Mike Flanagan: Horror Films⁢ as Therapy for Grief ⁣and Loss

Updated june 07, 2025

Director Mike Flanagan, known for his work in the horror genre, shared ⁢insights into how his films ⁤have become a vehicle for processing ‍personal ⁣grief and loss. Speaking at SXSW London,Flanagan discussed the therapeutic nature of his creative process,particularly in relation to his hit Netflix series,The Haunting of Hill House.

Flanagan revealed that the series, which⁢ explores themes of grief and ‍suicide, was deeply influenced by a personal tragedy. ⁣The creation of‍ The Haunting of Hill House served as⁣ a coping mechanism following a suicide in his family. He⁢ said the storyline of Nell Crain’s suicide reflected ⁢dreams and⁣ nightmares he experienced during that⁢ arduous time. Flanagan hopes his work can be therapeutic for others⁢ facing similar situations.

Beyond grief,Flanagan has also used ⁣his work⁣ to ⁢confront other personal⁢ challenges.he noted that Doctor Sleep played a meaningful role in his battle against alcoholism, helping him achieve sobriety. Flanagan is also showrunning Amazon’s upcoming TV version of Stephen King’s Carrie.

Flanagan addressed what he sees as⁣ a ⁤bias against horror, arguing that the genre is often unfairly dismissed. He pointed ⁢to the success of Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning films as examples that briefly legitimize ‍horror before the⁣ industry “resets” and forgets its potential. ‍He emphasized that horror can be just‍ as dramatically viable, complex, and artistic as any other ‍genre.

Regarding Stephen King, with⁣ whom he is⁤ reportedly working on an adaptation of the Dark Tower series, ‍flanagan sees him not primarily as a horror writer, but as⁣ a humanist. He ‍said King writes empathetic stories about human nature, with horror ‍elements emerging organically from the characters.

“There⁣ are images in⁢ that that are dreams and nightmares I had during ⁢that time,” he said. “That show is me trying to deal with grief⁢ and loss. ⁤I’m going⁤ to be dealing with it forever⁣ but having a creative outlet to try ⁤and pour that into has been incredibly‍ therapeutic and I hope it’s therapeutic for‍ people going through a⁤ similar ⁢situation to⁤ me.”

Flanagan also passionately defended the use of monologues in film, ⁢arguing against the trend toward shorter attention spans. He⁢ believes monologues allow⁣ actors to “completely change reality with just words” and wants to resist the cultural shift toward brief entertainment bursts.

What’s next

Flanagan’s latest film,The Life of Chuck,premiered at SXSW London. Starring Tom Hiddleston, the⁤ film ⁢tells the story of a man’s life in reverse-chronological order and⁢ is based on a Stephen ⁢King novel.