Stephen King once highlighted a Netflix mini-series that fans claim contains one of the most effective jumpscares ever.
In addition to its spine-chilling moments, the series boasts a renowned cast and an impressive 93 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a remarkable combination.
The renowned horror author frequently shares his top TV recommendations online, and he was notably taken with this Netflix original.
The series stars Carla Gugino, who is set to appear alongside Brad Pitt in the forthcoming film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth.
This movie is directed by David Fincher of Mindhunter fame and scripted by Quentin Tarantino. It will feature Pitt reprising his role as Cliff Booth from the 2019 film Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.
In this series, Gugino is joined by Victoria Pedretti of You, Kate Siegel from Oculus, and Elizabeth Reaser from Twilight in this captivating thriller.
The plot revolves around the Crain family, who move into a vast and mysterious house one summer, intending to renovate and sell it.
Soon, they are beset by uncanny and frightening events. A tragic incident one night compels them to abandon the house, leaving them with deep psychological wounds.
Years on, the siblings—Steven, Shirley, Theo, Luke, and Nell—are reunited by another tragedy, prompting them to face their buried memories of the house and each other.
As the story shifts between past and present, the true events of that fateful summer gradually come to light.
This compelling series is The Haunting of Hill House, adapted from Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same title.
Stephen King expressed his thoughts on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, revised and remodeled by Mike Flanagan. I don’t usually care for this kind of revisionism, but this is great. Close to a work of genius, really. I think Shirley Jackson would approve, but who knows for sure.”
Mike Flanagan, known for his work on the 2025 adaptation of King’s 2020 novella The Life of Chuck, as well as the Netflix film Gerald’s Game (also featuring Gugino) and the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, directed the series.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes awarded the series a 93 percent score, describing it as ‘an effective ghost story whose steadily mounting anticipation is just as satisfying as its chilling payoff’.
Fans have also praised the series for having one of the most memorable jumpscares.
Without revealing too much, a viewer confessed that the startling moment made them ‘scream out loud’.
The fan commended the unexpected nature of the scare, stating: “Thing about jump scares is most of the time you can tell around when it’s gonna happen so you can brace yourself. This gave no hint and it got me so bad I screamed and turned a little away while throwing up my arms in front of my face.
“I’ve never reacted like that to a movie or anything in my life lol. WTF?! Holy s**t is this an all time great jump scare or was it just one for me?”
Another viewer concurred, describing it as a thrilling scare, saying: “The jump scare in Haunting of Hill House I would vote is still one of the best jump scares ever.”
The Haunting of Hill House is currently available to stream on Netflix.