9 Things Midnight Mass Has In Common With The Haunting Series

Director Mike Flanagan continues to impress horror fans with his latest Netflix series Midnight Mass, which centers on the religious community of Crockett Island. Flanagan is also responsible for The Haunting anthology series, consisting of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

While The Haunting series features ghosts and apparitions, Midnight Mass has a very different, and arguably even darker tone. Although Midnight Mass is not part of The Haunting series, the two Flanagan shows do share some eerily similar themes and plot points.

The Secret Child

One of the major revelations at the end of Midnight Mass is that Father Paul is actually Father Pruitt and is the father of local doctor, Sarah Gunning. Sarah dying in her parents’ arms is one of the saddest moments in Midnight Mass, but the plot point of the secret child also features in The Haunting series.

In The Haunting of Bly Manor, it is revealed that Henry had an affair with his brother’s wife and may be Flora’s real father. In The Haunting of Hill House, the audience is unaware of who Abigail is until the end of the series when she is revealed as the Dudleys’ daughter. While the idea of the secret child played heavily The Haunting series, the revelation in Midnight Mass is the most shocking and effective of them all.

Addiction

In Midnight Mass, Riley is struggling with addiction, which is how he finds himself embroiled with Father Paul and the church. Riley’s addiction actually leads to him being manipulated by Father Paul and eventually results in his death.

The older Luke Crain in The Haunting of Hill House also suffers from addiction as a result of his experiences as a child. When the viewers meet him, Luke is out of control and many of his family members have given up on him. Unlike Luke, Riley is determined to start fresh and is more committed when it comes to the promises he makes to his family.

The Ailing Mother

At the beginning of Midnight Mass, Mildred Gunning is a frail and sickly elderly woman who is being cared for by her daughter, Sarah. However, when the strange goings-on begin in Crockett, Mildred starts to recover and grows young again.

Although it isn’t explored in great detail on screen, Owen in The Haunting of Bly Manor is also caring for his unwell mother. Eventually, Owen’s mother dies and he is left heartbroken. While Sarah’s mother gets better and Owen’s mother dies, both mothers’ sicknesses serve to show the caring and nurturing demeanors of their children.

Haunted By Guilt

When Riley returns to Crockett at the beginning of Midnight Mass, he is struggling with a lot of demons. Years prior, he was driving under the influence when he ran over and killed a young girl, and he remains haunted by visions of her.

In Bly Manor, Dani is haunted by a similar vision. In one of the saddest scenes in The Haunting of Bly Manor, it is revealed that the vision is of Dani’s former partner who was run over and killed after she called off their engagement. Although Riley was directly responsible for the crash that killed Tara-Beth, and Dani wasn’t for Edmund’s death, both are haunted by their own guilt.

Saving The Children

During the final episode of Midnight Mass, Erin accepts that she’s unlikely to escape the island. However, she tells the others that they can at least ensure that the children escape.

In Bly Manor, Dani repeatedly puts herself at risk for Flora and Miles, and eventually sacrifices herself in order to save them. The children go on to live happy lives, unaware of the sacrifice that was made for them. Erin and Dani both ultimately lose their lives while trying to ensure the safety of children.

The Tragic Love Story

The building romance between Erin and Riley ends tragically in one of the scariest scenes in Midnight Mass, with the latter being burned alive in front of the former. As the audience is rooting for them throughout the show, this ending is particularly gut-wrenching. However, the tragic love story has been seen before in both seasons of The Haunting.

In Hill House, Nell’s husband dies suddenly in front of her, and in Bly Manor, Jamie is unable to save Dani when she sacrifices herself. The endings of all three romances are heartbreaking and surprisingly emotional for the horror genre.

Life After Death

A major plot point in Midnight Mass is life after death; characters who drink “angel” blood return from the dead with a newfound bloodlust. Across the series, this happens to many of the main characters, although some welcome it more than others.

In both seasons of The Haunting, ghosts are present within the narrative. Peter Quint in Bly Manor shows a particular reluctance to accept his death, possessing Miles in an attempt to continue his life. Although life after death is a prominent theme in both series, some characters are certainly more willing to move on than others.

Henry Thomas As The Struggling Father

In Midnight Mass and both seasons of The Haunting, actor Henry Thomas plays a struggling father. In Midnight Mass, Thomas’ Ed struggles to accept his son’s return after what he has done, which proves to be a major strain on their relationship.

In Hill House, Hugh struggles to keep his family together following the strange events, and in Bly Manor, Henry grapples with accepting his role as Flora’s uncle, knowing he could in fact be her father. The recurring theme of the struggling father is further solidified by the fact Thomas has played variations of this character type in both shows. Despite all three of his characters’ faults, they all try their best and to do right by their children — if not in the most overt ways.

The Cast

Thomas isn’t the only cast member to appear in both Midnight Mass and The Haunting, as Flanagan has been known to work with the same actors across multiple projects. Flanagan’s wife, Kate Siegel, plays Erin in Midnight Mass, Theo in Hill House, and the Lady of Lake in Bly Manor. 

Annabeth Gish and Robert Longstreet, the actors who portray the Dudleys in Hill House, also appear in Midnight Mass as Sarah Gunning and Joe Collie, respectively. Rahul Kohli, who portrays Owen in Bly Manor, also takes on the role of Sheriff Hassan in Midnight Mass. Fans will actually have seen many of the Midnight Mass cast in Flanagan’s other projects. Despite their differing tones, both series feel quite similar.

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