Nearly two years after the first Haunting series premiered, The Haunting of Bly Manor debuted on Netflix in October of 2020. Crafted by Mike Flanagan, Bly Manor proved that while it also featured a haunted estate, it would differ from The Haunting of Hill House greatly.
Much like its predecessor, The Haunting of Hill House, the Bly estate consists of many frightening ghosts. Unlike the Hill House property, Bly does not earn its frightening name because of the ghosts trapped on the land, but the familiarity of the story that so few know.
Most of the ghosts that haunt the Bly estate (or at least the most notable ones), have a backstory that makes them more humane. By appearing to have true motives behind their actions, the ghosts of Bly are much more terrifying than those from Hill House. Essentially, the purpose the ghosts at Bly have is what makes them more lethal.
Loosely adapted from Henry James' novel, The Turn of the Screw, The Haunting of Bly Manor is an eerie tale consisting of ghosts and personal trauma. The story is centered around Dani Clayton, a former teacher who earns a job as a governess to two young children who have recently lost their parents. Like the Crains who arrive at Hill House, Dani fails to realize that the lavish estate isn't as grand as it first appears.
Drawing from Shirley Jackson's novel, The Haunting of Hill House, the Netflix adaptation also features a haunted estate. The strange occurrences the Crain family endure are partially brought upon by their own desires and failures. The Red Room, the so-called "heart of the house," remained a mysterious part of the house until the end. For each of the Crain children, the Red Room appeared differently. It may have been a playroom, a treehouse, or a place to enjoy alone time.
At Hill House, the most humane ghost was Olivia Crain. Had she not been the matriarch of the Crain family, she wouldn't have appeared to be the most humane ghost. As an important member of the Crain family, she was known first as a mother before she was known as a ghost. Upon realizing Olivia had been convinced by Hill House to kill her family to reside in their "forever home," The Haunting of Hill House becomes a chilling family story, but not scary.
To further scare those who enter Hill House along with the Crain family, The Haunting of Hill House features a number of jump scares. One of Hill House's most terrifying scenes involves Shirley and Theo driving to Hill House to save their younger brother, Luke. In the middle of a heated argument, the two women are startled by the sudden appearance of their dead sister, Nellie, between them. Nellie releases a horrific, piercing scream, sending the women off the road.
Unlike Hill House, Bly Manor doesn't feature many jump scares. Hill House's jump scares do help fuel the story, but it makes Hill House a mere ghost tale whose only hope is to cause fear. On the other hand, Bly Manor is much more than a ghost story. Without the use of typical horror tropes like jump scares, Bly Manor relies on other tactics to scare its audience. While Bly Manor does rely on the heavy presence of ghosts, the more haunting and heartbreaking aspect of it is love and loss.
Dani and the gardener, Jamie, have a beautiful love story that blossoms from Dani's first day at Bly. They grow through their past pains and overcome the ones that arise together. Unfortunately, the relationship between Dani and Jamie is not the only one that makes Bly Manor so gut-wrenching. Hannah Grose, the housekeeper, and Bly's cook, Owen, have a love story that quite literally never gets off the ground.
At the center of Hill House, love and the past came back to haunt the Crains. The memories of what they never got over from their time at Hill House repeatedly reappear in different forms. One of the scarier ghosts of the series is the Bent-Neck Lady, who haunts Nellie throughout her childhood. The identity of the Bent-Neck Lady turns out to be Nellie herself, who seems to try and warn herself of what will happen in the future.
In this regard, Bly Manor is no different. Dani is repeatedly haunted by her past, specifically her ex-fiancé's glasses. As a result, Dani is constantly on edge. She pushes a number of people away, including Jamie, and leads many people to unveil the truth about themselves and the property they inhabit. Confronting any form of truth can be terrifying and in the ghoulish presences at Bly Manor don't make it any easier.
For the Crains, the daunting Red Room was a double-edged sword. It was a safe space that helped keep them sane while the rest of the house drove them out of their minds. Haunted by their own past (including their ghostly mother), the Crain's struggle to resist the mental and emotional pull of Hill House for the rest of their lives. Olivia only wishes to keep her family and save them from the threats of the outside world, now amplified by their experiences at Hill House.
Similarly, in order to save Jamie from falling victim to the Lady in the Lake that lives within her, Dani returns to Bly. She becomes the new Lady in the Lake, replacing Viola and her tragic story that revolves around the loss of her husband and daughter, and her sister's betrayal. Dani does not give up her life with Jamie because of some selfish desire like Olivia, but does so to protect the woman she loves. In fact, it's worth noting that Dani only had the Lady in the Lake within her because she wanted to save Flora.
Hannah, unable to fathom that she's actually a ghost trapped on the Bly property, misses her chance to leave with Owen. Years later, Owen fails to understand that the woman he had grown to love, was a ghost for a considerable amount of time. While it's certainly a hard pill to swallow, Owen is never given the chance to even begin processing it.
At some point, everyone loses something or someone. Loss looks and feels different for everyone, but it's a universal experience. The knowledge of that feeling is what makes The Haunting of Bly Manor so frightening. Wanting to protect who they love by any means necessary is what Dani does by giving herself to the lake. While it's unlikely to be haunted by ghosts in a creepy estate like the Crain family, or invite a ghost to share someone's body like Dani, there is always a chance that someone can lose someone they love.
Stream The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix.