Pictured above: “the Haunting of Bly Manor” actress, Victoria Pedretti.
By Anika Singh ’24
Staff Writer
“The Haunting” universe gets its second edition of spooks and scares from Netflix’s much-awaited “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” the season following its highly acclaimed predecessor “The Haunting of Hill House.” Adapted from the thriller novella “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” follows young American Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) as she takes up a job as an au pair to two orphaned children at their huge ancestral mansion located in the fictional town of Bly, England.
Though Bly has a certain charm to it, given the beautiful landscapes of the English countryside and the friendly and sociable staff at the manor, something looms over its freshly manicured gardens. Dani, haunted by her past, seems struck by the eeriness of the mansion, and with the two children, Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith), who are ever so polite (yet possessive) and the peculiar death of the previous au pair, she simply can’t avoid feeling uneasy.
Mike Flanagan, the creator of the series, does a stellar job at interpreting “The Turn of the Screw” with his creative insight and follows the sequence of timelines as his way of storytelling. We see a great in-depth approach taken to present the arcs of the various characters, especially that of Hannah Grose (T'Nia Miller), the housekeeper at Bly Manor.
We see a beautiful portrayal of a series of events that coerces the audience to read between the lines.
The first half of the show is slow, taking its time to unfold, yet manages to keep the audience occupied by various introductions of the past regarding the manor. The jump scares are kept to a minimum, which is different from “The Haunting of Hill House.” Instead, “Bly Manor” preys on the viewer’s mind by creating anticipation through long shots which build upon the mystery that surrounds the manor.
If that was not enough, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” makes it a goal to strum the heartstrings of the viewer as they find themself caring for the characters and the relationships that are strengthened, especially the blooming romance between Dani and the young gardener, Jamie (Amelia Eve).
“The Haunting” universe, though enriched with a second season, seems to fall short when “Bly Manor” is compared to “Hill House.” “Bly Manor” offers a few scares, yet nothing compared to its forerunner. Perhaps “Bly Manor” is indeed more humane when it comes to its storytelling, focusing primarily on the characters instead of the situations they are in. However, the presence of so many characters makes them a burden to the viewer, resulting in a complicated web of people that becomes hard to navigate. Additionally, “Bly Manor” takes a more confusing approach to conclusions than its precursor, as the epilogue entails an open ending instead of the relatively concrete conclusion offered in “Hill House.”
All in all, however, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” seamlessly tries to conjure up theories and conclusions to this creepy series. It is stylish, binge-able and unnerving with a hint of warmth mixed into it. This latest installment of “The Haunting” series is available to stream on Netflix.