Gothic stories have a long shelf life. Published hundreds of years ago and tackling numerous topics, these books and novellas are often packed with ambiance: old and creaky manors, moody weather, hauntings, romantic twists, and longing amid the stress of a hysterical era. These are stories about women caring for scary kids, buried family secrets, and numerous takes on Frankenstein that range from faithful interpretations to action-adventures.
In recent years, Mike Flanagan has come out as a leading figure in the realm of adaptations and horror stories, adapting various Stephen King novels to great success along with several original movies and shows. His first big break came in 2018 when he started an anthology series based on classical horror works. The Haunting of Hill House, adapted from the landmark Shirley Jackson novel, was the first — and it quickly became a Netflix phenomenon. Two years later, Flanagan followed it with The Haunting of Bly Manor, a smaller and weirder story that drew inspiration from Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw,” one of the most adapted novellas in history.
“The Turn of the Screw” follows a governess that moves into a remote manor in England to care for two orphaned children. The woman starts to see strange things in the manor, and she grows convinced that the children are being haunted by some presence. Originally published in 1898, the novella continues to intrigue filmmakers and writers. Various adaptations have changed the setting, time period, relationship of the woman to the children, and even the source of fear. Still, the same effective formula remains.
While Flanagan has delivered faithful adaptations throughout his career, with this anthology series he gave himself more freedom. Both Hill House and Bly Manor are liberal adaptations, finding Flanagan borrowing the ideas that interest him. His version of “The Turn of the Screw” follows the same outline of the story but adapted to the ‘80s. It follows an American au pair (played by Hill House’s breakout star Victoria Pedretti) newly arrived in England, who finds a job caring for two orphaned kids in Bly Manor, an old estate tended by its staff. As the episodes unfold, we explore her past, get to know the people that work on the estate, and develop an understanding of the manor itself and what caused the haunting that wreaks havoc on all of its residents.
The series kicks off with a similar framing device that’s in “The Turn of the Screw” and that’s common in Gothic stories: a gathering of people, huddled around a fire, with someone telling a scary story. It then spins some modern interpretation of the topics that the novella explores. Flanagan pays attention to the governess’ fragile state of mind and explores the romance and the taboo of sexuality that’s so present in the original story.
Unlike Hill House, which was based on one novel, with Bly Manor, Flanagan gave himself license to dip into James’ other novellas and short stories, adding more to support its nine episode season. While some story beats are less effective than others, there are clear highlights, like the mid-season episode, exploring Hannah (T’Nia Miller), the housekeeper. The episode is inspired by James’ “The Altar of the Dead,” and by the end of its runtime, it casts the first half of the series in a new light.
“Though Haunting of Hill House is about a very tight family, Bly Manor is about strangers, a family that is created,” Flanagan told Entertainment Weekly in 2020 “All of the people that inhabit Bly Manor come from completely different backgrounds, and get to know each other through friendship, tension, conflict, and love. What sets Bly Manor apart is that at its heart, it’s a love story. It’s a gothic romance story.”
Hill House and Bly Manor are prime examples of Flanagan’s sensitivities as a writer and filmmaker. If you like one, you’ll likely like the other. If you find one of them too cloying or sentimental, then Flanagan’s work probably isn’t for you. One key difference between the two series is the intent. While Hill House is centered on a family that can’t let go of their traumatic past, in Bly Manor, you’ll find characters clinging to their memories — and ghosts that keep revisiting the moments and the people that made them happy.
The Haunting of Bly Manor is streaming on Netflix.
