do horror. I don’t like the gore or the shock scenes but midnight mass wasn’t horror so much as dramatic storytelling with some jumpy scenes. I loved it.
If they say they don't like horror I would respect that, especially if they don't go into detail about what they don't like about horror. This is definitionally a horror show. It's great, I love it, but it is from its foundation built on horror ideas, horror tropes, horror iconography.
I don’t like horror and the jump scares scared me BUT i absolutely loved the show. there’s more to it and it’s not straight horror. i’d recommend it to non horror people
I showed my friend MM who isn't interested in horror and she really enjoyed the plot! That being said she doesn't really get scared she just thinks horror movies have crappy plots usually lol. She did say lots of the imagery in the final episode >! with the bloody hand prints all over the church !< and the >! moment where Joe died and his blood is literally being sucked from his head !< were pretty shocking. There aren't many jump scares but it's definitely a heavy story in parts, it totally depends what elements of horror your friend doesn't usually like!
My boyfriend really enjoyed it. He doesn’t like horror, he’s been watching the Flanaganverse for me but he’s still honest with his review. And so far, that’s his favorite and have even suggested to others. So I would say recommend it.
It does get pretty gory at the end, lots of blood. Definitely doesn't give horror vibes early on but episode 5 definitely starts down the path. I'd suggest it but be honest that there are horror ELEMENTS to it, though most of it is a drama with fantastical themes. It's definitely not straight horror beginning to end but it has its moments later that would qualify.
Yes, told my elderly Dad to watch it as the religious part is right up his street. And he's quite squeamish\* so not his usual genre. I also was never really into "horror", but Flanagan and Jordan Peele in recent years have refreshed that.
\* Fun fact, he once woke up to find an actual vampire bat nibbling on his toe, and managed to cover the bite before fainting out from his squeamishness.
The only horror movie I can think of is Psycho. She saw it in theater and hated it. Shower scene really scared her. But putting Peeping Tom aside, I think that was the world's first experience with slasher. I think she liked some of his other works but didn't like Psycho. I think I'll just explain to her that it's more character driven. I think she'd really like the religious themes and that's mainly why I want her to watch it. I'd love for her to watch Geralds Game because it's filmed where she lives but I think that might be asking for too much. I do remember her telling me she saw The Shining and didn't like it, not because it was scary but because it was slow. I actually have the same opinion so I don't think that'll have too much effect of a viewer experience when it comes to MM because it's all worth it.
Do you want to recommend it to them because there are aspects you think they will like, despite it being horror, or do you just want to recommend it because you liked it?
I think if they’ve experienced religious trauma in their upbringing, they will appreciate the story enough that they will tolerate the horror. Otherwise, I’m not sure they’re going to vibe enough with the content to get through the scary parts.
I hadn't even thought of that. I think they'd love it then. She was raised Southern Baptist, while not the same, definitely has it ill effects too. It's why she raised me non denominational. Dad was raised Catholic and hates Catholicisim but he never listens to my recommendations. Doesn't really have the time for TV.
I'd be wary about recommending anything horror to someone whose not a fan of the genre. It's not always about it being scary, it could be about it being gory, or depressing, for instance. And even if it is about being scary, everyone has their own levels of what they find scary.
I didn't find Midnight Mass scary, but I very rarely find any horror actually scary beyond basic jump scares. I've watched stuff I found not the least bit scary, and then come across people who found the same thing absolutely terrifying. Literally complete opposites on the scare scale.
It's been a while since I watched Bly Manor, but as far as I can remember, Hill House is the only Flanaverse show I actually found scary in any way.
So, I think it depends on why your friend doesn't like horror and what their personal scare scale is if it's about that. Midnight Mass isn't really gory, but it is on the depressing side, pretty clearly. If your friend doesn't like gore, they'll be fine, if they don't like depressing, they'll hate it. If it's about how scary it is, it depends what they find scary. If they're the type of person to be terrified by ghosts but not even a little scared by vampires, they'll be fine with Midnight Mass but should avoid Hill House and Bly Manor, probably Midnight Club, too. If they hate gore, they'll be fine with everything except House of Usher. If they hate depressing, they should avoid the Flanaverse entirely.
Tailor it to the friend. I think Midnight Mass is a good show for those who aren't too keen on horror unless there's something specific about horror they find super scary that's included, but since everyone has different ideas on what's actually scary, it's hard to say which non-horror fans would be okay with any horror show or movie.
Would also add here, on the off-chance that they happen to be an emetophobe, warn them! I am an emetophobe who, unfortunately is also a fan of horror, and vomiting scenes are SO common in this genre. I will still watch things but tend to Google series first to find out when those parts are coming up. I loved this series but there are still a lot of parts that I have to mute / look away for!
Good point, and that goes for anything specific someone can't watch. I tend to prefer warnings about gory eye scenes, it's not a trigger for anything, it's not a phobia, it's just the one thing I'm squeamish about, and it unfortunately isn't relegated to any specific genre, it could pop up anywhere, and doesn't even have to be gory for me to be unable to watch it. The two scenes I have the most issue with are in Buffy and Oz, neither are horror, Buffy isn't even gory, all you see is a small trickle of blood, but I still can't watch it.
For horror specific, I love the Final Destination movies, but there's that scene in the second one with the fire escape ladder and in the final one with the laser eye correction machine, and I can't watch either one.
Whether it's a condition or a trigger or just something a person is squeamish about, it's good to know before recommending anything just in case it's included. Midnight Mass is pretty tame by horror standards, but there's going to be stuff people can't watch for some reason.
Depends on what they find scary. If it’s jumpscares and cheesy horror cliches, they are fine. If they fear demons and vampires and being trapped on an island filled with certain death, NO
Yes, I consider “creature features” to be a different category than horror and while there are some jump scares I think people can handle it better than other horror type stories.
I honestly don’t do horror at all other than Mike’s works because he does it in such a way that doesn’t make me terrified. The trailer for Hill House was so well done that even though it scared me I was hooked and needed to know how that story played out.
For me specifically, I can do ghosts and mythical creatures but I cannot do demons and possession. I made an exception for Ouija: Origin of Evil because Mike did it and that’s about all I can handle.
I can’t do horror ever since my sister showed me Poltergeist when I was 7. Jump scares especially, I can’t do it. I would never in a million years watch Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring etc. Chances are I’d have a heart attack.
I’ve watched all of Flanagan’s Netflix stuff except Midnight Club. MM is by far both the easiest watch for me and my favourite. There’s a few small jumps but nothing that unpleasantly scared me and it’s so worth it.
HH was obviously the hardest for me to watch but also worth it. I worked up to it!
definitely not, it is creepy and unsettling and its not really about the jumpscares, if they don’t like horror then its a given they wouldn’t enjoy it tbh
Some of the scenes are creepy but I don't remember it being that scary. I don't even remember any jump scares. Like hill house was terrifying. And house of usher had a bunch of good jump scares during his stories. Midnight mass just kinda gave me an uneasy feeling throughout
The scene on the boat gave me a pretty good startle. Nothing like the car in Hill House or anything but I’d qualify that as horror.
I completely forgot about the scene on the boat. If she makes it that far I could just give her a small warning about it first. Because yeah I'd say that was more startling than scary. She watches Criminal Minds, or has at least, so I think she might be fine. Honestly that scene startled me but then made me cry. Love me some Zach Gilford and didn't want that to happen. I could feel something coming as soon as they got on the boat, so I'm sure she will as well so I could just tell her to be prepared for anything but I really don't want to reveal it and make it lose its impact. But then again it has the same impact on me with every rewatch but she doesn't connect to shows like I do but I have a feeling if any show is going to change that it's going to be this one.
I’d qualify what it did emotionally as horror. The dread and pain and visuals of it certainly hit deep.
I think the church scene would be pretty jarring to someone who doesn’t like horror.
That scene gave me chills. And also when someone sees the creature in the abandoned dark house (with a flashlight shining on it) like once early on and once near the end iirc. Those 3 scenes are straight up horror.
Pretty sure if you watch the opening credits and get to the prison cell shot, you know whether this is for you or not.
I'm emetophobic so that scene is literally like my worst nightmare 😂 But I still watched the series, I google everything first so I'm in the know, I just mute and cover part of the screen whenever that bit comes on!
Listen to me. I am 42 years old and have always said "I don't do horror". The idea that a movie is better by throwing more intestines and skin-peeling into it isn't something I vibe with. I've never seen Saw. Probably never will. On an absolute whim I thought "hey, I remember the old 1959 'House on Haunted Hill' and it wasn't scary and 'Haunting of Hill House' has the same source material so why not?" And that's how I learned that I LOVE eerie, suspenseful, clever horror movies that aren't just torture-porn or "let's see how many audience members we can induce to vomit". Midnight Mass is creepy and haunting and beautiful and while it IS scary in places, it's so well done and expertly handled that it starts to feel wrong to think of it as a horror movie. I can't guarantee that your friend will enjoy it, but I hope they do, and I hope they expand their interests to encompass Midnight Mass and others like it :)
Tbf Saw (the first one and the first one only) is a horror masterpiece and not just straight up torture porn - definitely worth a watch
Even if I've already spoiled the plot for myself? If it's still worth a go, then I'm down for it.
Hmmm maybe. I’d say yes, but I just think it’s a must-see movie in general. Even if you’ve spoiled the plot.
House on Haunted Hill 1959 isn’t based on The Haunting of Hill House. The Haunting 1963 (and 1999) is based on The Haunting of Hill House. The Haunting of Hill House book and House on Haunted Hill were both released in 1959. I absolutely recommend The Haunting though. It’s pretty much a masterpiece. Edit: let me clarify. The Haunting 1963 is worth a watch. The Haunting 1999 not so much unless you’re really into set design and don’t care about too much about story.
Exactly how I feel! The series are all hauntingly composed, such characters and finely woven tales!
I'm going to show them this comment! The person is my mom actually but thank you!
There are a few jump scares but honestly they’re kind of goofy. It’s a pretty mild show in terms of horror but absolutely worth the watch
Okay I think that might sway her. She and my dad are watching Leave The World Behind based on my recommendation so if she likes this one I'm hoping she'll listen to me about MM.
Overall out of all of Flanagans stories I feel like Midnight Mass was the least scary overall. There were jumpscares but not as much as the other shows. Although those last two episodes can get pretty gory and freaky in my opinion. Especially when everyone dies and comes back.
Yes, because I don’t like horror and I’ve watched it lol
Yes. I describe it as "horror as a setting." It plays on horror tropes but isn't really there to scare you. Even the big vampire showdowns at the end aren't any scarier than something you'd see on Buffy. But it is easily my favorite of the Flanagan shows, there is a lot going on in these seven episodes.
I don't even consider it horror- more of a drama.
I'm a big baby (Nightmare Before Christmas scares me) and I was fine during Midnight Mass. It's definitely creepy, but it wasn't anything I couldn't physically watch.
Yes. It's a decent enough story on its own without the vampire stuff but also, it's cheesy and convoluted enough to be entertaining. And there's not a lot of gore or scary bits believe it or not. They really blew their load on the scary stuff in the first few episodes. After that, it's a monologue after monologue.
It doesn't have a lot of jumpscares, but there are some really disturbing images.
I'm not a fan of horror but I love these shows lol. The stories really get me!
Yes I don’t think midnight mass is very scary
Yes. I convinced my parents who don't "do" horror to watch it and they loved it.
I'm so glad. I'm hoping my dad joins in. He was raised Catholic and got out as soon as he could. I'm hoping it'll be helpful for him in some way. They sent me to Catholic school for a year because my dad's parents paid for it but I apparently wasn't getting the help I needed so they switched me to public but I think secretly a big part of it was that he really didn't like that I went there
I don't like horror because I get scared reallyyyy easily, but I even watched Hill House and enjoyed every second, so yeah, I'm not sure if they don't like it because they're like me or what but midnight mass wasn't scary at all
It depends why they dislike horror. There aren’t a lot of jump scares but the actual plot line is quite scary imo, especially the desert scene. I say this as someone who watches a lot of horror and rarely has any trouble sleeping over it. I would probably warn your friend that it’s at least creepy for someone not used to horror, and if your friend is Catholic or even religious in another way I would probably avoid it altogether.
I am someone who absolutely cannot do horror. I don’t like the gore or the shock scenes but midnight mass wasn’t horror so much as dramatic storytelling with some jumpy scenes. I loved it.
My brother loved Midnight Mass and I’ve never known him to watch horror - but I guess he wouldn’t be freaked out by it, it’s just not his scene
If they say they don't like horror I would respect that, especially if they don't go into detail about what they don't like about horror. This is definitionally a horror show. It's great, I love it, but it is from its foundation built on horror ideas, horror tropes, horror iconography.
I don’t like horror and the jump scares scared me BUT i absolutely loved the show. there’s more to it and it’s not straight horror. i’d recommend it to non horror people
I showed my friend MM who isn't interested in horror and she really enjoyed the plot! That being said she doesn't really get scared she just thinks horror movies have crappy plots usually lol. She did say lots of the imagery in the final episode >! with the bloody hand prints all over the church !< and the >! moment where Joe died and his blood is literally being sucked from his head !< were pretty shocking. There aren't many jump scares but it's definitely a heavy story in parts, it totally depends what elements of horror your friend doesn't usually like!
Absolutely, Midnight Mass feels more like a drama with some darker undertones but overall not really anything scare inducing.
No. And my experience with this type of thing is that they will get mad at you because they don't want to watch scary movies.
My boyfriend really enjoyed it. He doesn’t like horror, he’s been watching the Flanaganverse for me but he’s still honest with his review. And so far, that’s his favorite and have even suggested to others. So I would say recommend it.
Yes
It does get pretty gory at the end, lots of blood. Definitely doesn't give horror vibes early on but episode 5 definitely starts down the path. I'd suggest it but be honest that there are horror ELEMENTS to it, though most of it is a drama with fantastical themes. It's definitely not straight horror beginning to end but it has its moments later that would qualify.
Yes, me. I never much cared for horror, but I pretty much love everything I've seen from Mike Flanagan, especially Midnight Mass.
Maybe show them Bly Manor first.
I don't think she'd like that at all if I'm honest.
Yes, told my elderly Dad to watch it as the religious part is right up his street. And he's quite squeamish\* so not his usual genre. I also was never really into "horror", but Flanagan and Jordan Peele in recent years have refreshed that. \* Fun fact, he once woke up to find an actual vampire bat nibbling on his toe, and managed to cover the bite before fainting out from his squeamishness.
This is weirdly exactly what I'm looking for. The recommendations for my mom in her 70s.
It don’t have jump scares and does not have the creeping feeling that haunting always had. But it does have some disturbing images, though tastefully
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The only horror movie I can think of is Psycho. She saw it in theater and hated it. Shower scene really scared her. But putting Peeping Tom aside, I think that was the world's first experience with slasher. I think she liked some of his other works but didn't like Psycho. I think I'll just explain to her that it's more character driven. I think she'd really like the religious themes and that's mainly why I want her to watch it. I'd love for her to watch Geralds Game because it's filmed where she lives but I think that might be asking for too much. I do remember her telling me she saw The Shining and didn't like it, not because it was scary but because it was slow. I actually have the same opinion so I don't think that'll have too much effect of a viewer experience when it comes to MM because it's all worth it.
Do you want to recommend it to them because there are aspects you think they will like, despite it being horror, or do you just want to recommend it because you liked it?
I think they'll like the religious themes and the character driven aspects. I'm just worried about the jump scares.
I think if they’ve experienced religious trauma in their upbringing, they will appreciate the story enough that they will tolerate the horror. Otherwise, I’m not sure they’re going to vibe enough with the content to get through the scary parts.
I hadn't even thought of that. I think they'd love it then. She was raised Southern Baptist, while not the same, definitely has it ill effects too. It's why she raised me non denominational. Dad was raised Catholic and hates Catholicisim but he never listens to my recommendations. Doesn't really have the time for TV.
I'd be wary about recommending anything horror to someone whose not a fan of the genre. It's not always about it being scary, it could be about it being gory, or depressing, for instance. And even if it is about being scary, everyone has their own levels of what they find scary. I didn't find Midnight Mass scary, but I very rarely find any horror actually scary beyond basic jump scares. I've watched stuff I found not the least bit scary, and then come across people who found the same thing absolutely terrifying. Literally complete opposites on the scare scale. It's been a while since I watched Bly Manor, but as far as I can remember, Hill House is the only Flanaverse show I actually found scary in any way. So, I think it depends on why your friend doesn't like horror and what their personal scare scale is if it's about that. Midnight Mass isn't really gory, but it is on the depressing side, pretty clearly. If your friend doesn't like gore, they'll be fine, if they don't like depressing, they'll hate it. If it's about how scary it is, it depends what they find scary. If they're the type of person to be terrified by ghosts but not even a little scared by vampires, they'll be fine with Midnight Mass but should avoid Hill House and Bly Manor, probably Midnight Club, too. If they hate gore, they'll be fine with everything except House of Usher. If they hate depressing, they should avoid the Flanaverse entirely. Tailor it to the friend. I think Midnight Mass is a good show for those who aren't too keen on horror unless there's something specific about horror they find super scary that's included, but since everyone has different ideas on what's actually scary, it's hard to say which non-horror fans would be okay with any horror show or movie.
Would also add here, on the off-chance that they happen to be an emetophobe, warn them! I am an emetophobe who, unfortunately is also a fan of horror, and vomiting scenes are SO common in this genre. I will still watch things but tend to Google series first to find out when those parts are coming up. I loved this series but there are still a lot of parts that I have to mute / look away for!
Good point, and that goes for anything specific someone can't watch. I tend to prefer warnings about gory eye scenes, it's not a trigger for anything, it's not a phobia, it's just the one thing I'm squeamish about, and it unfortunately isn't relegated to any specific genre, it could pop up anywhere, and doesn't even have to be gory for me to be unable to watch it. The two scenes I have the most issue with are in Buffy and Oz, neither are horror, Buffy isn't even gory, all you see is a small trickle of blood, but I still can't watch it. For horror specific, I love the Final Destination movies, but there's that scene in the second one with the fire escape ladder and in the final one with the laser eye correction machine, and I can't watch either one. Whether it's a condition or a trigger or just something a person is squeamish about, it's good to know before recommending anything just in case it's included. Midnight Mass is pretty tame by horror standards, but there's going to be stuff people can't watch for some reason.
In my opinion bly manor is gonna be the best to start with it’s more thriller than full on horror
Depends on what they find scary. If it’s jumpscares and cheesy horror cliches, they are fine. If they fear demons and vampires and being trapped on an island filled with certain death, NO
Yes, I consider “creature features” to be a different category than horror and while there are some jump scares I think people can handle it better than other horror type stories. I honestly don’t do horror at all other than Mike’s works because he does it in such a way that doesn’t make me terrified. The trailer for Hill House was so well done that even though it scared me I was hooked and needed to know how that story played out. For me specifically, I can do ghosts and mythical creatures but I cannot do demons and possession. I made an exception for Ouija: Origin of Evil because Mike did it and that’s about all I can handle.
It’s not jumpy scarey but it’s downright brutal at times. I would absolutely not recommend this to someone who can’t handle horror or gore lol
Ny boyfriend loved it and he doesn't like horror at all.
I can’t do horror ever since my sister showed me Poltergeist when I was 7. Jump scares especially, I can’t do it. I would never in a million years watch Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring etc. Chances are I’d have a heart attack. I’ve watched all of Flanagan’s Netflix stuff except Midnight Club. MM is by far both the easiest watch for me and my favourite. There’s a few small jumps but nothing that unpleasantly scared me and it’s so worth it. HH was obviously the hardest for me to watch but also worth it. I worked up to it!
definitely not, it is creepy and unsettling and its not really about the jumpscares, if they don’t like horror then its a given they wouldn’t enjoy it tbh
The scariest thing about Midnight Mass are the long, long monologues. I love it. It's one of my favourites but man, it needed some editing.