Basically everyone is queer in Netflix’s devilish new horror series The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher is extremely gay. (Netflix/Eike Schroter)
Netflix and Mike Flanagan’s latest horror series, The Fall of the House of Usher, has landed right in time for spooky season – and it’s queer as hell.
Back in 2020, Flanagan sent sapphics into a tailspin with Netflix horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor which centred a tragic lesbian love story, starring Victoria Pedretti and Amelia Eve as doomed lovers Dani and Jamie.
Flanagan, who is also known for Netflix horror shows The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club, is upping the ante once more with his latest gruesome LGBTQ+ offering, The Fall of the House of Usher.
The eight-episode limited series – which was released on Thursday (12 October) – is loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s beloved 1839 gothic short story of the same name, as well as elements of his wider canon.
The official synopsis reads: “Ruthless [co-CEO twin] siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.”
Amidst the gory deaths, spine-chilling jump scares and tantalising twists, the show is already creating buzz for featuring an incredibly queer main cast of characters, many of which are portrayed by actors familiar to long-time fans of Flanagan’s work.
Clearly something was in the air when the show’s ruthless patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) decided to procreate, because the majority of his six spoilt, grown-up children (from five mothers) are here, filled with fear and – most importantly – unapologetically queer.
Here’s your guide to who’s who, and how fans are reacting to the gloriously gay cast of characters. (Warning: Minor spoilers for episodes one and two ahead).
Perry Usher, played by Sauriyan Sapkota
If anyone embodies the “live fast, die young” motto it’s Prospero “Perry” Usher, aka the youngest Usher child. Perry is played by 23-year-old actor Sauriyan Sapkota, who also starred in another one of Flanagan’s LGBTQ+ horror dramas The Midnight Club.
Perry is a self-described hedonist who puts on an exclusive underground rave filled with booze, sex and drugs, and is seen getting intimate with people of all genders.
Napoleon Usher, played Rahul Kohli
Perry’s older brother and fellow “bastard” Napoleon “Leo” Usher is played by English actor Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass and iZombie), who is cisgender but has previously said he is happy to go by either ‘he/him’ or ‘they/them’ to normalise the use of gender-neutral pronouns.
Napoleon lives with his boyfriend Julius (Daniel Jun), but viewers soon scandalously witness him cheating on his partner with another woman.
Camille L’Espanaye, played by Kate Siegel
Another of Robert Usher’s children, formidable, silver-haired PR manager Camille L’Espanaye, sleeps with both her assistants Tina (Aya Furukawa) and Toby (Igby Rigney) in a morally questionable workplace threesome.
The bisexual icon is played by Hill House star and queer actor Kate Siegel, 41.
Victorine Lafourcade, played by T’Nia Miller
Yet another Usher sibling is ambitious lesbian research scientist Victorine Lafourcade, played by lesbian actor and Bly Manor alum T’Nia Miller, who also starred in Russell T Davies’ BBC series Years & Years.
In the show, Victorine dates surgeon Dr Alessandra Ruiz (Paola Núñez), who some may recognise as queer character Evelyn Marcus in Resident Evil.
Auguste Dupin, played by Carl Lumbly
Last but not least we have detective Auguste Dupin, played by M.A.N.T.I.S star Carl Lumbly.
Charged with bringing the nefarious Usher family to justice, casual reference is made to his husband and children early on in the series.
Fans are loving The Fall of the House of Usher’s queer representation
Naturally, fans are sharing their excitement at the thriving range of LGBTQ+ characters, whose sexualities are all addressed without fanfare or trauma on the series.
“Mike Flanagan really saw us gays going to bat for him and said “here, damn” and made EVERY character gay,” one fan wrote.
“The fall of the house of usher being very gay is so funny. Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel really do just think about how they please the gays 24/7,” another added.
The Fall of the House of Usher is now streaming on Netflix.
