Mike Flanagan's films and series don't connect, so watch them in release order or start anywhere. The Haunting of Hill House (2018) is the best place to start, then The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021) and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023). Of the films, Hush (2016), Gerald's Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), a sequel to The Shining, are the essentials. His newest work is Carrie (2026) on Prime Video.
- Titles
- 16
- Films
- 10
- Series
- 6
- Watch time
- 67 hours
- Box office
- $231 million
- Avg IMDb
- 7.0
Mike Flanagan movies in release order
Here is every Mike Flanagan title in the order it came out, 2011 to 2026: 10 films and 6 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Absentia | 2011 | Film | 1h 31m | |
| 2 | Oculus | 2013 | Film | 1h 44m | 6.6 |
| 3 | Hush | 2016 | Film | 1h 22m | 6.6 |
| 4 | Before I Wake | 2016 | Film | 1h 37m | 6.2 |
| 5 | Ouija: Origin of Evil | 2016 | Film | 1h 39m | 6.2 |
| 6 | Gerald's Game | 2017 | Film | 1h 44m | 6.5 |
| 7 | The Haunting of Hill House | 2018 | Series | 9h 45m | 8.5 |
| 8 | Doctor Sleep | 2019 | Film | 2h 32m | 7.3 |
| 9 | The Haunting of Bly Manor | 2020 | Series | 8h 14m | 7.4 |
| 10 | Midnight Mass | 2021 | Series | 7h 37m | 7.7 |
| 11 | The Midnight Club | 2022 | Series | 9h 12m | 6.5 |
| 12 | The Fall of the House of Usher | 2023 | Series | 8h 18m | 7.9 |
| 13 | The Life of Chuck | 2024 | Film | 1h 51m | 7.3 |
| 14 | Shelby Oaks optional | 2024 | Film | 1h 31m | 5.3 |
| 15 | Carrie | 2026 | Series | 7h 1m | 7.8 |
| 16 | Clayface optional | 2026 | Film | 1h 49m |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Mike Flanagan, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Absentia and go in release order, skipping the 2 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 14 titles and about 64 hours, 5% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: The Haunting of Hill House (8.5), The Fall of the House of Usher (7.9), and Carrie (7.8).
Every Mike Flanagan movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 2011 · Film · 1h 31m
Absentia
Tricia's husband has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him 'dead in absentia'. Tricia is reluctant, always holding out hope, but Callie is practical and wants her to move on. As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house.
Why it matters: Flanagan's Kickstarter-funded debut about a husband missing for seven years.
- Starring
- Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, and Morgan Peter Brown
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $0 million
- Scores
- Rotten Tomatoes 87%
No. 02 · 2013 · Film · 1h 44m
Oculus
A woman tries to exonerate her brother's murder conviction by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.
Why it matters: Karen Gillan sets out to prove a mirror killed her parents; his breakout.
- Starring
- Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, and Katee Sackhoff
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $44 million on a $5 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 75%
No. 03 · 2016 · Film · 1h 22m
Hush
A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home.
Why it matters: A deaf writer against a masked killer; co-written by and starring Kate Siegel.
- Starring
- John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, and Michael Trucco
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%
No. 04 · 2016 · Film · 1h 37m
Before I Wake
An orphaned child's dreams—and nightmares—manifest physically as he sleeps.
Why it matters: A foster child's dreams, and nightmares, come to life.
- Starring
- Kate Bosworth, Jacob Tremblay, and Thomas Jane
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $5 million
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 67%
No. 05 · 2016 · Film · 1h 39m
Ouija: Origin of Evil
In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.
Why it matters: A 1967 prequel to Ouija (2014), praised as a big improvement on it.
- Starring
- Parker Mack, Annalise Basso, and Elizabeth Reaser
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $82 million on a $9 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 82%
No. 06 · 2017 · Film · 1h 44m
Gerald's Game
When her husband's sex game goes wrong, Jessie (who is handcuffed to a bed in a remote lake house) faces warped visions, dark secrets and a dire choice.
Why it matters: Carla Gugino handcuffed to a bed; Stephen King's "unfilmable" novel.
- Starring
- Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, and Carel Struycken
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%
No. 07 · 2018 · Series · 9h 45m
The Haunting of Hill House
Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.
Why it matters: The Crain family, past and present; the place to start with Flanagan.
- Starring
- Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, and Kate Siegel
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 8.5
- Episodes
- 10
No. 08 · 2019 · Film · 2h 32m
Doctor Sleep
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
Why it matters: Ewan McGregor as grown-up Danny Torrance; a sequel to The Shining.
- Starring
- Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kyliegh Curran
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $72 million on a $45 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%
No. 09 · 2020 · Series · 8h 14m
The Haunting of Bly Manor
After an au pair's tragic death, Henry Wingrave hires a young American nanny to care for his orphaned niece and nephew who reside at Bly Manor with the estate's chef Owen, groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. But all is not as it seems at the manor, and centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling tale.
Why it matters: The Turn of the Screw as a gothic romance; the second Haunting.
- Starring
- Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Henry Thomas
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 7.4
- Episodes
- 9
No. 10 · 2021 · Series · 7h 37m
Midnight Mass
The arrival of a charismatic young priest brings glorious miracles, ominous mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town desperate to believe.
Why it matters: A priest arrives on an island and miracles begin; drawn from Flanagan's Catholic upbringing.
- Starring
- Hamish Linklater, Zach Gilford, and Kate Siegel
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7
- Episodes
- 7
No. 11 · 2022 · Series · 9h 12m
The Midnight Club
Inside a hospice for terminally ill teens, members of an exclusive club make a chilling pact: The first to die must send a sign from beyond the grave.
Why it matters: Terminally ill teens tell scary stories at midnight; one season.
- Starring
- Iman Benson, Igby Rigney, and Ruth Codd
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5
- Episodes
- 10
No. 12 · 2023 · Series · 8h 18m
The Fall of the House of Usher
To secure their fortune — and future — two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.
Why it matters: Edgar Allan Poe's stories folded into one pharma dynasty.
- Starring
- Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, and Mary McDonnell
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 7.9
- Episodes
- 8
No. 13 · 2024 · Film · 1h 51m
The Life of Chuck
In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles 'Chuck' Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
Why it matters: A Stephen King story told backwards, with Tom Hiddleston.
- Starring
- Tom Hiddleston, Benjamin Pajak, and Nick Offerman
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Box office
- $20 million on a $25 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 80%
No. 14 · 2024 · Film · 1h 31m · optional
Shelby Oaks
A woman's obsessive search for her missing sister leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.
Why it matters: Chris Stuckmann's debut, which Flanagan executive produced.
- Starring
- Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, and Brendan Sexton III
- Director
- Chris Stuckmann
- Box office
- $8 million on a $1 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.3
No. 15 · 2026 · Series · 7h 1m
Carrie
After her father's sudden, untimely death thrusts her into the unforgiving ecosystem of public high school, Carrie is forced to navigate a viral bullying scandal that tears through her community, the relentless pressure and casual cruelty of the social‑media age, and the awakening of mysterious telekinetic powers that rise alongside her adolescence.
Why it matters: Flanagan reimagines Stephen King's Carrie as a Prime Video series.
- Starring
- Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, and Siena Agudong
- Creator
- Mike Flanagan
- Scores
- IMDb 7.8
- Episodes
- 8
No. 16 · 2026 · Film · 1h 49m · optional
Clayface
Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Why it matters: A DC body-horror film co-written by Flanagan and directed by James Watkins.
- Starring
- Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, and Eddie Marsan
- Director
- James Watkins
Mike Flanagan box office and budgets
The 7 Mike Flanagan films with reported numbers have grossed $231 million worldwide on about $85 million in combined budgets, roughly 2.7 times what they cost. The biggest is Ouija: Origin of Evil at $82 million, 35% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Doctor Sleep ($72 million) and Oculus ($44 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Ouija: Origin of Evil, which made 9.1 times its $9 million budget. The weakest was The Life of Chuck at 79% of its $25 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Mike Flanagan movies
Across 14 rated titles, Mike Flanagan averages 7.0 on IMDb. The top of the list is The Haunting of Hill House at 8.5, then The Fall of the House of Usher (7.9) and Carrie (7.8). At the bottom: Shelby Oaks (5.3) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (6.2). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Ouija: Origin of Evil, is only the 13th best rated.
- The Haunting of Hill House8.5
- The Fall of the House of Usher7.9
- Carrie7.8
- Midnight Mass7.7
- The Haunting of Bly Manor7.4
- Doctor Sleep7.3 · RT 79%
- The Life of Chuck7.3 · RT 80%
- Oculus6.6 · RT 75%
- Hush6.6 · RT 92%
- Gerald's Game6.5 · RT 91%
Who appears in the most Mike Flanagan movies
Kate Siegel leads with 7 appearances as Marisol Chavez and Maddie, ahead of Samantha Sloyan (6) and Henry Thomas (6). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kate Siegel | Marisol Chavez / Maddie | 7 | Oculus (2013) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Samantha Sloyan | Sarah / Bev Keane | 6 | Hush (2016) to Carrie (2026) |
| Henry Thomas | Father Tom / Tom | 6 | Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Carla Gugino | Jessie / Olivia Crain | 4 | Gerald's Game (2017) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Katie Parker | Callie / Silent Sarey | 3 | Absentia (2011) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Justin Gordon | Det. Lonergan / Supervisor Mark | 3 | Absentia (2011) to Before I Wake (2016) |
| Annalise Basso | Young Kaylie / Paulina Zander | 3 | Oculus (2013) to The Life of Chuck (2024) |
| Michael Trucco | John / Rufus Griswold | 3 | Hush (2016) to Carrie (2026) |
| Rahul Kohli | Owen Sharma / Sheriff Hassan | 3 | The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Zach Gilford | Riley Flynn / Mark | 3 | Midnight Mass (2021) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) |
| Courtney Bell | Tricia / Andrea | 2 | Absentia (2011) to Before I Wake (2016) |
| Dave Levine | Det. Mallory / Robert Clancy | 2 | Absentia (2011) to Oculus (2013) |
Mike Flanagan directors and creators
4 filmmakers have directed or created Mike Flanagan; Mike Flanagan has the most, with 14.
- Mike FlanaganAbsentia (2011), Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), Before I Wake (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Gerald's Game (2017), The Haunting of Hill House (2018), Doctor Sleep (2019), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), The Midnight Club (2022), The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), The Life of Chuck (2024), and Carrie (2026)
- Leah FongThe Midnight Club (2022)
- Chris StuckmannShelby Oaks (2024)
- James WatkinsClayface (2026)
How long it takes to watch every Mike Flanagan movie
All 16 titles add up to 67 hours: 17 hours of film and 50 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 34 two-hour evenings, or 7 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 64 hours. The longest film is Doctor Sleep at 2h 32m.
The 4 best rated films: Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck, Oculus, and Hush.
Everything takes about 10 weeks; the essentials about 10 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Mike Flanagan movies can you skip?
2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 3 hours.
- Shelby Oaks2024 · Film · 1h 31m · optionalChris Stuckmann's debut, which Flanagan executive produced.
- Clayface2026 · Film · 1h 49m · optionalA DC body-horror film co-written by Flanagan and directed by James Watkins.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Mike Flanagan movies in?
Mike Flanagan's films and series don't connect, so watch them in release order or start anywhere. The Haunting of Hill House (2018) is the best place to start, then The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021) and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023). Of the films, Hush (2016), Gerald's Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), a sequel to The Shining, are the essentials. His newest work is Carrie (2026) on Prime Video.
How many Mike Flanagan movies and shows are there?
There are 16 titles in the Mike Flanagan franchise: 10 films and 6 series, released from 2011 to 2026.
How long does it take to watch all the Mike Flanagan movies?
About 67 hours for all 16 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (14 titles) take about 64 hours.
What is the first Mike Flanagan title in chronological order?
Absentia, set in A tunnel in Glendale. In release order the first is Absentia (2011).
Which Mike Flanagan titles can I skip?
Shelby Oaks and Clayface. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Mike Flanagan movie?
By IMDb score, The Haunting of Hill House (2018) at 8.5, followed by The Fall of the House of Usher at 7.9.
What is the highest-grossing Mike Flanagan movie?
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), with $82 million worldwide. Mike Flanagan films have made $231 million in total.
Who has appeared in the most Mike Flanagan movies?
Kate Siegel, in 7 of them as Marisol Chavez.
What is the longest Mike Flanagan movie?
Doctor Sleep, at 2h 32m.
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