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Screener Squad: The Midnight Club

The Midnight Club Series Review

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB SERIES REVIEW

Just in time for the Halloween Season, Netflix proudly presents…21 Jump Scares! Ok, no it’s actually called The Midnight Club BUT this show does now officially hold the Guinness World Record for Most Jump Scares Used in a Single Episode of Television. But don’t be so quick to recoil my fellow horror fans: this is not a ten-hour parade of tired haunted house tropes. This is, in fact, the newest series helmed by the great Mike Flanagan, who has already brought forth such masterworks as Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House, Gerald’s Game and Midnight Mass. The Midnight Club follows the character of Ilonka (Iman Benson), a teenage girl who, upon the eve of her High School graduation, is diagnosed with cancer. After an unsuccessful slew of treatments, Ilonka decides to instead enter a youth hospice with a storied and mysterious past. It’s not long after her arrival that her fellow residents initiate her into the Midnight Club, a nightly get-together where everyone sneaks out of their rooms into the basement to drink wine and tell each other scary stories. As Ilonka and her new friends begin to bond, it becomes clear that the hospice may not be what it seems, and dark forces may be awakening within its halls…cue the Castle Thunder. Mike Flanagan is a master of creating horror with a tremendous amount of heart. One minute you’re huddled under the blanket, the next you’re reaching for the tissues while contemplating the true meaning of existence. Does The Midnight Club pack the emotional weight of Flanagan’s past series? That’s what card-carrying Flanagan fans Rose, Tessa and Melina have come together to determine.

WATCH HERE

CREATED BY: Mike Flanagan

STARRING: Iman Benson, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd, Annarah Cymone, Chris Sumpter, Adia, Aya Furukawa, Sauriyan Sapkota, Matt Biede, Samantha Sloyan, Zach Gilford, Heather Langenkamp, Emilija Baranac, Daniel Diemer, Katie Parker, Larsen Thompson, Robert Longstreet, William B. Davis, Patricia Drake, Crystal Balint, Jenaya Ross, Henry Thomas, Alex Essoe, Rahul Kohli, Michael Trucco

 

YOUR REVIEWERS

 

Rose Mattox (Screener Squad)

Originally hailing from Austin then Houston, Rose has been an avid movie and TV fanatic pretty much since birth. She spends spending her days watching Star Trek reruns, 60’s spy fiction, and Audrey Hepburn movies with her beloved minion (see: dog Riley). She also occasionally dabbles in comedy, screenwriting, as well as graphic and interior design. Rose has been contributing to One of Us since 2019 as a member of the Screener Squad, as well as making regular appearances on Eye on the Prize during awards season. She can be found on Twitter at @nightattheopera.

 

 

Tessa Morrison (Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad, Unstabletop Gamers)

Well-rounded nerd and artist, Tessa Morrison grew up in the misty mountains of West Virginia and was constantly ridiculed for being a “weirdo.” Then moved to Austin in 2009 where people said the same thing, but in an endearing tone. Tessa works an office day job, creates puppets and fiber art, cosplays, models for gaming and animation studios, and volunteers for various organizations. One of which is the Other Worlds Film Festival, Austin’s first SciFi film fest, working in the capacity of Outreach Director and programmer. Another is local DIY-comedy-wrestling league, Party World Rasslin’, where Tessa scrambles around stage-handing and doing art department nonsense. Wrote and contributed to website and magazine Strange Kids Club for five years reviewing films, video games, and Halloween candy. Co-hosted a Public Access show called Ladies of Fandom. Previously guested on podcasts Blood Over Texas, Threequel Club, Trash in the Can, Retro Movie Roundtable, and Nerds with Mics.

 

 

Melina Eames (Screener Squad)

Melina first discovered that she carried the nerd gene at the tender age of four following her exposure to a little film called A New Hope. In the twenty-some years that followed, Melina continued to grow into her geek identity through the discovery of Batman, Mst3k, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and The Mandalorian. But perhaps her most significant discovery came at the age of fourteen when a night of YouTube mining led her to the review site of Spill.com. Melina became a devoted follower whose fandom did not end with the site’s demise. By then, it had worked its dark magic and left her with a love and appreciation for film criticism that she has yet to shrug.

 

 

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