Netflix's 10/10 Horror Masterpiece Has One Of The Greatest TV Plot Twists Ever

While The Haunting Of Hill House is more than just a twisty mystery, the Mike Flanagan horror show does feature one of the greatest twists in TV history. There are some plot twists that still resonate with viewers, even decades after their original release. The endings of Fight Club and The Sixth Sense come to mind.

However, there are also plenty of great TV twists that never get credit for their ingenious execution. One such revelation occurs midway through writer/director Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, a Netflix miniseries from 2018. Loosely adapted from Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name, The Haunting of Hill House follows the misfortunes of the Crain family.

Decades before the story of the series began, the Crain family moved into a seemingly haunted mansion and was besieged by all manner of supernatural strangeness. Years later, the show picks up as the now-grown Crain children attempt to make sense of the inexplicable experiences they had in the house and the formative effects these had on their lives.

The Haunting Of Hill House’s Pilot Sets Up Its Best Plot Twist

The Haunting of Hill House bounces between the perspectives of the family’s estranged siblings, reuniting them when a tragic loss brings the family back together. The show’s time-twisting storytelling leaves ample room for clever, inventive twists, but one stands out as the show’s most ingenious revelation, and it is set up as early as the pilot.

Early on in The Haunting of Hill House, a young Nell Crane is haunted by a terrifying ghost known only as The Bent-Neck Lady. As the series continues, viewers learn that this haunting apparition continually reappears throughout Nell’s life, often signaling an impending tragedy. Since Nell’s mother died in the mansion, it seems obvious that this ghost could have haunted her, too.

However, everything changes in episode 5, “The Bent-Neck Lady,” the outing that finally focuses solely on Nell after she spent the show’s first four episodes as a supporting character. Although the ending of The Haunting of Hill House is brilliant, this episode’s conclusion is arguably the single most memorable moment in the series.

The Haunting Of Hill House’s Bent-Neck Lady Reveal Is An All-Time Great Twist

The revelation of the ghost’s true identity is an all-time great twist as it both changes the show's entire trajectory and re-contextualizes everything that viewers have seen until this point. The plot of The Haunting of Hill House was never straightforward, but it is still stunning to realize how obvious the Bent-Neck Lady’s real identity had been all along once it is revealed.

Like so many classic twists, the reveal seems entirely blatant once it is explained, and doesn’t require any logical gymnastics to slot into the rest of the show’s plot. On the contrary, it clarifies numerous other unanswered mysteries and sets up the conclusion of the series. Until this point, The Haunting of Hill House has hinted at alternative perceptions of time.

The show consistently toys with the idea that ghosts can represent parts of the past that people have trouble acknowledging, resulting in these parts haunting them for years. However, in The Haunting Of Hill House’s Bent-Neck Lady twist, this idea becomes startlingly literal, and what had until that point been a metaphor becomes an ingenious plot point.

The Haunting Of Hill House’s Twist Redefines The Show’s Entire Story

Until episode 5 of The Haunting of Hill House, viewers eagerly await an explanation of the house’s history, and maybe the introduction of a villainous historic resident who might be behind the family’s haunting. In a more traditional ghost story, a spirit with unfinished business inhabiting the home would explain the family’s haunting.

However, after “The Bent-Neck Lady,” it becomes clear that the show has a more ambitious and complex approach to ideas of ghosts, haunting, and time, and this rearranges the story of the series for the better. Mike Flanagan’s best show takes a major creative risk with this twist, but the revelation is still delivered in satisfyingly punchy terms.

Even great twists can sometimes derail stories, as it becomes clear that the creators were more excited about pulling the wool over the eyes of the viewer than providing a satisfying conclusion. What makes “The Bent-Neck Lady” so impressive is the fact that the twist arrives at the midpoint of the series, not its ending, meaning the show has time to reorient its remaining story.

While this episode of The Haunting of Hill House changes the viewer’s understanding of how ghosts operate in the world of the show, the following episodes clarify and build on this premise with further revelations. For instance, the reveal that one character speaks to a ghost, even in the current timeline, makes more sense after “The Bent-Neck Lady.”

Like all the best plot twists, “The Bent-Neck Lady” changes everything viewers thought they knew about the world of the series. However, The Haunting of Hill House makes this twist even more effective by placing the reveal so early in its story, and re-framing the following episodes around this revelation.