When it comes to chilling shows on Netflix, “The Midnight Club” delivers creepiness in a ten-episode coming-of-age season. The cast primarily includes actors from show creator Mike Flanagan’s other works “Midnight Mass,” “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” Some familiar faces include Igby Rigney, Samantha Sloyan, Zach Gilford, Henry Thomas, Alex Essoe and Matt Biedel. Another recognizable face is Heather Langenkamp, who starred as Nancy in the original “Nightmare on Elm Street” series.
The show revolves around a high school senior named Ilonka, who is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After treatments fail her, her illness is deemed terminal and she is forced to consider hospice.
Ilonka, a recent high school graduate who just turned 18, is not yet ready to give up. In a search to find ways to survive thyroid cancer, she discovers an article about a young woman who went to a hospice home called Brightcliffe. The article claims this woman disappeared into the woods, returned in remission and lived. Hoping to get answers and a clean bill of health, Ilonka decides to give Brightcliffe a try. As soon as she arrives, Ilonka experiences déjà vu and is greeted by the ghost of an old woman.
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Every night, eight of the patients sneak out of their rooms around midnight to meet, tell each other ghost stories and drink wine. While most of the show consists of the various tales the teenagers tell, there is an overarching storyline about Ilonka while she navigates the difficult time in her life. As she searches for a cure, she must deal with the supernatural forces she can see and feel — all while keeping this from others for fear of sounding crazy.
“The Midnight Club” could have been more unnerving, especially considering its TV-MA rating. While plenty creepy and delivered some scariness, more was expected knowing Flangan wrote it. If looking for mild thrills and a good coming-of-age story, “The Midnight Club” may satisfy.
