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The Haunting of Bly Manor is the follow up to the critically acclaimed Netflix original series The Haunting of Hill House, both created by Mike Flanagan famous for such films as Doctor Sleep & Oculus. The Haunting of Bly Manor isn't a sequel nor a prequel to The Haunting of Hill House but more in line of a follow up series such as American Horror Story or Fargo. To put it simply, you do not need to watch The Haunting of Hill House to enjoy The Haunting of Bly Manor but to be honest why not watch both? I have never reviewed The Haunting of Hill House but to put it simply, the series is one of and more than likely my favorite horror shows of all time. The Haunting of Bly Manor returns many actors from The Haunting of Hill House but in different roles and a new story. The Haunting of Bly Manor is adapted from the 1898 horror novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James which tells "the story of a young au pair who is hired by a man to look after his niece and nephew at the family country house after they fall into his care. Arriving at the Bly estate, she begins to see apparitions that proceed to haunt the premises."
With all that out of the way, let’s start with the positives and why not start with the best thing about this series? The Haunting of Bly Manor isn't only terrifying but as close to a horror masterpiece as you can get. The scares within the series aren't based strictly off loud bangs and jump scares as most generic horror films use to scare audiences but a slow anxiety type feeling that something absolutely terrifying is about to take place. The other great thing about The Haunting of Bly Manor is it contains a compelling story with interesting characters. Events happen and while you may think you can guess the outcome; you'll never truly know what is around the corner. Character choices while odd at the time, come to serve a purpose later in the series. The acting is also a bright spot in The Haunting of Bly Manor. Victoria Pedretti gives a spectacular performance as the au pair and main character Dani who was brilliantly written by series creator Mike Flanagan.
The Haunting of Bly Manor is also beautifully filmed with many wide exterior and interior shots that truly showcase the scope of the manor. The series also incorporates lighter color palette tones during daytime and darker colors at night. This makes the days feel brighter and livelier while the nights feel darker and more isolated. The score of the show is great but almost nonexistent. Flanagan is famous for using silence at crucial times and this is relevant here. There are many more positives I could say about the series but to simply put it: The Haunting of Bly Manor is well worth your time.
As for negatives, well I don't really have any. I guess if I had to go out on a limb and find some, the show at times can drag. There are a few episodes that run almost at the 60-minute mark that could be cut down a few minutes, but again that is reaching for negatives. The main children at times are extremely annoying but that is more of a subjective flaw depending on the audience member.
In the end, I think most will be terrified watching The Haunting of Bly Manor but that's a good thing, right? The oversaturation of the horror genre today makes The Haunting of Bly Manor even that more rare and that much better of a show. Bravo Netflix. Mike Flanagan again proves that he is one of the best working in horror today and at this point I can't wait to see what he makes next, but for now I'll be sleeping with the light on.
Grade: A+