The Haunting Of Bly Manor: 5 Ups & 4 Downs Review

The Haunting Of Bly Manor is based primarily on Henry James' The Turn Of The Screw and Flanagan is careful here not to credit his adaptation purely as a story straight from its pages, opting instead for "From the works of... " James' novel doesn't quite have enough to fill nine hours and it shows - the padding is apparent, albeit mostly successful.

The problems with changing the time frame are not just limited to technology (although the 1987 setting neatly does away with mobiles) but extend to dialogue and reach as far as Flanagan's attempt to adapt both The Turn Of The Screw and The Innocents, the 1961 Deborah Kerr black and white version of the same story, into a functioning mash-up.

The inclusion of the haunting lullaby of the film draws one in to the latter but the equally unrealistic dialogue given to Flora implies that she, like her brother, is the victim of a form of possession, which is not the case. Further problems, such as the use of the word 'cuckold' are anachronistic, despite the immense detail littered throughout that set the year, like the Monster Squad poster on a bedroom wall.

Perhaps Flanagan would've better served the story by committing to a period piece or a completely modern retelling, most horrors normally find a convenient one liner to do away with cellular deus ex machina's...