The Fall of the House of Usher: Love, Fate and Murder.

Loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name, The Fall of the House of Usher has had horror fans frothing at the mouth in anticipation of its release. Well, it’s here now, and it’s pretty freaky.

Let’s start with the official synopsis: “In the wicked horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.”

The limited-edition series follows the misfortunes of the Usher family, characterised by lies, infighting, betrayal, and death. It’s a family drama of the super-rich where horrible people get what they deserve, and while there is some justice in that, the actual price paid by these people is extreme. But why? As it turns out, there is a reason. And it’s a doozy.

The show borrows from Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name, as well as from a range of his fiction and poetry. We see this in character names, plotlines, and, of course, in direct quotes from some of his best-known poems. You don’t need to have read Poe, but if you have, there are lots of little treats. For me, this showed a reverence for, and understanding of, his work, and I was pleased that it was respected in this way.

While due respect is paid to the past master of gothic horror, the series is very much set in the present. What is more, it has rather a lot to say about the modern world and the types of malfeasance that we see every day and read about in the news.

It’s one thing to shock the audience with graphic horror (which The Fall of the House of Usher most assuredly does), but quite another to set the head spinning with questions and thoughts that persist for a long time. This is the type of story I like, and I like The Fall of the House of Usher. A lot.

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