The Most Obscure Ghosts Hidden In The Background Of 'The Haunting Of Hill House'
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The Most Obscure Ghosts Hidden In The Background Of 'The Haunting Of Hill House'

Kyle Chorpening
Updated August 15, 2023 26.6K votes 3.0K voters 156.9K views
Over 3.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Most Obscure Ghosts Hidden In The Background Of 'The Haunting Of Hill House'
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Vote up the ghosts you didn't notice during your first visit to Hill House.

It didn't take long for The Haunting of Hill House to become another Netflix horror sensation. Like other Netflix original series, fans binged the Crains' traumatic story in a weekend, which was probably easier for those kept awake at night by the sheer variety of ghosts residing in Hill House. While the Bent Neck Lady, Bowler Hat Man, and other entities were featured front and center, there are plenty of other ghosts that even the most attentive viewers probably missed the first time through.

Series director Mike Flanagan told Variety that he hid "70 to 80 ghosts" in the edges of frames and backgrounds of scenes to solidify the unsettling atmosphere of the show. He actually had several extras in ghost makeup on hand just to plant them behind set dressing when the mood hit him. While it might take some time for all of those haunting cameos to be revealed, this list compiles some of the most obscure ghosts to pop up in the series.

SPOILER ALERT: This list covers all 10 episodes from the series, so read on at your own risk. If you're all caught up, check out more shows like The Haunting of Hill House.

  • 1
    1,363 VOTES

    The Hands Under The Piano

    The Hands Under The Piano
    Photo: Netflix

    This pair of ghost hands poke out under the piano when Olivia accuses Nell of writing on the wall.

    1,363 votes
  • 2
    1,299 VOTES

    The Face In The Stairs

    The Face In The Stairs
    Photo: Netflix

    Less than a minute into the first episode, you can see this ghost between the staircase's banisters.

    1,299 votes
  • 3
    950 VOTES

    The Woman Watching Theo Get Her Gloves

    The Woman Watching Theo Get Her Gloves
    Photo: Netflix

    When Olivia tells Theo about her family's history of supernatural sensitivity, this ghost stands way back a few rooms in the distance.

    950 votes
  • 4
    694 VOTES

    The Living Room Ghost

    The Living Room Ghost
    Photo: Netflix

    This ghost is on hand when Olivia and Hugh tuck Nell in on the downstairs couch to try to avoid another visit from the Bent Neck Lady.

    694 votes
  • 5
    786 VOTES

    The Cameo Ghost

    The Cameo Ghost
    Photo: Netflix

    This ghost has a special connection for series director Mike Flanagan and star Carla Gugino. When Nell runs into her parents' bed after seeing the Bent Neck Lady for the first time, this ghost appears just over Olivia's shoulder on the left side of the frame.

    In an interview with Variety, Flanagan revealed that this ghost is played by Bruce Greenwood and that the cameo is a nod to Gerald's Game, a Netflix horror film also directed by Flanagan that stars Gugino and Greenwood.

    786 votes
  • 6
    918 VOTES

    The Face In The Kitchen

    The Face In The Kitchen
    Photo: Netflix

    This ghost is framed in the kitchen door's window when Theo finds Nell and Luke playing with the dumbwaiter.

    918 votes