The Midnight Club - A Netflix Series Review

The sound of stories are the sounds of lives.

The Midnight Club aired on Netflix in 2022. Based on the 1994 novel written by Christopher Pike, the events center around a group of terminally ill teenagers living in a hospice house. Sneaking out of their rooms, they tell each other scary stories in the library at midnight.

I always get excited to see what Mike Flanagan will release in October. The Midnight Club is a distinct narrative. The basis of the series is to stay on the upside even when the future doesn’t look bright.

Boldly taking on roles that had an extreme emotional toll, the cast of The Midnight Club earns a round of applause. They all bore profound and resonant performances. For a show like this, it’s essential to connect to your backstory. I felt like I knew these characters.

Despite their terminal illnesses, telling one another scary stories changes that. I liked how the kids occasionally interrupted to make their own comments about the scary stories. That is realistic.

A couple of standouts were Iman Benson (IIonka) and Ruth Codd (Anya). lIonka didn’t make the right decisions, but that’s all a part of her character. That’s a significant aspect for each character.

Anya is one tough cookie. She is not fond of letting others in. Codd performs this incredibly emotional sequence. While writing this review, I just found out that this was Codd’s very first role. I hope she continues acting.

Oh yes, a horror icon who viewers know from A Nightmare on Elm Street plays a significant role in the series. Heather Langenkamp is wonderful as Dr. Stanton. What could have been an unforgettable role, Lanenkamp achieved great depths in this small role.

The Midnight Club reminded me of the Nickelodeon show Are You Afraid of the Dark? In both series, the kids gathered together to tell scary stories. I always looked forward to dark stories, but as the series progressed, these segments took away from the main story.

Episodes are close to an hour. These stories take up to at least ten minutes or more. Themes include death, suicide, and homophobia. These themes could trigger some audiences. My favorite scary story segment was ‘Road to Nowhere'.

Mike Flanagan incorporates tension. In every episode, I felt it lingering in the air. I also like how Flanagan explores character depth. Most importantly, Flanagan institutes a positive example of friendship. The friendship between the kids is heartwarming. Not all of them get along, but they still look out for each other. Friends will always be there for you in sad times.

Expressing a difficult subject matter that viewers may be turned off by, don’t let that stop you from watching The Midnight Club. This is a show for anyone who feels alone or lost.

One quote that struck me was that you become a story after you die. That reminded me of a quote that I conclude with on my New Year’s Eve posts. ‘It’s a new year now. You guide your story. Not the pencil. Write a good one.’

Is The Midnight Club getting a season 2? As much as I would like the series to continue, it’s better as a standalone series. If there is a season 2, I’m not going to complain.

As a writer myself, thanks to this show, I found the inspiration to write more. Writing stories is fun. I was invested in every episode of The Midnight Club as I was running on the treadmill. One jump scare almost got me. Binge it on Netflix.