Well ladies, spooky season is officially back—which means horror fans no longer have to wait for one of the most anticipated new mini series, The Haunting of Bly Manor. Netflix released nine new episodes on Friday of the show directed by Mike Flanagan, the man behind the 2018 hit show The Haunting of Hill House. The show is loosely based on the 1898 horror novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The show follows the story of an American au pair taking care of two children living at Bly Manor in the English countryside who starts to experience strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Flanagan brings back some of the cast from The Haunting of Hill House, including Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Carla Gugino. As a fan of horror myself, I could not wait to binge.
If you’re looking for a new horror show that isn’t American Horror Story, Bly Manor is the perfect show. The new series has everything you need for a good scare. You have two children who like to play with frightening dolls, an old house that looks even creepier in the night, an au pair with a grim past, and unexplainable eeriness that is only heightened by the music score. For example, we have the au pair Dani, who at first seems innocent enough, until you realize she’s haunted by her own demons. She can’t even look in the mirror without seeing a dark shadow with glowing eyes, which will give anyone watching intently a jump scare.
However, if you were expecting Bly Manor to live up to Hill House, you might find yourself disappointed.The beauty of The Haunting of Hill House was that the supernatural occurrences were tethered to the characters themselves. The story revolves around the Crain family and how they all separately grieve the loss of their mother and deal with their childhood trauma. This was an aspect of the show that I found so intriguing and refreshing, but Bly Manor does not have that. Instead, Bly Manor uses characters who are connected to the house itself, whether they live there or work there. Some of the different plotlines of characters seemed to drag on but ultimately make you empathetic towards the characters and have you rooting for them up until the end. The ghosts of Bly Manor might not live up to the same horror as the Hill House ghosts, including the frightening Bent Neck Lady, but the show still gives you that psychological terror that is present throughout your viewing.
Without spoiling too much, I will just say that the show is not only entertaining but perfect for spooky season. The plot twists will make you gasp, and jump scares will make you scream. Victoria Pedretti, who plays the au pair Dani, gives us an unbelievable performance that stands out and immediately steals the show. So grab a couple friends, pop some popcorn, and stream The Haunting of Bly Manor.
The Haunting of Bly Manor is now available on Netflix.