Is The Midnight Club Based on True Events? Explained

The Midnight Club is a beautifully done horror mystery-thriller, created by one of the best horror auteurs today – Mike Flanagan. Based on Christopher Pike’s YA namesake novel, the series follows a group of five terminally ill patients who gather together at Brightcliffe Hospice every midnight to share scary stories. Premiering on Netflix on October 7, 2022 (yes – tonight!), The Midnight Club might be Flanagan’s most emotional outing to date. This inevitably leads up to the next question; is The Midnight Club based on true events?

The Midnight Club is partly based on true events. It is based on a 1994 novel of the same name by Christopher Pike, who got inspired to write it after getting in touch with a fan that was terminally ill. According to the online sources, Pike remained in touch with the fan over letters and phone calls, where she disclosed that she and a few other patients at the hospital would meet up every night and discuss his books. As a tribute to her and her friends, the author came up with The Midnight Club, making up stories along the way.

If you’re interested in a beautifully told story-within-story concept, search no further; The Midnight Club is a heavily existential series, nevertheless worth watching. Let’s dive right into all the details of this powerful tale, saturated with deep grief and frightful moments.

What is The Midnight Club About?

The Midnight Club is a devastatingly beautiful Netflix series that follows eight terminally ill patients, as they dwell on the concepts of life, death, and friendships. The story is set in the 90s, following Ilonka, Natsuki, Spencer, Kevin, Cheri, Amesh, Sandra, and Any – each with their own specific diagnosis.

Although dealing with cruel twists of faith, the patients give each other hope; sneaking through the corridors at night, they form a club in which they tell each other ghost stories. As time goes by, we learn that the stories being told aren’t just fiction – each story is filled to the brim with teens’ own struggles and fears.

Is The Midnight Club Based on a True Story?

The Midnight Club was partly based on a true story. As has already been stated, it is based on a novel of the same name, by Christopher Pike. It was adapted into a series by Mike Flanagan, who is one of the most known horror auteurs working today. Flanagan proved to be a master in the horror genre due to his original horror films like Hush and Oculus, while dabbling in adaptations of many other novels, such as Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game. His other projects include The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass.

The novel was inspired by Pike’s fan, who managed to get in touch with him, disclosing that she is terminally ill. Apparently, she and the other patients at the hospital would have meetings every night, where they would discuss the author’s books. He started writing The Midnight Club as a tribute to her and her friends, making up new stories along the way. Unfortunately, the fan never came around to reading the book; by the time Pike was done with it, she died.

Mike Flanagan was blown away by the book. Instead of dealing with scary fictional stories, it dabbled with heavy existential concepts, such as terminal disease and death. At first, Pike’s publishers resisted enabling the adaptation but eventually came around to it. Not only that but Flanagan was also given access to other stories, which is exactly how The Midnight Club came to life.

Just a Tiny Bit of The Midnight Club Trivia

Since it is yet to be released, there isn’t much known about The Midnight Club besides some basic information, like the filming locations. But, what we do know is that the series’ pilot smashed a Guinness World Record already! Apparently, it had the most jump scares in a single episode of television. So, although it is mainly focused on existential wounds, we mustn’t forget that the series is ultimately in the horror genre. Prepare to get frightened!

So, What Should You Expect From the Series?

Besides getting to experience a gorgeously written story, you should also expect to witness bone-chilling scares and deep emotional wounds. Life, terminal illness, faith, and death all adorn the series. From hopeful to heartbreaking, The Midnight Club has it all – which is exactly why you should watch it.

The series also managed to score a whopping 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb, deeming it ultimately as a quality horror series well worthwhile. Once again, Mike Flanagan proves to be an admirable auteur. The cast proved worthy of praise, too.

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