The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV, 2020)

Creator: Mike Flanagan

Stars: Victoria Pedretti, T'Nia Miller, Amelia Eve

Synopsis: After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry hires a young American nanny to care for his orphaned niece and nephew who reside at Bly Manor with the chef Owen, groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose.

Performances: 6/10

Screenplay: 4/10

Editing: 5/10

Cinematography: 8/10

Score/Soundtrack: 7/10

Enjoyment Factor: 4/10

Verdict: Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Mike Flanagan's work. Hailed as one of the most promising filmmakers in the horror genre today by many, his films never spoke to me personally despite them clearly being a step up from what the genre has to offer nowadays. In other words, I wouldn't put him in the same league as Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, or even Jordan Peele, but I also wouldn't consider his projects to be as bad as your "Unfriended", "Rings", or "The Bye Bye Man",

However, I did quite enjoy "The Haunting of Hill House", the Netflix spooky sensation that took the world by storm a couple of years ago, and was excited to check out what the team had in store for its follow up. I was aware that aside from the general atmosphere and casting, the two shows had no dramatic connections, which I was more than fine with considering how well things wrapped up at Hill House. I was ready and pumped to visit Bly Manor instead, a place where Dani, played by Victoria Pedretti, is sent to take care of two orphans only to realize that her mission wasn't going to be as natural as she thought it would.

9 long episodes later, I can't help but feel underwhelmed by a show that only had 3 episodes I thought were worth the hour-long runtime. Aside from the fourth, fifth, and eighth chapters which diverged from the overarching narrative, I could not get into a story that had more of a soap opera vibe than a horror/thriller one. If you take away the gorgeous cinematography that turns up the chillness of the setting, you're left with a missed opportunity to explore themes such as grief or legacy. Flanagan instead opts to throw the show's focus on uninteresting romances and unnecessary twists (especially one featured in the fourth episode that is just forgotten about in the rest of the season as well as one in the final episode that was just plain cringe-worthy), mostly led by characters I didn't particularly care about and fueled by dialogue that was worthy of Nicolas Sparks book (we even got dramatic pauses!). The acting ranged from bad to good, with Victoria Pedretti and T'Nia Miller delivering the most interesting performances overall but without ever stealing a particular scene. The children, especially in the first three episodes, were more annoying than creepy which I think was Flanagan's intention. They went on to become my least favorite characters of the show (but Oliver Jackson-Cohen's Peter could give them a run for their money) as their purpose, much like the show itself, lost its way.

There is one aspect of the narrative that I enjoyed conceptually but wish wasn't executed in an overbearing manner without ever taking it to the next step. Without spoiling anything, it has to do with fading memories and serves as the main component of the show's horror direction. But other than that, I can't really say that I was impressed with a show that was at times difficult to get through. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't tempted on giving up on it more than once, which should tell you enough about its wasted potential. I wouldn't even necessarily recommend it to fans of Flanagan's work because it does feel like an outlier in his filmography. It is getting pretty positive reactions, however, so maybe, if it seems interesting to you, give it a shot and decide for yourself if you agree or disagree with me.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10