Mike Flanagan Gives Glowing Review For FX’s Underrated Historical Series

Published Sep 19, 2026, 9:10 AM EDT

Hannah Gearan (she/her) is has been writing for ScreenRant for over three years. Her deep cinema love traces back to age 11, when she equipped herself with a spiral-bound notebook, rated all the films she watched, and declared herself a critic. About a decade later, she received a BA from Wesleyan University, where she studied Film, Environmental Studies, and Writing. Hannah’s short film, Toxic Faucets, has screened at numerous film festivals, including the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston). As a Movie News writer now, she draws upon her vast experience studying, making, and analyzing film as she approaches dynamic breaking stories. 

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Mike Flanagan has great things to say about one overlooked television series.

Over the past decade, Flanagan has asserted himself as a horror master of both the big and small screen. He directed The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, which was notably praised by author and tough critic Stephen King. He's adapted King's non-horror works like The Life of Chuck, and also made acclaimed horror television series with The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Now, he is about to release a highly anticipated TV series adaptation of the King's novel Carrie. All that is to say, Flanagan is a reputable voice in the industry.

Now, Flanagan is using his voice to praise another artist's work. Speaking in a post on Bluesky, Flanagan sang the praises of Say Nothing. Specifically, he writes, "Very late to the party on this, but finally watching SAY NOTHING on Hulu and it is incredible."

The "incredible" series in question is a nine-part miniseries released on FX and Hulu in 2024. The historical docudrama covers the notoriously murderous and violent period of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Over the course of its nine episodes, Say Nothing spans four decades of history, allowing for copious thrills along the way. The cast includes Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Emily Healy, Maxine Peake, and Rylee Neilly-Large.

Say Nothing received rave reviews upon its release two years ago. The miniseries boasts an impressive 94% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. This includes a glowing 9 out of 10 star review from ScreenRant's Ben Gibbons, who referred to the series as "powerful storytelling with compelling performances." The series was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Despite these universally positive reviews, Say Nothing was not widely seen, causing it to be one of the more underrated miniseries of the 2020s. It does not have a Hollywood A-lister leading cast. In fact, many of its stars were young actors and/or relative newcomers. Because of this and the show not being set in America, there may have been less of an appeal to the typical FX and Hulu audience.

Flanagan's words have some power to change this. With such a notable voice in the TV industry, and one well-versed with murder-based series, giving Say Nothing praise, more audiences could be attracted to this series even years post-release. While it is self-contained, and thus unlikely to get any follow-up season or spinoff, Say Nothing is a show well worth appreciation and ongoing viewership.

Say Nothing

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  Lola Petticrew

  Dolours Price

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  Maxine Peake

  Older Dolours Price