Mike Flanagan on horror’s young filmmakers: “I am ancient”
As up-and-coming horror voices grab the spotlight, Mike Flanagan sizes up where he fits—and doesn’t mince words.
It hit him during a meet-up with teen director Kane Parsons: Mike Flanagan suddenly felt like the veteran in the room. The filmmaker behind Netflix staples like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass said the new wave of horror creators — many of them coming in from YouTube and other corners of the internet — has him feeling his age in the best possible way.
“I feel very old. When I met Kane, I was like, I am ancient,” Flanagan said. “I'm a total kid, but I find them to be completely inspiring. I think it's such a wonderful thing for the genre.”
Speaking with ScreenRant, Flanagan added that he saw The Backrooms three times, including one screening with his son. The movie scared and thrilled his kid in equal measure, which turned into a dad-and-son horror bonding night. It also sparked the younger Flanagan’s curiosity about Chiwetel Ejiofor — and yes, Mike says he’s got a photo with the star. For Flanagan, that kind of original, non-formula approach is good news for audiences and the genre.
Where to start with Flanagan
If his shout-out to the newcomers has you itching to revisit his own work, there’s a deep bench to choose from across Netflix and Prime Video. A few easy entry points:
- The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix) — A modern haunted-house classic with an emotional core that sneaks up on you.
- Midnight Mass (Netflix) — Centered on faith and fanaticism, with Hamish Linklater’s quietly unnerving turn as Father Paul and a finale that lingers.
- The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix) — A sharper, meaner ride, led by Bruce Greenwood, that twists Edgar Allan Poe through a glossy, nasty family saga.
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) — Less about jump scares, more about longing and loss; a gothic romance draped in fog.
- Carrie (Prime Video, 2026 ) — Flanagan’s series take stars Summer H. Howell as Carrie, with Samantha Sloyan as Margaret and Matthew Lillard as the school principal, tackling bullying and religious extremism head-on.
- The Midnight Club (Netflix) — Teen storytellers in hospice trade scary tales, with the character drama baked right into the chills.
Flanagan may be cheering from the sidelines for the new guard, but his own filmography isn’t going anywhere — it just gives fans more ways to get spooked between trips to The Backrooms.