THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR OFFERS DELIGHTFULLY SUBTLE CHILLS

Not all hauntings are by ghosts. We can be haunted by guilt, debt, our choices, our feelings, or simply by our past. We can also be haunted by the thoughts and feelings invoked in a fantastic bit of media, such as Netflix’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”

Created by Mike Flanagan, who was also the screenwriter for “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Bly Manor” is set in a sleepy country manor just outside London, England. The story finds inspiration from the works of Victorian-era author Henry James (1843-1916), leaning heavily upon the novella “The Turn of the Screw.”

Whether you’re familiar with James’s original tale, one of its later adaptations – such as the 2020 movie “The Turning,” featuring Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things” – or are a complete newcomer his work, it is inarguable that Flanagan draws from the source material while making something new and delightful.

Dani Clayton, portrayed by Victoria Pedretti, who was also in Hill House with several other members of the cast here, is a 20-something, fourth-grade teacher from America who finds herself abroad in England. She interviews for a position as an au pair for two children, Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) Wingrave.

The Wingrave children live at Bly Manor while their uncle, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas), has custody of them following the death of their parents while they were vacationing in India. Henry is introduced as an alcohol-besotted and negligent custodian and informs Dani that the previous au pair died from suicide some months ago, making the position difficult to fill due to superstitions surrounding the death

Dani is hired by Henry, eventually, and finds her way to Bly Manor, where she is charmed by the country estate, as well as the children who are to be her charges. Shortly after arriving, she seems to notice that something is amiss, however, and from there the plot unfolds.

It would be more accurate to say the plots unfold, as there are many individual stories interwoven over the course of the series that create one stunning tapestry. Everything is relevant, and this thread is tied closely to that thread, as only a master storyteller can weave. As one watches the show, one notices a key point unlocked from an episode, or several episodes, before. Truly, I cannot overstate how well- written and planned the series is. There are simply so many “AHA!” moments.

The various characters are wonderfully portrayed and their on-screen chemistry is synergistic and engaging. I personally feel that of all the cast, young Benjamin Evan Ainsworth often steals the scene with surprising acumen for acting from someone who saw their 10th birthday in 2020. Though this isn’t the first role for him, it is one that will ensure an acting career for the foreseeable future, should he wish to pursue it.

One thing I truly love about the series is that it delivers good, suspenseful horror, without unnecessary or overused jump scares. It’s more of a constant sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop, as one knows another reveal is just around the corner. When the time is right, however, Flanagan isn’t afraid to throw in a sudden shock that will get the old blood flowing.

The only negative thing I’ve heard others say about Bly Manor is that it falls into the trope of “bury your gays.” That is to say, that in much of media, gay characters are more likely to have a tragic death than those that are not. I can’t go too much further into the subject without revealing more spoilers than I would like, but will say that I felt the deaths that happened weren’t gratuitous, especially in the context of the plot, and there are plenty of straight people who also die.

I found great enjoyment in “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” Enough so, that I’m looking forward to going back and watching Hill House, from 2018, which I now regret never having seen. I’m also greatly hoping there will be a third season of “The Haunting” series, and speculation abounds that this will be so.

Unfortunately, Season Three is going to have to wait until Flanagan is finished with two other projects he’s working on for Netflix, including “Midnight Mass,” still being filmed as this is written. The running theory seems to be that we could see another “Haunting” serial sometime in 2023, a slightly longer gap than the two years between “Hill House” and “Bly Manor.”

I have a feeling it will be worth the wait.