Haunting of Hill House
- sarahwilk24
- Oct 14, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 16
1,970 pieces | Funwhole: F9054
Assembled by Rachel Deese, July 2025
Fragility Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
Premise: In the summer of 1992, Hugh and Olivia Crain and their five children—Steven, Shirley, Theodora (Theo), Luke, and Eleanor (Nell)—move into Hill House to renovate the mansion to sell it and build their own house, designed by Olivia. However, due to unexpected repairs, they have to stay longer, and they begin to experience increasing paranormal phenomena, resulting in a tragic loss; the family then flees from the house. Twenty-six years later, the Crain siblings and their estranged father reunite after another tragedy strikes, forcing them to confront the impact of their time in Hill House on each of them.
Favorite Moment: What the couple appreciates about the show is the skillful way it moves between the timelines of past and present, slowly revealing key elements of the story and creating a slow burn that sneaks up on you, turning into a full boil of family trauma personified by a haunted house. In some ways, Hill House is its own character, and in others, it serves as a plot device that represents how intergenerational trauma is passed down through families.
Set Significance: They couldn't find a replica of Hill House in brick form, LEGO's Haunted House was retired, and it cost over $300 by then. So, they thought outside the box, and when they saw the motel, it reminded them of the scenes from both past and present in the show that took place at a nondescript motel. Much of the plot, when not centered on Hill House, centered on that motel (which was stuck in the 1970s) as a staging ground for the family's trauma as it plays out in lethal ways.
Where It's Streaming: Netflix; the show's finale aired in 2018.
Reason They Watched: Sarah had watched it back when it first came out, and it is an annual rewatch for her during the fall spooky season. Hunter was happy to go along for the ride to try something new, especially since they don't watch many horror movies.
