10/22: The Haunting of Bly Manor

So I've obviously fallen crazy behind, but after 20 or so of these, ya get a little burnt out. But after a short break, let's get back it:

10/22

Well lookie here, another series! That'll be two for the year. A couple years back I made no secret of my undying love for The Haunting of Hill House, going so far as to write a manifesto based on it explaining everything I love about horror. When I heard that an anthology-style sequel was coming based on The Turn of the Screw, I was ecstatic. After two years we finally have The Haunting of Bly Manor. 

Hill House was a masterpiece in how it handled the ghost story, giving it depth, poignancy, and humanity. Bly Manor takes a similar approach and, even if it never quite reaches the lofty ideals of its predecessor, is a masterpiece in its own right. Similar to Hill House, and a theme that is common in haunting movies nowadays, Bly Manor is a house that traps the souls of those that die within it. At first there's a sense of "oh, this again," but by the end of the season an actual system is created for why the souls are trapped here. This is one of the most brilliant aspects of Bly Manor, explaining why this horror we love exists as it does. 

At first, Bly Manor is a bit jarring in that it's not really full of the intense scares we would expect; in fact, one could argue that it's not exactly horror. Where Hill House put the horror and jump scares front and center, Bly Manor is content to let atmosphere and character breath. Once you give yourself to it all the beauty of the season can be realized. And boy... is it beautiful. This isn't necessarily a ghost story asnd, as the ending says, is rather a love story. Every single character in the show is dealing with all the various travails of love; whether it's been lost through death, mistakes or otherwise, or it's budding, frustrated love due to sexuality or loss. It truly is a gorgeous, gothic-soaked tale that immerses and, like the season that came before it, leaves you thinking days after.

For my own tastes, Hill House was more transformative, but just as easily Bly Manor could be even more life changing depending on the kind of viewer you are. This is, once again, horror at its best, cerebral and setting its sights deep into what makes us human. This is why ghost stories will always have a special place in my heart: despite being the tales of the spirits of the dead, there is always something captivating to be said about who we are as the living. 

10/10