10 of the scariest moments in The Haunting of Hill House

Dead Nell Screaming from the Backseat

Listening to Theo and Shirley arguing in the car while they head to Hill House is sad, and it made us wish these two sisters could find a way to communicate that doesn’t involve talking past each other. But having their argument broken up by a dead Nell’s face pushing between them in order to scream had us wanting to jump out of our skin.

Honestly, in that moment we weren’t even sure if it was Nell’s ghost that’s doing the screaming from the backseat of the girls’ car, but with the way that screech sounds, we had a good idea that it was. Plus, Theo is certainly able to confirm it for us, which made it easier for us to recognize that this was in fact Nell’s ghost haunting her sisters in the midst of their argument.

And as the car swerves off the road, we totally understood the fear and panic that permeate that moment. Of course, the fact that we briefly weren’t even sure if Shirley sees the ghost or is instead startled by Theo’s scream made us wonder about this haunting. Despite that, this moment is scary in its own right, especially for how sudden it is and how much it interrupts the more mundane action of sisters arguing (even though they’re arguing about supernatural events).

Can we just point out that this moment is actually a precursor for seeing Luke walk into Hill House even with the windows glowing red before then being grabbed by a ghost from behind? This is a double whammy to end the episode, and it makes for ghostly perfection.