Modern horror master Mike Flanagan has so far directed seven feature films, and here’s how they stack up against each other, worst to best. There’s a certain pantheon of directors that are eternally revered within the horror genre. Names like James Whale, Wes Craven, Dario Argento, John Carpenter, and George Romero. While it may be too early yet to consider currently working directors for that exalted class, two from the modern era seemingly headed there are James Wan and Mike Flanagan.
There’s no doubt that financially, Wan comes out the winner, thanks to creating the highly profitable Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring franchises. Flanagan made his name a bit more quietly, but in the last several years, more and more people are waking up to the fact that he’s yet to make a truly bad film, and has a high rate of excellence among his growing filmography. This has even gone beyond TV, with Flanagan directing Netflix’s hugely acclaimed Haunting of Hill House series.
Today though, we won’t be looking at Haunting of Hill House, as this ranking is focused specifically on Flanagan’s feature film directorial efforts. Without any further ado, here are Mike Flangan’s films, ranked worst to best.
7. Before I Wake (2018)
Before I Wake is one of those odd films that sat on a shelf for several years between the completion of production and its release. Many assumed it must’ve been terrible, but that wasn’t the case, as revealed when Netflix was finally able to release the film worldwide in early 2018. While Before I Wake is the least of Flanagan’s works so far, it’s by no means awful, and features some terrific visuals, as well as great performances. Outside of Thomas Jane’s bad wig, Before I Wake’s tale of a little boy with the unexplained power to make both his dreams and nightmares come true is an easy watch, and a worthwhile one, even if the ending leaves too much unresolved.
6. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Released in 2014, the first Ouija movie was, to put it bluntly, dreadful. It had no real redeeming qualities, lame scares, bad writing, and unconvincing acting. Thus, horror fans may have at first assumed a follow-up would be another terrible time at the movies. Thankfully, Mike Flanagan was tasked with crafting this Ouija prequel, and Ouija: Origin of Evil proceeded to blow the first film out of the water, and end up an entertaining horror outing in its own right. Young Lulu Wilson shines as Doris Zander, a girl who becomes possessed by a murderous spirit after playing with the titular board. Ouija 2 is full of surprising scares, creepy moments, and sports a fun period setting.
5. Hush (2016)
Debuting on Netflix the same year Ouija: Origin of Evil frightened theaters, Hush trades in supernatural scares for the all too plausible terror of a home invasion. Hush focuses on Maddie Young (played by Flanagan’s wife and frequent collaborator Kate Siegel), a deaf mute author who lives a quiet life at an isolated house with her cat. Maddie’s peaceful existence goes sideways when a masked killer appears, first chasing Maddie’s nearest neighbor to her house and killing her, then targeting Maddie herself. It quickly becomes apparent that this killer won’t leave until she’s dead, leading to a deadly game of cat and mouse, with tension and suspense steadily ratcheting up.
4. Oculus (2014)
Based on a short film by Flanagan, Oculus was the director’s first film to receive a wide theatrical release, and quickly showed moviegoers that he was a man on the rise. A critical and commercial hit, Oculus sees a brother and sister team up to try and get revenge on an antique mirror called the Lasser Glass, who used its supernatural powers to destroy their family when the siblings were kids. What results is a film full of sequences where reality is fluid, and it’s often not clear what’s actually happening, and what may just be stars Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites being driven mad in their pursuit of vengeance for their parents’ demises.
3. Absentia (2011)
The least-seen of Mike Flanagan’s films to date, Absentia was also his first feature, and went direct to video after festival showings. This is not at all an indicator of quality though, as it remains one of his best works. The film centers on Callie (Katie Parker), a recovering addict who just moved in with her pregnant sister Tricia, who herself is about to finally declare her husband Daniel dead after seven years missing. It turns out though that Daniel might still be alive, albeit locked inside a horrifying alternate realm. As much of a meditation on the effects of grief, loss, and letting go as it is a horror piece, Absentia will get under the skin of anyone who views it, and take up residence.
2. Doctor Sleep (2019)
It’s a surprisingly close race between Absentia and Doctor Sleep, considering the differences in budget and awareness between them. Doctor Sleep edges out Absentia by accomplishing the feat of crafting both a satisfying adaptation of Stephen King’s source novel, and a satisfying sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 movie adaptation of The Shining, which King has always infamously hated. It’s a testament to how good the story of Danny Torrance and Abra Stone’s battle with Rose the Hat turned out that King himself said Flanagan’s film improved his opinion of Kubrick’s. Doctor Sleep is a bit overlong, and isn’t flawless, but is much better than its poor box office would attest.
1. Gerald’s Game (2017)
For years, Gerald’s Game was considered one of Stephen King’s most “unfilmable” books, due to how much of it is about one character in a single room, and how much of the story essentially takes place inside protagonist Jessie Burlingame’s head. But thanks to an emotional rollercoaster of a performance by Carla Gugino in the lead role - backed up ably by a supporting turn from Bruce Greenwood - and some really great manipulating of reality by Mike Flanagan, Gerald’s Game turned out to be one of the most faithful, and impressive King adaptations yet. There’s a reason it ranked highly on many “best horror of 2017” lists, and is easily one of the best Netflix original films so far. Gerald’s Game is both a tale of survival and a tale of overcoming personal demons, and excellent in both regards.
More: Gerald’s Game Is a Great Stephen King Movie Hurt by a Bad Ending
