The Haunting of Bly Manor | Netflix

[Nitefly]

Finished the series after some hefty binge watching.

I can give a fairly decent spoiler free review, but if you really don’t want anything of the slightest spoiled, even in respect of vague tone, then don’t read on. But I’m not going to use spoiler tags where there aren’t any *real* spoilers.

Despite the flimsy start and the generic set-up, I did really quite enjoy this series. It is wildly different in tone than the Hill House series. Wildly.

In Hill House, we had a very intense and deeply sad series of ongoing events with some very strong moments of ‘horror’ thrown in. It was very unsettling and gruelling at times - a gripping, tough watch. With admittedly a very silly final episode.

Bly Manor is a much less intense affair and, comparatively, a ‘light horror’ / chiller offering, akin to something like the film ‘The Others’ (the one with Nicole Kidman). With that comes a spooky mystery and jokes about cups of tea.

It is therefore immediately disappointing at face value, but with a bit of patience it reveals its own virtues. The jarring accents become less jarring and the mystery more intriguing. Being picky there is a little bit of plot sag 2/3 through where I wanted things to pick up the pace, so it could perhaps be an episode shorter, but otherwise I was pretty darn entertained the whole way through.

Now, brief spoilers but not detail:

Spoiler

I found the final episode / epilogue to be ever so sad.... Hit me right in the feels! Like the first series, there is tragedy in spades.

I also thought the penultimate episode had one of the very best examples of ‘ghost lore’ I have ever seen. Really top notch chilling horror like something off the Twilight Zone.

She slept... she forgot... she woke... until she faded and had no face

^ things mentioned in the spoiler tags were superb.

If you like high octane horror then you’ll come away rather gutted but for those willing to invest in something more subtle, there is a lot to enjoy here and it’s definitely worth sticking with it passed the first episode - which I found very disappointing based on my expectations from Hill House.

8.5/10

 

[doodah]

Pretty much agree with Nitefly, okay as a horror, but we loved it overall especially the last two episodes.

Edit - as for the accents, we didn't find them too bad, the yanks did a good enough job bar the ghost sister ! The British cast were excellent, particularly Hannah though the actress who played Dani was near flawless again. It was so incredibly sad near the end.

 

[Nitefly]

I actually watched the first episode of Hill House again last night - planning to go through that series again so will be fun to compare.

Hill House is definitely more aggressive with its frights and startling imagery but on a rewatch it is funny to notice that some scares, whilst startling, are often just a violent ‘boo’ of no consequence - ghost foreplay, indeed, as was mentioned above

 

[Simmz]

Watched it all but absolutely hated it.

Really enjoyed hill house, but Bly was far too slow, could have been done in 2 episodes and there was absolutely no on edge scenes or that stomach churning feeling.

 

[R3X]

Will add to the basket, these TV series will be rare now with COVID-19 so going to save them rather than binge in a week.

 

[Mark1989]

I finished this last night, the last three episodes really pick it up

Over all I enjoyed it allot, is it as good as hill House? Imo no but it's also vastly different

I'd give it a solid 8/10

 

[timebomb26]

I came here to write my review, but Nitefly has nailed my thoughts so well, there is no need.

As said it is certainly a lot less complex a story as Hill House and it burns a little slower, but it still has lots of intrigue and kept me gripped until the (very sad ) end.

 

[DrToffnar]

Me and the lady friend sessioned it over the weekend and we really enjoyed it.

I thought perhaps it wasn't quite so tightly written as Hill House. I'd like to have seen more time given to certain characters and perhaps certain elements of the plot fleshed out a little more. Regardless, it’s so refreshing to see horror of this calibre being made, ESPECIALLY on television. The scares are genuinely brilliant, the characters well realised and the ideas almost entirely original despite the bare bones of it coming from the Henry James novel.

I will say however that it leans FAR too hard on the technique praised in the original of having spookies hidden in the background. In those first 2 episodes it's completely distracting and so unsubtle that it became a sort of game.

Flannigan is now one of those directors who is an absolute must watch for me. Can’t think of anything he’s done that I haven’t adored in some way.

 

[MookJong]

This started off shakey got really enjoyable, now losing me fast and almost can't be bothered to finish it.

The good thing is it's made me want to watch The Innocents again. My wife has never seen it so looking forward to watching that.

 

[Raz]

Watching the first episode, perfectly splendid so far.

 

[stoofa]

For those with kids/nephews/nieces etc. - this can lose it's edge a little bit when you realise the little girl is the voice of Peppa Pig.
Now I've typed this, you'll hear nothing but Peppa.

 

[Teaf]

Just finished this tonight, I thought it was great. It definitely picked up after 4 episodes, and that 5th episode was fantastic. I feel they shot themselves in the foot calling this "The Haunting of Bly Manor", as people are just going to expect more-of-the-same from Hill House. I get this would have been more well-received if it they didn't associate themselves with Hill House series in any way and left it completely independent with a different name.

Still really enjoyed it though, I'd say 8.5/10 overall.

 

[Kirby Wurm]

For those with kids/nephews/nieces etc. - this can lose it's edge a little bit when you realise the little girl is the voice of Peppa Pig.
Now I've typed this, you'll hear nothing but Peppa.

Argh, noooooooo! While I've not seen the actress before there was something familiar about her and there it is. Damn you! That will sour my experience for the last 3 episodes...

 

[Nitefly]

Wash, wash, wash your hands, wash them nice and cleeeeeannnn!!

 

[krooton]

Eh, found it a bit ropey over all, and not a patch of Hill House.

Watchable enough 6/10 from me.

 

[Nitefly]

I finished Hill House (for the second time) this evening.

As I said, very different in tone to Bly Manor. Actually rather less consistent, although the peaks are in fairness gobsmackingly high. The ‘huge one shot’ episode in the funeral home is probably the best episode of anything... ever. I forgot how sad the very end of that episode was...

Spoiler

With Nell saying as a child and as an adult that she was right there screaming for help and nobody was there for her :_[

The ‘bent neck lady’ reveal is another brutal highlight. Plus top marks for the 11/10 infamous ‘car jump scare’... holy poop!

The last episode is very tedious with its needless over-complication and tiring ‘dream sequences’. It also features the most frequent ‘dumb moments’ of horror that really tar the experience on a second watch throughout the series, such as:

Spoiler

The stupid ‘cat’ jumpscares.

The beetle coming out of Nell’s mouth.

The stupidest moment has to be the ‘runny egg eyes’ bit in the last episode... it’s so forced and blergh

Bly House feels a little superior in that regard, as it didn’t really have such ‘dumb moments’ at all. But then it didn’t have any startling ‘bent neck lady’ moments either.

Overall an enjoyable watch, certainly not quite as good as the first time around, as is the case with all horror that heavily relies upon intense unforseen moments. That aside, still entertaining, thrilling and sad.

I also got unintentional amusement from the dad in the younger years always looking like he was high on cocaine

8.5/10 on the second watch, giving a half point just for the supreme excellence of that sixth episode in the funeral home. I’m sure my rating of Bly Manor would also diminish on the second watch, but I guess that would mean that Hill House just about pips it on first watch, at least... but Bly manor is the more consistent experience with a much stronger ending.

 

[Glanza]

Finally got around to watching it this weekend, started off slow but soon found it's pace and started being more enjoyable after episode 2, The accents took a little getting used to but wasn't too bad as people on other sites have been saying. It's different enough from Hill House and apart from the name and ghosts being in the background it could be it's own show in it's own right.

 

[Kirby Wurm]

Hmm, it lost me before the end. Around episode 7, and the accents in episode 8, eesh! Not bad but underwhelming after a promising start.

 

[Shamikebab]

I liked it, it wasn't as scary as the first season but it was a good story well told. A few absolutely fantastic episodes.

 

[IvanDobskey]

Loved Hill House and was hoping for similar quality here but sadly let down Way too much padding and full of woke political correctness and lesbianism. The scene doesn't make you believe its set in England one bit and everyone has a ropey accent. Oh and it really isn't scary at all. Very disappointing.