Top 10 Early Reactions to The Haunting of Bly Manor

When Mike Flanagan and Netflix unleashed “The Haunting of Hill House” on us in 2018, few people could have predicted just how strongly it would resonate with subscribers. A new horror series of this caliber is always welcome, but the series was so compelling that even those who generally shy away from scary content found themselves drawn in by the interpersonal drama. For all its terrifying moments, the first season was, first and foremost, about family. Season 2 continues to make this a central theme, albeit approached from a different angle. The occupants of Bly Manor are all orphans and misfits in their own ways; as Mike Flanagan explains it, “Bly Manor is about strangers, a family that is created.”

“The Haunting of Hill House” was a great ghost story, but what distinguished it from so many other horror series and films was the strength of its character development. The Crain family were more than just cannonfodder for the supernatural forces of Hill House. They were extremely relatable. In this sense, “Bly Manor” does the first season proud. The occupants of the titular estate each have their own desires and struggles. It’s impossible not to be charmed by Owen, the sweet, pun-loving chef. Groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper Hannah both stand out in their own ways. Tying the ensemble together is our protagonist, Dani, and her charges, the Wingrave children; all three feel wonderfully complex. One can’t help but fall in love with this unconventional family.

Horror has a history of being a low budget genre. Many a filmmaker has gotten their start in their own backyard or basement armed with little else but a camera, amateur actors and some ketchup to serve as blood. “The Haunting of Bly Manor”, however, is incredibly polished. There isn’t much in the way of expensive big, in-your-face, special effects, but the sets are sumptuous. From the gardens and grounds of Bly Manor, to the furniture and wallpaper, it all just feels very rich. What really makes the production design shine, however, is the cinematography. Depending on what’s happening at a given moment in the show, the environment can feel warm and inviting, dreary and foreboding or be transformed into a space of absolute terror.

Like “The Haunting of Hill House”, “Bly Manor” is inspired by a classic piece of horror literature, Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw”. And, like the hugely influential novella, the story of Bly Manor is told in loving detail by a narrator. This proves to be something of a double-edged sword for the show. When the narrator inserts themselves in the form of a voice-over, it can sometimes rob the story of its immediacy and take the audience out of the moment. That being said, the narration does add to the show’s gothic qualities. The narration lends a certain timelessness to the story, which helps balance out the effects of the late 19th century story being transposed into the 1980s.

Like in the first season, there are a ton of little details to pick up on in Bly Manor. “The Haunting of Hill House” delivered a compelling story that kept us engaged from start to finish; the story was so riveting, in fact, that it was easy to miss the many spooky things happening in the background. Well, we’ve got some good news for you, Bly Manor is another terrifying game of “I Spy” that demands repeat viewings. Even more so than in the first season though, it feels like every little gesture, on-screen detail or line of dialogue was carefully crafted to serve the story. As the layered secrets of Bly Manor are revealed, character actions and motivations repeatedly take on new retroactive meaning.

Taking a page from “American Horror Story”’s casting book, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” has brought back a number of familiar faces from the previous season. Considering the success of “Hill House”, we don’t envy the pressure that the new cast members must have felt. Thankfully, they all deliver. This ensemble may actually work even better together than the Crain family. Because there are fewer characters in the mix, the residents of Bly Manor all get more time in the spotlight. Without giving anything away, T'Nia Miller is utterly magnetic as the enigmatic Hannah Grose. Newcomer Amelia Eve plays groundskeeper Jamie as tough and fiery, but also perceptive and kind. Rahul Kohli often steals the show, however, and is sure to become a fan-favorite.

W.C. Fields is often credited with having said ““never work with animals or children.” Well, based on the performances given by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Smith, we actually have to agree. Because they were total scene-stealers! Though both of these young actors are relative unknowns, we expect to be seeing a whole lot of them following the release of Bly Manor. They feel destined to join the “child actors in horror” hall of fame. As the Wingrave children, Miles and Flora, they are absolutely captivating. They play off their adult costars with skill well beyond their years. It’s tough to say much more about their performances without giving anything away, but suffice it to say they make quite the impression.

Even playing alongside a talented ensemble cast, Victoria Pedretti managed to distinguish herself in “The Haunting of Hill House”. Nell was the beating heart of the show and the Crain family. As such, fans were generally quite pleased when it was announced that she’d been given the leading role in the second season. We’re happy to report that she more than earns it. Pedretti plays Dani Clayton as a hopeful, assertive but haunted young woman. There are some similarities to Nell Crain, but Dani is too fully fleshed out to feel like a retread. Pedretti fully inhabits the role, horrors and all. She’s joined by Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Kate Siegel, all of whom play fundamentally different roles from the previous season, showcasing their range in the process.

Don’t worry, when the scares do come, they pack a punch. They’re just fewer and farther between than in the first season. And, while undeniably terrifying, “The Haunting of Hill House” already had fewer scares per episode than your average horror series. As such, some fans may occasionally feel frustrated by the lack of conventional horror moments. What Bly Manor does instead, however, is create a lingering sense of dread and discomfort. It toys with the audience. An episode will go so long without an overt scare that we start to feel as if we’re just watching a drama. When something horrifying suddenly occurs, the scare is that much more jarring as a result. This season takes a more subtle, psychological and old school approach to horror.

Or rather, love stories plural. You see, while “the Haunting of Bly Manor” might not be as conventionally scary as the Hill House, that’s only because it dedicates so much of its running time to developing real relationships between its characters. Love is the foundation upon which Bly Manor is built, but it’s also woven into the very fabric of the narrative and the DNA of our characters. As Mike Flanagan explained in the lead up to the show’s release, “What sets Bly Manor apart is that at its heart, it's a love story. It's a gothic romance story." And when judged as exactly that, rather than against the expectations set up by Hill House, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” undeniably succeeds.