Horror fans have a new must-watch recommendation, and it comes from the King of Horror himself. Stephen King has heaped praise on Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher, calling the eight-part gothic series a near-perfect adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic work.
Director Mike Flanagan created the 2023 miniseries, loosely adapting Poe’s 1839 short story of the same name. Flanagan has built a reputation for transforming famous source material into fresh, original work. His earlier hits include The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. With Usher, he took on Poe and impressed even the most demanding horror critic alive.
The show follows the wealthy and corrupt Usher family, centered on siblings Roderick and Madeline. Four different actors play each sibling across multiple timelines. The series charts the family’s shady rise to power and the mysterious deaths of Roderick’s six children. A supernatural woman named Verna drives their downfall, having struck a deal that secured the family fortune at a terrible cost.
Flanagan packed the series with Poe references. Verna is an anagram of Raven, a nod to Poe’s most famous poem. Each of the eight episodes borrows its title from a different Poe work, including “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Raven.”
King’s praise arrived on August 4, 2025, nearly two years after the show’s release. Posting on X, he called the series scary and involving, with witty writing that keeps the plot moving.
Coming from one of the most prolific horror writers ever, that comparison carries serious weight.
The two creators already share a working relationship, since Flanagan has directed several King book-to-screen adaptations. Critics praised Usher on release for its editing, character writing, and performances, especially from Mark Hamill and Carla Gugino. King’s late endorsement has only reinforced the show’s lasting power.
