Movies News Talk
Director of both The Haunting Of Hill House and Oculus Mike Flanagan said he drew inspiration for his Netflix show from Oculus. Both initiatives include family tragedy, similar timelines, and psychological effects of horrific occurrences from early life. Emphasizing the common structure and themes, Flanagan writes of The Haunting of Hill House as "Oculus, but for 10 hours."
Using a novel narrative approach whereby the tale leaps back and forth between two separate histories, both Oculus and The Haunting Of Hill House Following Kaylie and Tim as they seek the truth about their parents' deaths, Oculus shows the narrative both in the past and the present. In The Haunting of Hill House, too, we see the Crain family's experience in the haunted house both in their childhood and in their adult life, therefore exposing the long-lasting effects of their horrific history.
Though the individuals in both Oculus and The Haunting of Hill House are unique, they have intriguing similarities. Tim in Oculus, for example, has similar doubts about the supernatural with one of the Crain siblings, Steven. Eventually both individuals face their past and accept the reality of their experiences. Moreover, Kaylie's will to face the Lasser Glass reflects Nell's conviction that Hill House is haunted and the cause of their family's troubles.
Both Oculus and The Haunting of Hill House look at the complicated dynamics in families and how trauma could affect bonds. Whereas the Crain family suffers with the aftermath of their mother's influence and the haunting of Hill House, the Russell family is split apart in Oculus by the Lasser Glass. Both tales stress the frailty of familial ties and the ongoing influence of horrific events.
The characters in both Oculus and The Haunting of Hill House have to face their past tragedies if they are to find closure and proceed. In Oculus, Kaylie and Tim face the Lasser Glass in an effort to comprehend the reality of their parents' deaths and separate from its impact. In The Haunting of Hill House, the Crain siblings similarly face their own memories of the house and the events that happened inside its walls in an attempt to comprehend the influence it had on their life.
Flanagan's inventive approach to narrative is shown by his choice to apply Oculus's framework and motifs for The Haunting of Hill House. Inspired by his earlier work, he was able to build on the ideas of family trauma, supernatural Horror, and the power of the past in a more broadly applicable manner. This method lets him investigate the same fundamental concepts in a more complex and subtle manner, therefore highlighting his ability to craft gripping stories appealing to viewers.