Midnight Mass, a limited series on Netflix from the same director of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, has brought controversial attention to its extreme perspective on religion. What was the purpose of Mike Flanagan’s outlook in this horror series?
The limited series stars Kate Siegel (Erin Green), Zach Gilford (Riley Flynn), and Hamish Linklater (Father Paul/ Monsignor Pruitt). Although three of Flanagan’s limited series have their own storyline, the connection is through the recycled casting. In the 2021 limited series, a community with a population of 127 people has one thing in common: Christianity. The small island, thirty miles from the mainland, has residents who have inhabited the island their entire lives, and their only mission in life is to worship the Lord. The secluded island setting made the plot much more realistic aside from the horrifying angel drinking everyone’s blood. And anyone watching a show revolving around religion is not expecting the horror psychological perspective.
The purpose I got from the limited series is how deeply rooted religion can be. The people on the island never left. They raised their children there and died there. They believe in the lord and that faith has kept them on the island. It’s not an unimaginable scenario that makes the plot seem more plausible and can be seen in different parts of the world. Within the episodes, there is a lot of monologuing through bible verses that give the series that religious element. The series can be summed up as when religion meets horror.
Midnight Mass was released just in time for the spooky season! If you like psychological horror then this is the series for you.