“The Haunting of Bly Manor” Review

Story posted October 19, 2020 in Arts & Entertainment by Jillian Heilig.

When “The Haunting of Hill House” came out in 2018, the reviews were unbelievable. With a 93% rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the world sat still as they awaited another production by the “Hill House” team.

Show creator, Mike Flanagan, did not disappoint.

The show, “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” created the same eerie film structure as the first production.

Although there is no direct correspondence between the two plots, audiences see many similarities in the filming. Things such as a large daunting mansion, family with young children and a gray ambiance that lingers over the plot. The storyline stands separate from the team's first project, but the scenery and production unite the two.

The shocking part of the team’s second production is the strong love story roped throughout the plot.

With “Bly Manor,” the storyline feels more depressing than scary. Each character offers themselves a reason for pity, providing a tragic backstory and strong emotional attachment.

The ending was foreseeable, and yet completely unexpected too. It was the type of ending where the audience refuses to believe it.

Tying the plot back to the beginning, the story comes full circle and the pain of the characters is left for the audience. A broken puzzle the viewers must find a way to put back together.

The show’s dialogue felt a little slower than expected. There were more memorable monologues than there were scares within the show, which dragged on farther than preferable.

The characters, however, had an amazing performance in every scene. With a strong cast—Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, Victoria Pedretti—the slow dialogue does not seem to be much of a bother because the actors perform it so well.

Overall, this show was more romantic and tear-jerking than expected from a horror series. However, the production and cast was enough to keep the audience compelled and the storyline moving.

Rating: 4/5

 

Jillian Heilig is a freshman majoring in Film/Video. To contact her, her email is jrh6390@psu.edu.