Mike Flanagan's 'Two Storms' Episode Remains a Masterpiece

Eight years on, Episode 6 of The Haunting of Hill House — 'Two Storms' — still stands out as a masterpiece, its single-shot funeral sequence remaining unforgettable.

The episode gathers the Crain family at Nell's wake while a storm rages outside, shifting between the present and the night she vanished. Hugh's strained relationships with his children and the cast's performances give the episode its emotional weight.

Flanagan stages the episode to feel like one continuous tracking shot, though it was built from five long takes joined by hidden cuts, the longest running about 17 minutes. The production rehearsed for weeks to coordinate the complex choreography of acting, camera work and memory-driven perspective shifts.

When Nell's casket falls at the end, viewers are left emotionally drained — a reminder that the episode's technical daring serves devastating character work, helping the series transcend the average horror show.

two storms, mike flanagan, hill house, single-shot, tracking shot, hidden cuts, funeral sequence, crain family, nell, 17 minutes