The Haunting of Bly Manor
Ratings: 3.5/5
Episodes: 09
Director: Mike Flanagan
Producer: Kathy Gilroy
Production Company: Flanagan Film, Amblin Television, Paramount Television
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Release Date: 9th October 2020
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Star Cast: Amelie Bea Smith, Henry Thomas, Benjamin Ainsworth, Rahul Kohli, T'Nia Miller, Victoria Pedretti, Andrew Neil McKenzie, Tahirah Sharif, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Amelia Eve, Calix Fraser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Martin McCreadie, Roz Murray, Jim Piddock, Kate Siegel, Rhys Slack, Katie Parker
Plot: The Haunting of Bly Manor takes us to England in the 80s, where long after the tragic death of a nanny, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti) to take care of his orphaned niece and nephew (Amelie Bea Smith and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) who reside at Bly Manor with chef Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (T’Nia Miller).
As expected, in this residence not everything is what it seems and the dark secrets of love and pain will begin to come to light after the arrival of the au pair (Victoria Pedretti).
Review: From The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan comes The Haunting of Bly Manor, the next highly-anticipated chapter of The Haunting anthology series, set in 1980s England - a Gothic romance-influenced ghost story based on Henry James’s novella ‘The Turn of The Screw’ published in 1898.
There is a hauntingly beautiful story that unfolds and if you were a fan of The Haunting of Hill House, then you are in for a treat with its anthology follow-up. A mystery that is both heartfelt and ghostly!
The film actually has substance as you will be truly pulled into the center of what is going on. However the Haunting of Bly Manor doesn’t possess the level of horror we saw with The Haunting of Hill House, but it most certainly has its moments. In short, it is a slow burn that builds up and gives you a sense of satisfaction as the season comes to an end.
Similar to the first season, The Haunting of Bly Manor maintains the narrative element. But there are no jumps and scares at every moment, waiting around the corner, rather there is a very intricate story involved here.
When it comes to the star cast, The Haunting of Bly Manor brings back familiar faces from The Haunting of Hill House including Henry Thomas, Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Carla Gugino, and Kate Siegel, but also mixes it up with some fresh faces including Rahul Kohli.
As you get to know and understand the characters, their plight, and the history behind this particular manor and what past horrors ail it, it can be said that both the new and the old cast members have done a spectacular job and have managed to keep the horror element of this anthology series alive.
As far as the technical aspect of the film is concerned, cinematographers Maxime Alexandre and James Kniest have done a good job too at making things clear whenever they need to, as much of the action takes place at night, which has made the scary bits look far cleverer and genuinely frightening. Even the dialogues are sharp, and the aesthetics cannot be overlooked.
Overall, you will find The Haunting of Bly Manor an enjoyable watch. And you can certainly expect to walk away this season with a deeper appreciation for the unique ways a horror story can be told.
