The 13 Most Compelling 'Haunting Of Hill House' Fan Theories

BuzzFeed picked up this theory from Tumblr user cagedbirdsong, which describes the five Crain children as physical representations of the five stages of grief. To make things even more interesting, the birth order of the children perfectly lines up with their symbolic meaning.

The first stage, denial, is represented by Steven, a skeptic and the firstborn of the family. Second is anger, portrayed by Shirley and her barely repressed frustration toward her family. Next is bargaining, and Theo, as a psychiatrist always looking for an explanation, serves as a perfect symbol for that. Then comes depression, which is perfectly embodied in Luke's addiction issues and alienation from the family. Last is acceptance, represented by Nell and her loving nature. 

This theory is so good the creator of the show essentially confirmed it as true. 

In the sixth episode of the series, Nell disappears during a powerful storm. Redditor /u/ThatGuy_There believes she vanished as part of a time loop, as it seems her spirit can move through time. When she disappears from the house, she's actually traveling to her own funeral to communicate with her siblings.

Both scenes taking place in the middle of storms is further evidence of this. It's the same storm, but happening at different times, much like how Nell's spirit can exist across time. 

Time serves as a major theme in The Haunting of Hill House, and Redditor /u/thenerdygay points out that each of the three sisters seems to possess a special relationship with either the past, present, or future.

Theo and her powers represent the past, as she's able to see the past just by touching something. Then there's Shirley, who's focused on living in the here and now and perfectly captures the present every time she takes a picture. Finally, Nell spends her entire life haunted by the ghost of her future self. 

The Red Room offers the entire family an escape at times, changing its form to fit their needs perfectly. Hugh is the only family member not allowed in the Red Room, and Redditor /u/ih8az thinks they've figured out why.

Unlike his wife and children, Hugh does not have any latent psychic abilities. That's because it's Olivia who passed down those traits to the Crain kids, not Hugh. They can all access the room because they have supernatural abilities, but Hugh remains locked out of it.

Partway through the season, we learn that Nell has been the Bent Neck Lady all along. While Nell's body is being prepared for the funeral, however, she doesn't have the same extreme neck injury that she does as a ghost.

Redditor /u/stephwinchester posits that the Bent Neck Lady is more a representation of Nell's death than an accurate portrayal of her body, which is why the neck is so greatly exaggerated. 

The color blue seems to pop up in a lot of significant places, and Redditor /u/teddyburges believes it's symbolic of the Crain family, freedom, and their supernatural sensitivity. The family is often seen wearing blue, and Hugh has blue eyes. Many of their belongings are also blue, and this stands in contrast to the Red Room. The Red Room is harsh, manipulative, and confined.

Red in this series often represents death and violence, and it's closely associated with Hill House.