4 Mike Flanagan Netflix shows to watch before Carrie premieres

If you’re a fan of horror TV shows, chances are that you have most likely heard about Mike Flanagan. Among the biggest names in horror right now, he's consistently created some of the most amazing horror TV shows, and they've kept viewers everywhere on edge.

Flanagan's new horror adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie premieres on Prime Video on Oct. 7, 2026. Before heading over to Prime Video for Carrie, Flanagan made several horror TV shows at Netflix. Because I love Flanagan's work so much, I shared a list of four phenomenal shows that you should watch before the new series comes out.

The Haunting of Hill House

Whenever I recommend something by Flanagan, The Haunting of Hill House is the first I pick.

The series is loosely based on the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name and follows an estranged family who comes together after their youngest sibling dies. While they mourn her death and prepare for her funeral, they are haunted by visions of their old childhood home, one that might have played a bigger role in their little sister’s death than they ever imagined.

This talented cast is stacked, with performances from Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. They knock every scene they are in out of the park.

When I tell you that this is the first Netflix show to really make me scared of the dark as well as think about my own life choices, I mean it. It’s a scary Netflix show that is utterly bingeable, and the story is so well done that you'll rewatch episodes to double-check you understood everything. It really is that scarily good.

Personally, the best performance here in my book is Victoria Pedretti. Her performance as Nell is one of the best in horror. This was the first time I had seen her in a role (before she really blew up with her part on You), and I fell in love. You have to check this one out.

The Haunting of Bly Manor

Considered part of “The Haunting” anthology on Netflix, The Haunting of Bly Manor is the next Netflix series that Mike Flanagan created. The series is based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw and follows an au pair (a young foreign worker) hired to care for a wealthy family’s niece and nephew. But when she arrives, ghostly visitors begin to haunt her every step.

Several cast members from The Haunting of Hill House return in this show, but the two narratives aren't connected. They are two completely different stories with complex characters that you instantly fall in love with.

What makes it even better is that the story takes you places you would never expect. The number of twists and turns that you witness, especially in the last few episodes, is endless. This is the kind of show that is so easy to fall in love with, and from the moment it begins, you will completely get lost in its story.

Midnight Mass

This miniseries from Flanagan features incredible performances and a tale like no other. It takes place on a remote island that begins to embrace Catholicism again after a new priest arrives to take over the parish. Soon after his arrival, strange things begin to happen.

What I love about Midnight Mass is that it combines so many aspects of horror that I love. As a girl who grew up Catholic, I know that any use of religion, ideology, and what people believe can be an effective way to produce fantastic horror. It does that so incredibly well here. But there’s also the inclusion of common monsters and things you would expect that flow well with the story, like vampires, demons, etc.

It’s also just eerier, in a way. I think Midnight Mass can be creepier because a lot of what happens here could happen in real life. Not all the monsters and gore, but mass hysteria and people following someone who seems promising but has terrible secrets behind pretty smiles. That’s the real horror of this show — and what makes it so dang good.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Last but not least, I have to give The Fall of the House of Usher some props. I love this miniseries and all of its characters. It’s loosely based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe (as well as several other works from the author) and is every bit as foreboding as you would expect it to be.

Starring Carla Gugino and a bunch of familiar stars from Flanagan's other shows, the miniseries follows the Usher family and their rise to power, but also how every single one of their children eventually meets a dark and terrible end.

Yes, it’s dark, scary, and perfect for spooky season. While the source material is kind of all over the place, I think Flanagan managed to move the pieces around so each death really stood out from the rest. If you’ve never seen this series, I would definitely suggest checking it out.

You can watch all four shows on Netflix right now.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow