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

Here's the big question that everyone has had on their lips - is The Haunting Of Bly Manor actually scary? The short answer is, and regretfully, no.

Does it have moments that are scary? The short answer to that is yes, but they are unfortunately far and few between and when the ghosts are present, the writers go to such lengths to make them sympathetic characters that there seems to be no clear antagonist of the piece, save for the demons which we carry with us.

Ultimately, this is the overriding message of Bly Manor, that our pasts and presents are scary enough, yet for a series that swooshes confidently in on the coat tails of its predecessor, both marketed under the banner of 'The Haunting Of... ,' Bly Manor does not do what is says on the tin.

Hill House was packed with horror and moments like The Bent Neck Lady were utterly terrifying, whereas Bly Manor spends such a long time meditating on grief, which is fine if your story is 'Lessons In Loss,' but it isn't, this is meant to be a ghost story, so what's the hold up?

Flanagan attempts to explain the nature of life after death, again a powerful topic, but it only explains away the fear in a way that undermines the initial, and effective, scares. Perhaps this is the exact tone he wanted yet it seems a shame then that Bly Manor has all the expectations of its predecessor but none of its conviction.