Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House Reboot Features LGBT+ Characters
Netflix’s reboot of The Haunting of Hill House stays on trend with the streaming service’s commitment to featuring more LGBT+ characters.
The series follows the long aftermath of one traumatic night in the mid 90s when the Crain family was forced to flee their mansion after the mysterious death of their mother. “Now, the house has stood empty for over 20 years, but the five Crain siblings — sensitive twins Nell and Luke; tough, brooding Theo; uptight Shirley and asshole celebrity writer Steven — are finding that the house won’t let them go until they face what really happened in it,” writes Auto Straddle.
The new series diverges a lot from its source material, Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name. The most notable difference is updating Theo’s character, making her a psychic lesbian.
“…she’s smart, has some great lines (and great style — lots of black and even *gasp* trousers) — she beats Luke at cards, which his aunt has already said is an impossibility,” writes one reviewer. “She isn’t married, or anything like Eleanor (who is financially dependent on her sister and brother in law) and she seems far more confident and perceptive than the other characters — okay maybe the psychic abilities help. Basically, Theo kicks ass… In horror we’re so used to seeing women as victims or as evil, but Theo is neither. …there is no moral judgement placed on Theo — she doesn’t die. The house doesn’t punish her for her sexuality.”
At the time of writing the series has a 90 percent rating on rotten tomatoes.
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