The Haunting of Bly Manor

 

9/10

The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix is the sequel show to The Haunting of Hill House and based on Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw. In it, Dani Clayton (played Victoria Pedretti from the last show) is hired on as a nanny for two kids at solitary Bly Manor which has born witness to recent tragedies. Also, it's haunted, hence the title. The show has a slow start, but I ended up being so impressed at where this goes.  

First off, let me make it clear that this isn't the fright fest that Hill House was. Bly Manor has its creepy parts, but there isn't as much emphasis on the scares. This is more of a gothic tale like Crimson Peak was. The show does retain Hill House's focus on the human condition and relationships, which is its best strength. Things do start slow. I was initially going to rank this a notch lower, but when all the pieces connect and everything is revealed it is done so well. The ending becomes a gut punch of emotions. I found the payoff entirely worth it. 

The heart and soul of is the excellent character work. The cast really pulls it off. Pedretti gets more screen time and just does a really emotional job as the lead. Oliver Jackson-Cohen returns and plays a truly multifaceted role as a former employee of the manor's owner. He can be both intimidating and sympathetic. The two biggest newcomers here are T'Nia Miller and Rahul Kohli as the housekeeper and cook, who also steal their scenes.

A couple last criticisms: there is some great dialogue, but there can be a few moments where it feels too verbose and manufactured. This is especially obvious when it is done with the child actors. Now, they both do an excellent job, especially considering how difficult some of what they were required to say was. However, I think it is unfair to have expected so much from any kids. This is a backstory flashback heavy show. I did find that they all could've been skimmed down a bit. Nothing that breaks the show, I just think the pacing could've been improved.

I'd say Hill House was the stronger effort, but this show is definitely worth your time. At least try to make it to the halfway point when things start getting juicy. The show is only nine episodes long.