What to watch after Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher

If you're anything like me, one of the best cultural moments of this year was getting to lean toward your partner, point at your screen, and whisper "That's the Fall of the House of Usher."

Netflix's original series was something of a Halloween miracle. Not only did it culminate the relationship between the streaming service and horror great Mike Flanagan, it was a wholly unique adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, weaving together his many tales into a single, tight, crime-family story. And yet, solid foundation though it had, the House of Usher has indeed fallen, leaving folks like myself (and, if you clicked this article, probably you) wondering what to watch next.

Luckily, Netflix's spooky delight is far from the only great Edgar Allan Poe adaptation you can watch now. With that in mind, and because I already misss it, I've put together this list of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations to watch after The Fall of the House of Usher.

Get ready to point out some more titular horrors.

5. Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

We begin with a more recent Poe adaptation that, dispite flying under the radar in box office numebrs, has been praised by horror and Poe fans alike. Stonehearst Asylum stars Ben Kingsley, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, and more, and is based on the Poe short story The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.

Like Tarr and Fether, Stonehearst Asylum revolves around a 19th-century mental institution and the blood-curdling things that happen there. Though the story isn't modernized like The Fall of the House of Usher, Stonehearst Asylum similarly takes the spirit of Poe's tale and uses it for a more fleshed-out, character driven horror story.

You can watch Stonehearst Asylum with a Peacock or Amazon Prime subscription.

4. Masters of Horror - The Black Cat (2007)

If what you're looking for next is a story not just based on Poe's works, but about the man himself, The Black Cat from Starz's Masters of Horror anthology is for you. Directed by Stuart Gordon of Re-Animator fame, The Black Cat weaves plot details of Poe's story of the same name into a biographical depiction of the author himself.

You can watch Stuart Gordon's The Black Cat (and all of the Masters of Horror episodes) on Tubi.

3. Extraordinary Tales (2013)

The Fall of the House of Usher was not an anthology series, and yet, each episode did kind of focus on a different piece of Poe lore. If that's what you really liked about the series, might I recommend Extraordinary Tales?

The animated anthology of Poe adaptations features tackles five of the author's best works in visually unique, breathtaking styles that coudn't be more different from each other. In that sense, it does the opposite of what Netflix's show did; it explores Poe's works from a bunch of different angles, rather than homogenizing them into a single tale.

Oh, and did I mention one of the shorts was from Guillermo del Toro?

Extraordinary Tales is streamable with a Shudder subscription.

2. Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)

Definitely the best-titled flick on this list, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key is a loose adaptation of The Black Cat set to the tune of giallo filmmaking.

For those that don't know, "giallo" refers to a type of Italian thriller film from the 60s and 70s, a precursor to what we would consider slasher movies. Staples of the genre were blinding colors, sexy starlets, and a mystery that would be uncovered at the end. Of course, all of those also refer to The Fall of the House of Usher, making a Poe-inspired giallo perfect for this list.

Stream Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key on Tubi.

1. House of Usher (1960)

Forgive me for putting a movie with basically the same title and lead charactes at the top of this list, but there are many reasons to put 1960's House of Usher at the top of a list of Poe films. Not only is it a visual delight and triumphant performance for horror icon Vincent Price, House of Usher began the vaunted "Poe Cycle."

Directed by renowned scaremaster Roger Corman, the Poe Cycle was a series of adaptations released throughout the sixties, adapting such landmark tales as The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tomb of Ligeia, and The Masque of the Red Death. The starred some of the spookiest celebs of the day, including the aforementioned Price, Boris Karloff, and even Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi.

Though Corman certainly takes liberties with the plots, House of Usher and the rest of the Poe Cycle are perhaps the most venerated and accessible Poe adaptations to date. And though I'd recommend checking out all of the entries on this list, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better follow-up binge to Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher.

Check out House of Usher on PlutoTV.

Did you catch all the Edgar Allan Poe references in The Fall of the House of Usher? Click the link to see if you caught any I missed.