This Popular Horror Novel Is Just Dying For A Major Adaption

In the world of horror, one of the most iconic stories to tell is that of a haunting. It usually takes the form of a haunted house or asylum/hospital, which feels familiar and safe to the viewer. A family or close friends come together after a series of unexplainable events, from phantoms knocking on the walls and doors opening by themselves, to shadow figures or full-bodied apparitions appearing in places they shouldn’t be. Films like Paranormal Activity, The Others, and even the recent NEON film Presence all perfectly captured this feeling. Still, one popular novel is just waiting for a live-action adaption, and that is Josh Malerman’s Incidents Around the House.

The acclaimed author of Netflix’s breakout film Bird Box and acclaimed novels such as Malorie crafted one of 2024’s most talked-about and prolific horror novels. It tells a wholly unique story that captures the haunting realities of what is happening to a family dealing with personal drama and then being confronted with a reality too horrific to imagine. After successful projects like The Haunting of Hill House, bringing Incidents Around the House to life on either a big screen or small screen is the perfect way to honor this popular horror novel.

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Incidents Around the House, Explained

The novel centers around an 8-year-old girl named Bela, a sheltered young girl whose parents are struggling with their own problems. While she interacts with her grandmother and her friend Deb, she lives her life as a homebody, spending her time with her parents. Yet as the story progresses, Bela interacts with one other entity, something that she calls “Other Mommy.”

Every night, Other Mommy appears in Bela’s room, asking her the same question over and over: “Can I Go Inside Your Heart?” Bela either ignores Other Mommy or refuses her each night, but the longer time goes on. The more Other Mommy asks her questions, the more and more uneasy Bela becomes, for each time the question is asked, activity around the house increases, and the entity becomes increasingly tired, restless, and hungry.

The activity becomes unhinged, and the longer Other Mommy is denied, the more afraid Bela becomes. She finally confesses the horrors she is experiencing to her parents. Still, like most horror stories, the turning point comes when both parents finally experience Other Mommy for themselves, as does Bela’s grandmother. Soon, they must band together to save Bela from this malicious entity before Bela gives in and allows Other Mommy to enter her heart to save her family.

Translating Incidents Around the House to The Big Screen

One of the things that immediately stands out about this novel is how the author can capture the classic tropes and horrors found in a good paranormal haunting tale while also giving the narrative a fresh perspective. The way the author can introduce the core of this story from the perspective of a young girl is a refreshing take on the story. Like the feeling fans get when watching Stranger Things from the perspective of the youngest kids on the show, Bela’s view of the horrors inflicted on her and her family is a unique concept that could play well on the big or silver screen.

How Bela interacts with this entity is how you’d expect a child to interact with it. At first, the interactions for Bela feel almost magical, as if she is living a fantasy and Other Mommy is an imaginary friend that she can spend her nights joking with and talking with, something she has little time for in her day-to-day life. Yet that veil that covers her perspective falls considerably the more aggressive Other Mommy becomes, and the revelations of Other Mommy are greatly haunting.

The tension and the atmosphere are what really sell this novel and would play perfectly in a live-action adaption. Much like Paranormal Activity, the terror in this novel often comes with what isn’t seen, with descriptions of Other Mommy often vague or only hinting at the whole of this creature’s visage. The way the author can layer this story with heart-pounding terror, exploring the “incidents” that occur throughout this family home by building up the tension slowly and infusing these moments into everyday occurrences allowed the story itself to shine, something that could play well into a longer-form adaption like a limited series.

Given the author’s previous successes with Bird Box as a live-screen adaption, allowing Incidents Around the House to become the next big Netflix film or television adaption would be a wise investment. The unique twist on the classic haunted house tale and the chilling nature of this “Other Mommy,” as well as the balance the author strikes with the human component in the parent’s troubled daily lives and the interactions they have with their daughter, would allow audiences to connect with protagonist Bela and become a stellar streaming adaption.

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