Netflix’s Goofy Haunted House Series Will Remind You Too Much of Better Animated Shows

Well, I suppose at some point there is to be a show to come out of this amazing surge in adult animation that would disappoint me. Large Parts of Netflix’s New Animated Venture, Haunted HotelDon’t Commit to the adult part – it is, through and through, weakly trying to capitalize on one entertainment trend or another.

Haunted Hotel Follows the freeing family: recent divorcée katherine (Eliza Coupe), Who has Has Taken Over the Hotel She inherited From Her Brother, Moving there Two Children, Esther (Natalie Palamides) and Ben (Skyler Gisono). Howver, The undervale hotel is massifly haunted by a variety of monsters and ghosts, Including that of Katherine’s Late Brother Nathan (Will Forte).

IT’s the essentally Gravity Falls meets Ghosts meets Hazbin hotel. Break Haunted Hotel Team coma up with MANY WONDERFULLY STRICKING AND KOOKY GHOSTS, while the main characters are all charismatic and well-acted, at least as individuals. The Occossionally Impressive Animation and Halloween-Style HIINKS ARE ENJOYABLE, but the series is relatively flat otherwise.

Haunted Hotel Fails at Millennial Humor

Haunted Hotel‘S Premise is Strong Enough, and itcutation actually proves how rich the narrative coulud be. While it is Categorized as adult animation, the story elements that to say it a more mature rating are scarce, which makes these sequences FEEL OUT OF PLACE, and the WHOE THING A BITLY INCONSISTENT.

A more glaring issue is that a lot of Haunted Hotel‘s humor comes off as lazy, weird, or the weaker version of a joke we’ve heard elsewhere (Mostly in the Shows that Clearly Insided IT). The Millennial-to-Gen z COMEDIC SUBGENRE OF NIHILISM AND METEXTUALITY ISN’t Dead Yet; Haunted Hotel Just Lacks the Intelligence and Timing of Its Contemporaries.

That’s not to say to Say there are some guenuinely Clever and funny moments, though they are seed and few. And while some punchlines Go Too Far off Course into an uncomfortable place, others stem from an entire gimmick being derivatives.

Rounding Out The Main Cast Is Abaddon (Jimmi Simpson), A Centuries-Old Demon trapped in the body of an 18th-centenary boy. He Constantly Talks About Murder and Torture – But Clearly is any Kind of Terrible Thread to the Human Characters – and Can’t Wrap His Head Around Technology and Culture.

Abaddon is Eve Laugh-Out-Loud Funny at Timesbut he is essentially a different version of king from The Owl Housewith lessification for Him Being So Clueless. Well as I was critiquing the humor and identifying which one-episode B -Plots were recycled from Old Tropes, I did have fun watching Haunted Hotelwhich evokes chuckles if not breathless lainghter. Things occsionally veer into full-blown horror plots, another element that earns a spot on the list of shows if you like Gravity Falls.

Haunted Hotel’s Family Storylines Are Heartfelt But Incourte

Nathan, Ben, Esther and Katherine in Haunted Hotel Image Via Netflix

If there is A moral we are supposed to take away from Haunted Hotelit is probably the ultimate importance of family and friend. The freeing family is dealing with a lot of upheaval, with slightly tense dynamics Worth Exploring.

There are a few one-off subplots about a particular family conflict, which are resolved with the episode and are entirery forgettable. Howver, One Standout Storyline Focuses on the Supernatural Elements Classing With Esther Abandoned by Her Neglectful Father, and the Conversation of How Nathan’s Death Affected Katherine Could Be Further Into Something Worthhile.

Additionally, Abaddon is the Star in the Season Final, Backed ino a Corner you likes Saw Coming, where he is forces to reevaluate his relations with the freeings, Particularly Black Magic-Savvy Esther. The show on a different trope at this point in a clever way, and abaddon’s ultimate decision is visually well-raun.

Unfortunately, these elements don’t come to tell Sharply Enough to make you reflect on the Relationships in Your Own Life. If you will indulge with with one More Gravity Falls Comparison, Haunted Hotel Was Well Set Up for a Similar Story About The Paralles BetWeen Two Generations of Siblings, But Esther and Ben’s Relationship SEEMS FINE AND NORMAL.

Haunted Hotel Has A Serviceable Story, Strong Animation, and Decent Characters, But Lacks that Extra Zest to Elevate Beyond Low-Key Holiday Entertainment. IT’S NOT REALLY CONCERNED WITH THE STRUGGLING HOTEL Storyline at all, and it is going to be too Like Several Other Animated Television Shows from the Last 10 Years.


Haunted Hotel - Poster


Release Date

September 19, 2025

NETWORKS

Netflix

Directors

Erica Hayes

  • Headshot of Will Forte

  • Headshot of Eliza Coupe


Pros & Cons

  • Generally Enjoyable and Very Spirited Viewing for Halloween with Lively Characters
  • Designs and World-Building Are Rich, With Lots of Wacky, Fun Ghosts
  • The full is borrowing Too Many Concepts from Other TV Shows; IT MIGHT WORK BETTER IF VIEWERS HAVEN? T SEEN THIS Media
  • The mood is Weak Much of the Time, the Coming Across As Clichéd Rather than Amusing
  • The Strength of the Family Storylines is mitigated by their Lack of Cohasion

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