Midnight Mass remains Mike Flanagan’s finest horror series

Mike Flanagan’s 2021 miniseries Midnight Mass stands as his most personal and, many would argue, best work. Centered on the power and peril of faith, the seven-part vampire thriller draws directly on questions that have shaped Flanagan’s life — growing up Catholic, struggling with alcohol, and turning away from religion — and has often been compared to classic horror like Salem’s Lot.

Set on the dwindling community of Crockett Island, the story follows Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), who returns after four years in prison for killing a woman while drunk driving. The island’s decline amplifies tensions between characters such as Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli), whose Muslim faith contrasts with the town’s Catholic majority, the overzealous Bev (Samantha Sloyan), and Riley’s brother Warren (Igby Rigney).

The series also has a curious origin as an in-joke in Flanagan’s film Hush, where Kate Siegel and Samantha Sloyan reference the story’s characters before going on to appear in the show.

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