Review: “The Haunting of Bly Manor”

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Photo provided by: Julia Moon

Drawing of the Manor where the show takes place.

Angelina Jonkaitis, Entertainment Editor

On Oct.  9,  Netflix released the TV show “The Haunting of Bly Manor”. The show was a spinoff of the Netflix Original  “The Haunting of Hillhouse”. “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is not your typical horror story, rather it is a sweet ominous love story. The beautiful soundtrack, set designs and characters will put you into their world as you witness the events of Bly Manor. 

The show is about a young woman hired by a man to take care of his niece and nephew in a manor located in England. When she arrives at  the manor everything seems normal, yet as time goes on, strange things start to happen. Throughout the story you witness several other characters who all have such in-depth backgrounds and personalities. This show alone stands out because of its characterization and plot line.

“My favorite aspect of the show was how well the plot was built up and the shifting of the plot was just spectacular in my opinion,” junior Roselyn Meneses said. 

Bly Manor is unique for the way the lighting is used. Each scene is beautifully crafted with lights and sounds that enhance the feel of the shot. Although somewhat breathtaking for some, it can be unsettling for viewers as some of the scenes are very graphic and disturbing. There are cases where the lighting can be too dark which makes it almost impossible to understand what is going on. It is important to mention that Bly Manor is classified as a Gothic romance so it is not surprising that the show would take on darker, cooler colors and intense effects. 

“I dislike how dark it was, I understand it was to build the bleakness of the show, but I found myself turning my brightness all the way up on multiple occasions watching this,” Meneses said. 

The show might not be for everyone, especially those who might feel uncomfortable with horror, but rest assured that it is not as scary as one might think. Bly Manor is a beautiful Gothic romance and despite the dark lighting and minimal graphic scenes, it really is an amazing production. The show tackles issues unlike any other, and really engages itself with the audience. It is a show worth watching and analyzing. There is so much that goes into Bly Manor that it is hard to put down and not binge in one day.