Well, I suppose at some point there had 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 Hotel, don’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 Freeling family: recent divorcée Katherine (Eliza Coupe), who has taken over the hotel she inherited from her brother, moving there with her two children, Esther (Natalie Palamides) and Ben (Skyler Gisondo). However, the Undervale Hotel is massively haunted by a variety of monsters and ghosts, including that of Katherine’s late brother Nathan (Will Forte).
It’s essentially Gravity Falls meets Ghosts meets Hazbin Hotel. The Haunted Hotel team comes up with many wonderfully striking and kooky ghosts, while the main characters are all charismatic and well-acted, at least as individuals. The occasionally impressive animation and Halloween-style hijinks are enjoyable, but the series is relatively flat otherwise.
Haunted Hotel Fails At Millennial Humor
Haunted Hotel‘s premise is strong enough, and its execution actually proves how rich the narrative could be. While it is categorized as adult animation, the story elements that would earn it a more mature rating are scarce, which makes these sequences feel out of place, and the whole thing a bit tonally 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 inspired it). The millennial-to-Gen Z comedic subgenre of nihilism and metatextuality isn’t dead yet; Haunted Hotel just lacks the intelligence and timing of its contemporaries.
That’s not to say there aren’t some genuinely clever and funny moments, though they are far and few. And while some punchlines go too far off course into an uncomfortable place, others stem from an entire gimmick being heavily derivative.
Rounding out the main cast is Abaddon (Jimmi Simpson), a centuries-old demon trapped in the body of an 18th-century boy. He constantly talks about murder and torture — but clearly isn’t any kind of terrible threat to the human characters — and can’t wrap his head around modern technology and culture (even though he has had plenty of time to learn).
Abaddon is even laugh-out-loud funny at times, but he is essentially a different version of King from The Owl House, with less justification for him being so clueless. Even as I was critiquing the humor and identifying which one-episode B-plots were recycled from old tropes, I did have fun watching Haunted Hotel, which evokes chuckles if not breathless laughter. Things occasionally veer into full-blown horror plots, another element that earns a spot on the list of shows to watch if you like Gravity Falls.
Haunted Hotel’s Family Storylines Are Heartfelt But Incohesive
Image via Netflix
If there is a moral we are supposed to take away from Haunted Hotel, it is probably the ultimate importance of family and friendship. The Freeling 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 within the episode and are entirely forgettable. However, one standout storyline focuses on the supernatural elements clashing with Esther feeling abandoned by her neglectful father, and the conversation of how Nathan’s death affected Katherine could be further developed into something worthwhile.
Additionally, Abaddon is the star in the season finale, backed into a corner you likely saw coming, where he is forced to reevaluate his relationship with the Freelings, particularly black magic-savvy Esther. The show relies on a different trope at this point in a clever way, and Abaddon’s ultimate decision is visually well-framed.
Unfortunately, these elements don’t come together sharply enough to make you reflect on the relationships in your own life. If you will indulge me with one more Gravity Falls comparison, Haunted Hotel was well set up for a similar story about the parallels 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’s going to be too obviously like several other animated television shows from the last 10 years.
Release Date
September 19, 2025
Network
Netflix
Directors
Erica Hayes
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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 plot is borrowing too many concepts from other TV shows; it might work better if viewers haven?t seen this media
- The humor is weak much of the time, coming across as clichéd rather than amusing
- The strength of the family storylines is mitigated by their lack of cohesion
