TV + Movies

Mike Flanagan Says People Who Love Horror Are the ‘Happiest Human Beings’

"It's the people who love comedy who seem miserable... who just seem really, really dark."

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Mike Flanagan (right) shared a picture of himself dressed up as the hysterical SNL Halloween character David S. Pumpkins on the set of ‘Doctor Sleep’ (with Ewan McGregor, left) on his Instagram.

Mike Flanagan is a horror filmmaker known for his deeply emotional (and deeply scary) films and Netflix series. He is also known as a big fan of the genre. Flanagan peppers horror references into his work and understands the decades of lore necessary to create so many skillful adaptations of Stephen King’s stories in addition to his own original horror movies and shows.

Flanagan’s standout films include Hush (2016), Gerald’s Game (2017) and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep (2019). For Netflix, he has created five horror miniseries: The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), The Midnight Club (2022) and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023). Most recently he has adapted Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck for the screen.

In an interview with Who’s There? A Podcast About Horror Fans Flanagan discussed why he loves the genre so much and what makes horror fans different from people who love other genres. Podcast host Allison Broder asked him why it’s possible that people who seem “perfectly sane” could love a genre all about violence, terror and death. Flanagan responded “People who love horror have an outlet for a lot of…darkness. And so, by and large, horror fans are among the most well-rounded and sympathetic and empathetic human beings. And [they’re the] kindest human beings and happiest human beings that I meet.”

Flanagan also said “It’s the people who love comedy who seem miserable… who just seem really, really dark.”

Flanagan isn’t alone in saying horror is a healthy outlet for processing emotional stress. Many genre fans are drawn to horror movies because they allow viewers to explore their fears from the safety of their living room. This has also been noted by experts like Dr. Mathias Clasen who spent decades studying the science of why people watch horror. He says, “The genre allows us to voluntarily—and under controlled circumstances—get experience with negative emotion.”

You can listen to the full Who’s There? A Podcast About Horror Fans episode with Mike Flanagan here.