20 Best TV Shows Of 2018

18. The Haunting Of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House may be based on a horror classic, but Mike Flanagan's series does much more than simply try to adapt Shirley Jackson's acclaimed novel.

Instead, Flanagan (whose previous credits include Hush and Gerald's Game) confirms himself as one of the best directors and writers in the genre right now, with a slow burn that puts just as much emphasis on riveting family drama as it does jump-out-of-your-skin scares.

It takes a little while for it to get going - and to get over using a few of the genre's tropes a little too much - but once it does it works on a number of levels. You can come for the sheer abject terror and tension that permeates every scene, fully capturing the spirit of Jackson's novel, but stay for the tragedy of the Crain family, as told across two distinct timelines that coalesce in ways both shocking and devastating.

If that's not enough, there are some superb performances, and a stunning display of technical craft too, from an episode made up of just a few one-takes to a jump-scare that will frighten you even on rewatch.