Iman Benson Brings A New Kind Of Scream Queen To Netflix's Flanagan-Verse
She hints how The Midnight Club is "completely different" from the Haunting series.
In Elite Daily’s series At The Moment, celebs dish on their current projects, pop culture hot takes, and everything taking over their group chats. In this piece, Iman Benson discusses her role in The Midnight Club and how the new horror series compares to Mike Flanagan’s previous Haunting franchise.
Iman Benson is in her scream queen era. Her new series, Netflix’s The Midnight Club, is a total departure from the family sitcoms she’s known for. It’s also a younger, genre-jumping departure from creator Mike Flanagan’s previous horror series The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass.
“The most similar aspect is the horror, obviously, but I think viewers are going to find it to be something very new and different,” Benson tells Elite Daily. “You're looking at a cast of eight teenagers in the ‘90s who are terminally ill with cancer, and they go into these worlds of imagination.”
That cast does include a few familiar faces within the Flanagan-verse: Igby Rigney and Annarah Cymone survived Midnight Mass, and now they make up part of the new show’s eponymous Midnight Club. The eight cancer patients staying at the creepy Brightcliffe Hospice form a spooky club to tell ghost stories to keep one another entertained. The central story, as well as the ghost stories within the story, are adapted from author Christopher Pike’s 1994 novel that shares its name with the show, as well as elements from Pike’s other works.
As the eight teens discover disturbing secrets about Brightcliffe, their scary stories pale in comparison to the supernatural mystery that surrounds them. Benson teases there are “so many little Easter eggs” hidden in The Midnight Club that hint at the series’ central mystery, but you might not catch them upon first viewing. “You definitely have to keep your eyes open and maybe watch a couple more times,” Benson recommends.
Now that Benson is part of this ghostly universe, she doesn’t want to leave. Although Flanagan’s Haunting series went the anthology route rather than getting a traditional second season, Benson thinks The Midnight Club Season 2 could work. “I'd love to continue our stories in a way that's organic, and I also think it'd be cool to introduce new storylines as well,” she says. If she winds up taking on a new role in a Flanagan project, she hopes it’ll be something gorier, “kind of like Samantha [Sloyan]’s role in Midnight Mass,” she says, referencing the terrifyingly overzealous churchgoer Bev Keane. “I love her role in that.”
After spending so much time hunting ghosts and investigating mysterious cults, Benson is so ready for spooky season IRL. Below, she shares her must-watch Halloween movie, her costume plans for this year, and more.
This section has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What’s the last movie you watched that scared you?
I rewatched It, the newer one. That clown is terrifying.
Do you have a Halloween costume planned for this year?
I'm thinking Lola Bunny. Or maybe Freddy Krueger. I'm going back and forth.
What’s your favorite Halloween costume you’ve worn?
I did Betty Boop last year because my hair was a bit shorter from filming.
What’s your zodiac sign?
I’m a Cancer. I’m so into astrology; my moon and my rising are both Aries, so I have some fire in my chart.
What’s you most-used emoji?
Probably the one that has the big eyes and they're kind of watery. Like, the little puppy eyes emoji.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram. I actually don't have TikTok.
What was the last TV show you marathoned?
I just finished Ozark and I loved it.
What’s your favorite song of 2022?
I would say maybe a Drake song off of Certified Lover Boy. “IMY2.”
How would you describe your sense of style in three words?
Comfortable, ‘90s, and edgy.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Johnny Depp. When I saw Pirates of the Caribbean. That pirate outfit got me.
What movie do you have to watch every Halloween?
The Nightmare Before Christmas.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta.
If you could star in a reboot of any show, which would you choose?
The Office. If they ever were to do an Office reboot, that's my jam. I'd love to be in that.
The Midnight Club premieres Oct. 7 on Netflix.
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