Despite eight enjoyably grandiose seasons of American Horror Story, TV still merely’barely rarely dips its toes into the classic horror genre. So credit to writer/director Mike Flanagan, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding attempting this ambitious, ten-hour update of a classic novel that previously spawned two films of wildly varying quality. Thankfully, the mood of this re-telling is more akin to the slow-burn intensity of Robert Wise’s 1963 monochrome The Haunting, than the effects-propel n mess that was the 1999 version.###Flanagan’s revamp focuses on the Crane family of troubled siblings brought up in the grim mansion of the title, cutting between their childhood with their disparate present-day lives. Flanagan establishes a richly creepy, off-kilter atmosphere from the start, exploiting the Gothic setting of Hill House to the full. E grossly eye-catching’good-shaped’appealing’charming’fascinating’gorgeous ly-lit shot draws us in to this bleakly inhospitable setting, where shadowy figures roam, but possibly merely’barely in the minds of its inhabitants.###The reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue makes us care deeply with regards to’concerning’with respect to the characters and misgiving’fret intensely with regards to’concerning’with respect to them.###Much of the credit in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s acute level of creepiness goes to the cast, with charismatic child actors matched perfectly to their adult incarnations, of which Brit Oliver Jackson-Cohen is the standout, playing the youngest and most brooding of the family. The siblings’ weirdo dad is played in the flashback scenes by Henry Thomas, and in the current timeline by Timothy Hutton. Both are eerily perfect.###Flanagan’s expansion of the original story into multiple timelines takes some acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting used to, especially when he suddenly cuts to, say, a no-holds-barred sex scene and you’re not quite sure who is acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting off with whom. Yet despite the over-riding tone of impending doom, there are flashes of humour. Hence the appearance of a basket of absurdly fluffy kittens. Most of the time, despite’in spite of’albeit , the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue makes us care deeply with regards to’concerning’with respect to the characters and misgiving’fret intensely with regards to’concerning’with respect to what’s going to happen to them.