The Haunting of Bly Manor, this years follow up to 2018’s wildly successful The Haunting of Hill House, landed on Netflix on October 9th. The series, created by Mike Flanagan, takes inspiration from the works of Henry James, most notably his 1989 novella The Turn of the Screw. Like with The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan, using his genius has adapted the source material for a modern audience. During this review of sorts, I’m going to focus on themes and performances, making sure to avoid any major spoilers, though there will be a few.
The Haunting of Bly Manor takes place predominantly in 1987, when Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti), an American in London, applies for a Governess role to the Wingrave children, who after the death of their parents are left in the care of their Uncle Henry (Henry Thomas), Henry is
a man who, rather than adapting to his role of caretaker, falls into depression and alcoholism; spurred by guilt following the death of his brother and sister in law. The first meeting between Dani and Henry briefly outlines what you can expect from each character. Dani presents herself
as a sweet and goofy, but almost painfully awkward 20 something, who has baggage. Henry on the other hand, whilst successful and wealthy is a mess of a man. Often found slumped hungover on the desk in his office, drowning in his self-pity. After an awkward interview and a chance meeting at a bar Dani is offered the position, and so heads off to the English
countryside, to the eerie Bly Manor.
Victoria Pedretti stars as lovable protagonist Dani, after previously appearing as tormented twin Nell Crain in the smash hit The Haunting of Hill House. After a scene-stealing performance as Nell in her first professional acting role, Victoria went on to star in other hit productions including
a lead role as twisted Love Quinn in Netflix's smash hit You, and a supporting role as real-life Manson murderer Leslie Van Houten in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. For the role of Dani, Pedretti tapped into a dorky innocence we haven't seen from her before.
Dani, like Nell, is lovable and troubled but Dani’s relatability stems from her goofy innocence and adorable Midwestern accent. Pedretti uses her physicality in brilliant ways to add to Dani’s character; her anxious and awkward movements help us to realise just how distressed and burdened she is as a young woman carrying a lot of guilt, and perhaps shame. It’s easy for the
audience to fall for Dani as soon as they meet her, and this is down to Pedretti’s natural talent for completely embodying the characters she plays, and this makes Dani the perfect protagonist for this beautifully gothic show.
Other stand out performances this season include an exceptionally haunting performance by T’Nia Miller as loyal housekeeper Hannah Grose and Rahul Kohli as the delightful cook, and former sous chef in Paris, Owen Sharma. Every performance in The Haunting of Bly Manor is exceptionally crafted and wonderfully impressive, from Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s turn as twisted manipulator Peter Quint to Tahirah Sharif’s heartbreaking performance as Rebecca Jessel. With each performance from the cast bringing something beautiful to the show as a whole, I would be doing a huge disservice if I didn't mention Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Ameilia Bea Smith,
who add the creep factor as the sometimes lovable, sometimes terrifying Miles and Flora Wingrave, the children of Bly. These kids are good, I mean really good! Each glance into the distance or momentary mood change adds an uneasiness to the show, you find yourself constantly asking what the hell is going on with these kids?
I can’t talk about stand out performances in Bly Manor without mentioning Jamie. Brought to life by relative newcomer Amelia Eve, (legendary Carla Gugino portrays older Jamie), Jamie is a tough on the outside, soft on the inside proper northern lass. We meet Jamie as the gardener of Bly, a position we learn (during a phenomenal monologue in episode 6), she took up after a small stint in prison and a past littered with let downs and family drama. After some longing looks and palpable tension, it is revealed to us that Jamie is Dani’s love interest, and what follows is one of the most beautifully crafted lesbian love stories seen in any aspect of the media to date, bold claim you may think, but trust me. Amelia Eve and Jamie alike have captured viewers hearts, she has very quickly become a fan favourite amassing thousands of Instagram and Twitter followers since the show’s release.
Whether prepared or not I think it’s safe to say, Amelia Eve, along with costar Victoria Pedretti now have a legion of loyal queer fans ready to support them going forward.
Now, this love story I was hyping up… it’s beautiful. The running theme throughout The Haunting of Bly Manor, aside from ghosts, of course, is love vs possession. We see this theme come to fruition during a
toxic relationship between Peter and Rebecca, in which one party demands ownership of the other, we also see it in Peter and Rebecca’s later relationship with the Wingrave children. However, it’s through Dani and Jamie that we’re shown that you can’t take possession of someone merely because you love them, in their relationship, even through tragedy one party refuses to lay a claim of ownership over the other. As a result, the audience is given a loving, supportive healthy relationship by anyone’s standards. A relationship that has resonated with audiences in a way I haven’t seen for a very long time.
The Haunting of anthology fans were left a little disappointed when a fan favourite from The Haunting of Hill House appeared absent in the latest series, that changed in episode 8 with the return of the exceptional Kate Seigel. Whilst only appearing in one episide, Seigel's return is triumphant. This time around, and in stark contrast to cool yet distant child therapist Theo Crain, we
see Seigel take on the role of Viola Lloyd (in a wonderfully directed black and white episode), the original lady of Bly Manor. Through her stoic and calculating character, we discover the origins of Bly’s hauntings and their basis in jealousy, grief, anger and darkness all encompassed
in an ironed willed woman who refuses to let go.
All in all, The Haunting of Bly Manor is magnificent, truly reminiscent of classic gothic love stories of the past interwoven with a more modern setting. From the stylistic choices such as the spine chilling score and fantastically effective lighting to the soul-crushing performances, what starts as a goosebump-inducing ghost story ends up a heart-shattering gothic romance fit for the ages. To me, Mike Flanagan is a genius and he has proved this once again with a fresh take on Henry James’ literary classics, I truly believe you should go and binge-watch this beautiful piece of television as soon as you can. Thank me later.
- Sara Wolstenholme-Crompton
The Haunting of Bly Manor is available to stream on Netflix now.
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