All Manor of scares in house of horrors
Flanagan an expert in terrifying tales
Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House was one of my favourite TV shows of the past decade.
With its expert storytelling, ghastly ghosts and terrifying scares, creator Mike Flanagan nailed his expanded take on Shirley Jackson’s novel.
For follow-up Bly Manor, Flanagan loosely adapts Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and utilises some of his Hill House cast – albeit playing different characters.
Victoria Pedretti stars as American nanny Dani who is hired to care for orphaned children Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and Miles ( Benjamin Evan Ainsworth).
Perhaps inevitably, Bly Manor isn’t the instant classic its predecessor was – but it’s still a gripping, creepy watch.
One of its biggest flaws is the distracting British accents much of the returning Hill House cast are saddled with; Oliver Jackson-cohen (Peter) makes a decent fist of being Scottish but Henry Thomas (Henry) and Carla
Gugino’s (Narrator) attempts at English accents would make Dick Van Dyke blush.
It’s also not as scary as Hill House and as I was a lot more familiar with the source material this time around, I knew a lot of the surprises before they were revealed.
But Flanagan adds greater depth to the supporting characters and inserts captivating mysteries across the nineepisode run; why does Dani keep seeing a man with illuminated glasses? Is it just me or does the housekeeper Mrs Grose (T’nia Miller) never eat or drink?
The performances are terrific – especially an emotion-heavy Pedretti – and Flanagan again gifts his cast with several fleshed out, dialogue-heavy scenes to showcase their talents.
While Hill House had more pure terror, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security; Bly Manor will still cause you a few sleepless nights.
A doll’s house has rarely been more sinister and the imposing Smith and
Ainsworth would look right at home chin wagging with The Omen’s Damien in the playground.
Check in to Bly Manor; you’ll enjoy the stay – just make sure you leave a light on!
What are your thoughts on The Haunting of Bly Manor? How does it compare to Hill House? Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.