Netflix is debuting Haunted Hotel, an animated comedy set in a haunted hotel called the Undervale that Katherine, a single mother, now runs with support from her brother Nathan, who resides as a ghost within the building. The series centers on Katherine’s struggle to keep human guests arriving while managing a chorus line of ghosts and demons who populate the hotel’s many rooms. Nathan, who used to own the property, still haunts the halls and dispenses the lessons he learned while managing a supernatural guesthouse. He’s joined by Esther, Katherine’s daughter, and Esther’s younger brother Ben, who together navigate a world where the dead are a constant presence and the living must adapt to their otherworldly tenants. The opening sequence introduces Stabby Paul, a killer haunted by his postmortem history, whose knife proves harmless because its wielder is already a ghost. The premise sets up a blend of spooky setup and offbeat humor that becomes the backbone of the series.
The voice cast anchors the show’s tonal balance. Will Forte voices Nathan, the spectral former owner whose dry humor and measured timing help the episodes land their punchlines even when the visual gags lean surreal. Natalie Palamides voices Esther, whose curiosity about the supernatural drives much of the action and who leans into black magic lore as part of the family’s ongoing dynamic. Eliza Coupe plays Katherine, the exasperated, practical administrator who tries to keep the hotel functional under constantly shifting circumstances. Skyler Gisondo is Ben, Esther’s shy, romantically wired brother who discovers he is a “soul conduit,” a revelation that complicates his relationships with both the living and the dead. Jimmi Simpson voices Abaddon, a demon inhabiting the body of a boy from the 1700s, whose faux menace provides a counterpoint to the siblings’ earnest efforts. Jenifer Lewis appears as an exorcist whose effectiveness comes with a cost, and Keith David lends his distinctive presence to a formidable demon who emerges once the exorcist’s bans create a larger threat.
The show is created by Matt Roller, with Dan Harmon among the executive producers, and it arrives on Netflix with a vibe that recalls Ghosts, but filtered through an animated, supernatural-comedy lens. The pilot clocks in at roughly 25 minutes and uses that compact run time to establish the Undervale’s chaos, the siblings’ relationships, and the hotel staff and residents who will populate upcoming episodes. Forte’s performance is frequently cited as a strength because his natural speaking rhythm, lightly intensified, underpins the humor and keeps even the more outlandish moments grounded in character. Coupe’s Katherine plays the straight foil, allowing Forte’s humor to land without feeling forced, while Simpson’s Abaddon provides a sense of menace that never quite eclipses the family-centered stories at the core of the series. The strongest throughline in the premiere is the sibling dynamic—Esther’s fascination with the supernatural and Ben’s quiet, human longing—to set up future episodes that will likely rely on their chemistry more than on ghostly gags alone.
The pilot uses a mix of spectral humor and character-driven beats to establish the hotel as a place where human guests are a rarity but not unwelcome. The arrival of a truly haunted guest in the lobby nudges Katherine toward making room for at least one human guest while the staff and residents scramble to keep that balance intact. The exorcist sequence demonstrates the show’s willingness to lean into classic horror tropes while subverting them for laughs and relationships. The episode also introduces a gallery of spectral personalities—ranging from the routine to the bizarre—who will likely reappear for ongoing storylines and running gags, including a moment where a haunting is repurposed into a learning opportunity for Ben and Esther’s ongoing growth. The result is a show that can be funny without becoming a mere string of one-liners; its humor emerges from the interplay of characters and the specific rules of the Undervale, rather than from threats alone.
The series’ potential rests on the strength of its core cast and the imaginative, rotating cast of ghosts and demons who populate the Undervale. Esther’s fascination with black magic and her willingness to push boundaries provide a throughline for future episodes as the show explores a more expansive, humorous mythology. Ben’s role as a conduit who misreads his own abilities adds a layer of coming-of-age vulnerability that should help keep the show anchored as the cast of ethereal characters grows. The show’s tone—part family sitcom, part supernatural caper—depends on its ability to juggle character comedy with inventive ghostly scenarios, and the premiere suggests there is room for that balance to mature in subsequent installments.
In terms of audience reception, Haunted Hotel arrives with a clear concept and a strong, diverse ensemble that could support a long arc of stories. While the premiere’s jokes land more often than not, some moments feel light rather than explosive, and the balance between spooky spectacle and character-driven humor will likely determine whether the series becomes a consistent streaming favorite or a clever first impression that doesn’t quite sustain momentum. The production values align with Netflix’s animated family-leaning lineup, delivering crisp visuals, expressive character animation, and a flexible design that accommodates a rotating cast of spectral cameos and gags without sacrificing the emotional resonance of the siblings at the center of the story.
Overall, Haunted Hotel leverages its premise to create a setting ripe for recurring adventures, driven by the chemistry among Katherine, Esther, and Ben and buoyed by Forte’s distinct voice work as Nathan. The pilot lays the groundwork for a show that can grow beyond its pilot’s tonal constraints and develop a more expansive mythology around the Undervale while preserving the intimate family dynamics that give the premise its heart. For viewers seeking a Netflix animated comedy with a spooky edge, Haunted Hotel offers a promising start that could evolve into a reliable source of lighthearted, ghostly intrigue. Our call: STREAM IT.