Spooky season is among us, and with the falling leaves comes a craving for ghosts and goblins.

Netflix’s new show, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is the perfect way to ease into the season of autumn thrillers. This Netflix original series was released October 9, 2020 and has a total of nine episodes that slowly unravel the mysterious hauntings of Bly Manor.

The show is loosely based on Henry James’ 1800’s horror novella, The Turn of the Screw, and is brought to the small screen by Mike Flanagan. The program does hold a mature audience rating, so if you are interested in viewing the series, please be mindful of the content shown. With that said, here is a spoiler-free summary.

As the story goes, the year is 1987 and the main character, Dani Clayton ( an American au pair), takes on the position of caring for a pair of peculiar English children after their parents mysteriously died overseas. As Dani (played by Victoria Pedretti) spends time in the victorian manor, she begins to see apparitions and notice odd outbursts and sudden character changes in the children. As the story progresses, the show reveals more about the haunted mansion’s past, as well as Dani’s, that is filled with just as many secrets. 

The Haunting of Bly Manor” has no relation to its predecessor, The Haunting of Hill House, other than the cast (following a casting style much like American Horror Story). Also, if you scare easily, this installment is not as fear provoking as Hill House. The show focuses more on a suspenseful romance-drama, so if you were anticipating being spooked like the last installment did, it’s not going to happen.

The show is a huge puzzle, and you have to find the right pieces at the right time in order to see the big picture. In retrospect, the show may drag a bit, but the details and cinematography are undoubtedly “perfectly splendid” (as one of the child characters states after every one of her lines).  If you are looking to raise some goosebumps, check out The Haunting of Bly Manor.