The Original Ending of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ is the Stuff of Nightmares


he Original Ending of 'The Haunting of Hill House' is the Stuff of Nightmares

It’s Halloween, which by now means you’ve binge-watched all 10 episodes of Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, as well as read all of the fan theories and scoured the screen for hidden details.

And as praised as the show has been by horror fans and critics alike (it has 93% on Rotten Tomatoes), a look on any comment thread will tell you that the ending was divisive.

Well, those in the “happy endings suck” camp are about to feel vindicated, because it turns out Hill House almost had a very different ending.

In the show’s final scene, the remaining members of the Crain family are gathered around a table, as Luke celebrates two years sober.

The Original Ending of 'The Haunting of Hill House' is the Stuff of Nightmares
Source: Netflix

And after all of the horror they’ve endured in the past, the gang are finally happy. Steve has reconciled with his estranged wife Leigh, and the pair have a baby on the way. Shirley and her husband seem to also have worked things out, while Theo has married her on-off lover Trish.

But according to an interview with director Mike Flanagan, a much darker ending was originally planned the Crain family. The room that the group were gathered in for the final scene was meant to have a narrow vertical window in the background, which means it would have been THE RED ROOM IN DISGUISE.

The Original Ending of 'The Haunting of Hill House' is the Stuff of Nightmares

And although that ending would have been far more disturbing, Flanagan just couldn’t bring himself to do that to the Crains.

Speaking to Thrillist, Flanagan said: “One thing I can say is that we talked for a very, very long time about putting the Red Room window, that weird vertical window, in the background of this shot. And I ultimately decided not to. It was too cruel. But there was a lot of talk that this peace might not be real. In the version we ended up going with, I think it absolutely is real.”

The Original Ending of 'The Haunting of Hill House' is the Stuff of Nightmares
Source: Netflix

So, all’s well that ends well… Until Season 2, that is.

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Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a seasoned professional with a strong background in growth strategies and editorial responsibilities. Kokou has been instrumental in driving companies' expansion and fortifying their market presence. His academic credentials underscore his expertise; having studied Communication at the Università degli Studi di Siena (Italy), he later honed his skills in growth hacking at the Growth Tribe Academy (Amsterdam).

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