Netflix horror ‘Midnight Mass’ takes an unexpected turn

The miniseries is now streaming on Netflix. Supplied
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Updated 02 October 2021
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Netflix horror ‘Midnight Mass’ takes an unexpected turn

LONDON: Horror connoisseur Mike Flanagan and Netflix are enjoying a lucrative relationship. The US writer-director is, after all, the man behind the streaming giants’ hit series “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” as well as upcoming show “The Midnight Club.” Flanagan’s latest for Netflix is “Midnight Mass” — a seven-part miniseries set on a small, isolated island community that, in typical Flanagan style, challenges many of the more pervasive of horror tropes to which audiences have become accustomed.




Mike Flanagan’s latest for Netflix is “Midnight Mass” — a seven-part miniseries set on a small, isolated island community. Supplied

Crockett Island is home to 127 people — which, at the start of “Midnight Mass,” expands to include Riley Flynn, a former islander-turned-city boy who, having served prison time for killing a young girl while driving drunk, returns to his hometown to be with his family. On the same day, the charismatic Father Paul Hill arrives on the ferry to fill in for Crockett’s beloved, aged preacher. As the two do their best to ingratiate themselves with the community, a series of bizarre occurrences begin to take place — seemingly centered around the island’s church and its new priest.




The show tells the story of a former islander-turned-city boy who, having served prison time for killing a young girl while driving drunk, returns to his hometown to be with his family. Supplied

To reveal anymore would be to strip “Midnight Mass” of its greatest weapon — surprise. Suffice it to say, this show does not end up where audiences might initially suspect. By the time episode three rolls around, Flanagan throws in a narrative curveball that flips the series on its head and “Midnight Mass” becomes an altogether more complicated blend of religious pondering, schlocky horror and supernatural thriller.




The show stars Hamish Linklater as Father Paul, Kate Siegel as teacher Erin Greene, Samantha Sloyan as overzealous community figurehead Bev Keane, and Rahul Kohli as world-weary Sheriff Hasan. Supplied

The show is underpinned by some excellent performances: Hamish Linklater as Father Paul, Kate Siegel as teacher Erin Greene, Samantha Sloyan as overzealous community figurehead Bev Keane, and Rahul Kohli as world-weary Sheriff Hasan. Flanagan gives each of these (and others) plenty of screen time, but balances this exposition with some expertly judged tension-building. The show’s strength is its reluctance to rely on cheap jump scares. While the aforementioned narrative bombshell does, at times, feel a little clunky, and pushes the show towards a slightly overblown final two episodes, there’s no disputing that Flanagan remains one of the genre’s most exciting storytellers.

 


Mona Tougaard wears bridal look at Dior’s Paris show

Updated 27 January 2026
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Mona Tougaard wears bridal look at Dior’s Paris show

  • Rihanna and Brigitte Macron among attendees at show
  • Design part of new director Jonathan Anderson’s vision

DUBAI/ PARIS: Model Mona Tougaard reportedly turned heads in a bridal-inspired look on the Christian Dior runway during the recent Paris Haute Couture Week.

The runway star, who has Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian ancestry, wore a sculptural white gown with a one-shoulder silhouette and layered petal-like appliques cascading from the bodice to the full skirt.

The asymmetrical bodice featured draped detailing across the torso, while the skirt flared into a voluminous, floor-length shape.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

The look was finished with oversized floral statement earrings that echoed the dress’s petal motif.

The floral elements echoed the wider vision of Dior’s new creative director Jonathan Anderson, who drew inspiration from nature and his love of ceramics for his first Haute Couture collection since being appointed to the role.

The 41-year-old faces the rare challenge of overseeing all three fashion lines at the house — women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and Haute Couture — becoming the first designer to do so since Christian Dior himself.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

Just days after presenting his latest men’s collection during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, the Northern Irish designer returned with his first couture offering.

The collection featured floral motifs on fabrics or as accessories, while sculptural bulbous dresses were inspired by the work of Kenya-born ceramicist Magdelene Odundo.

“When you copy nature, you always learn something,” Anderson declared in his show notes, which compared Haute Couture to a living ecosystem that is “evolving, adapting, enduring.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

Other noteworthy pieces included dresses with spherical birdcage-inspired silhouettes, while other models wore vest tops with their dresses gathered around their waists.

The front row at the Rodin Museum reflected the scale of anticipation surrounding Anderson’s couture debut. France’s first lady Brigitte Macron arrived early, while Lauren Sanchez Bezos swept in shortly after.

Actor Parker Posey twirled briefly in a trench-style dress, playing to the room before settling in.

Then the space fell into a collective pause as celebrities and editors alike waited for Rihanna. When the pop star finally took her seat, the lights dropped and the show began.

Before the show, Anderson admitted in an interview with the Business of Fashion website that he previously thought couture was “irrelevant,” adding that he never really “understood the glamour behind it.”

“Now, I feel like I’m doing a Ph.D. in couture,” he explained.