The Haunting of Bly Manor

What’s this? Me actually writing a review in close proximity to the release date of said media in question? It can’t be! I must have been replaced by a clone in my sleep.

Anywho, The Haunting of Bly Manor released on Netflix just 3 days ago (I’m an actual punctual reviewer! I’m unstoppable!) the long-awaited sequel to the hit miniseries The Haunting of Hillhouse, released in 2018. Created by Mike Flanagan, Hillhouse was loosely based off of the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name and jumpstarted the Haunting series; Flanagan’s approach to Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, an anthology featuring the same cast of actors, with each season based off of a classic horror novel. We don’t know what future installments hold, but The Haunting of Bly Manor takes on The Turn of The Screw, a novella by Henry James from the late 1800s.

I had read the novella last year in preparation for the film adaptation The Turning, starring my favorite sickly Victorian kid Finn Wolfhard, and reviewed it as such here, so I was pretty familiar with the story going into Bly Manor. My expectations were high, considering that Hillhouse has held its spot in my top 3 favorite miniseries of all time since its release. Mike Flanagan is a horror mastermind in my eyes, judging by the other media of his I’ve seen such as Hush and Doctor Sleep, and Bly certainly does not miss the mark. Maintaining the familiar cast, the score, the ghost scavenger hunt, and the overall vibe, Bly Manor is a strong adaptation of an abysmally boring book.

I expected lots of changes going in, considering how many alterations were made to Hillhouse, but it takes true talent to turn something as drab as the Turn of The Screw into an action-packed suspense piece, with layered characters and succinct storylines, drowning in backstories and lore.

The Haunting of Bly Manor follows the same general story as its source material, following a young au pair as she takes on two orphans in a haunted manor in the countryside. A simple and straightforward foundation, which Flanagan runs with wholeheartedly. I loved how much complexity he was able to give to existing characters such as Peter Quint and Mrs. Grose, and the addition of characters such as Owen and Jamie added to the narrative. Returning actress Victoria Pedretti, who killed it as Nell Crain last season, takes on the lead role as Dani, who was a consistent favorite of mine.

As far as spookiness goes, I doubt you’ll find the uneasiness you felt throughout Hillhouse in this second installment, but the story is strong and very psychologically based, which as a horror fan where my priorities lie in story first, I wasn’t too bothered. We didn’t get a jaw-dropping Bent-Neck Lady twist or the breathtaking episode 6 that consisted of nothing but 20-minute uncut shots like we did in Hillhouse, but Flanagan is concise and managed to make something incredibly unique out of something incredibly boring, its ending satisfying me more than Hillhouse’s.

In conclusion, The Haunting of Bly Manor is a 9-episode Halloween treat wrapped in a perfect bow, so if you’re looking for something eerie with great writing and acting and just enough spookiness to make you hesitate before walking down a dark hallway after viewing, Bly Manor is the October entertainment you’ve been searching for.

Originally published on October 12th, 2020 on alinasmedianalysis.com