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After a two-year wait, Netflix has finally dropped the follow-up to the highly acclaimed The Haunting of Hill House. The creators have decided to go down the anthology route similar to American Horror Story, and instead of Hill House, we are welcomed into Bly Manor.
Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) moves into Bly Manor where she has been hired to be the live-in governess for the two children who reside there, and it doesn’t take her long to notice strange things occurring in the house. Based upon The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Haunting of Bly Manor updates the 1898 novella with a contemporary setting. The plot of the series remains mostly the same as its source material, but it has enough original elements in itself that will keep fans of the novella engaged.
Bly Manor’s main focus is its love stories; some are interesting, while others (including the main one introduced halfway through the season) aren’t as compelling. It seems that the writers were so focused on creating these compelling love stories that they forgot about what is driving audiences to watch the show — the haunting.
T’Nia Miller and Amelia Eve take a break from all the drama in The Haunting of Bly Manor
Image coutresy of Netflix. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020
The Haunting of Bly Manor has its moments, but as a whole, it is not as frightening as The Haunting of Hill House. While there are some scenes that are creepy, it does not progress past that. Except for one or two, the ghosts aren’t as half as scary as the ones that reside in Hill House, but there is a silver lining because their stories are far superior. In The Haunting of Hill House, the ghosts haunt the house simply because they have died on its grounds and are now trapped there forever, while Bly Manor follows a similar concept we are given a very specific and intriguing reason as to why this is. For spoiler’s sake, I won’t mention the how and the why — there is a whole episode with a gravity of information dedicated to that.
Hill House had the Cranes, who had the family dynamic that drove the series, keeping it interesting when the ghosts were not present. By losing this, Bly Manor ends up suffering from the same problem most of the Transformers movies have, which is that they focus way too much on annoying humans than the robots. Bly Manor is the same, but just replace robots with ghosts.
As for the human characters… well, it’s a total mixed bag. While the supporting cast is fantastic with intriguing stories and connections, it’s the main three characters who are the least compelling, them being Dani and the children she is hired to take care of: Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith). I found myself just waiting for more moments with Hannah Grose (T’Nia Miller) and Rahul Kohli (Owen), who were my favourites among this cast.
Will Dani (Victoria Pedretti) discover what lurks in the attic?
Image courtesy of Netflix. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020
Unlike American Horror Story with its plethora of returning cast members, Bly Manor has only a few from Hill House alumni. Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Henry Thomas are the most notable returnees.
As I mentioned previously, Pedretti plays one of the least interesting characters in the series, although the baggage which follows her helps keep her story “alive” and she still delivers a fine performance. Jackson-Cohen, hot off The Invisible Man, seems to be making a name for himself as a hot bad boy, which he plays impeccably well, though I hope he doesn’t end-up typecast (hopefully he’ll be cast as superhero Moon Knight over on Disney+). Henry Thomas, however, is so-so at best. He would have been great had it not been for his dreadfully forced English accent.
As weird as it may sound, I want to touch upon the house itself – Bly Manor. While its exterior looks nothing like Hill House, its interior is far too similar. I’m not sure whether they filmed the interior sets in a studio or a real location but the rooms and halls of Bly Manor often look far too similar to Hill House. From the entrance hall to even the kitchen, they were just too similar for my tastes. I was hoping for a completely brand new house with brand new characters and sadly, I was given a familiar house and mostly bland characters.
The Haunting of Bly Manor is not a worthy successor to The Haunting of Hill House, especially after a two-year wait. It sacrifices the scares for dull human characters with bland storylines, and let’s face it, we’re here for the ghosts. Other than a constant atmospheric sense of dread that Hill House largely lacked, Bly Manor, is an enjoyable binge-watch but an overall disappointing affair.
The Haunting of Bly Manor will be released worldwide on the 9th of October worldwide, exclusively on Netflix. For more drama, horror, and Netflix-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
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