While everyone patiently waits for Mike Flanagan’sCarrie, his underrated Netflix series,The Haunting of Bly Manor, is worth a watch for anyone looking for something that goes beyond the filmmaker’s typical scares. Despite being his first novel,Carriesits high in therankings for Stephen King’s books, as it is a seminal part of his body of work and a staple of horror as a whole. There have already been several adaptations ofCarrie, but Mike Flanagan sets his sights on making the first television adaptation of the iconic novel, and his own filmography suggests he is up for the task.
WiththeCarriecastbeginning to take shape, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to this updated take on the source material. Flanagan has proven time and again that he can create some incredible horror television shows, and one in particular,The Haunting of Bly Manor, is the perfect series for fans ofCarrieto watch before his new show finally releases.
Of All Mike Flanagan’s Shows, The Haunting Of Bly Manor Deserves More Love
The Haunting Of Bly Manor Is Mike Flanagan’s Most Underrated Show
Mike Flanagan continually struck gold in his collaboration with Netflix, which resulted in a number of horror television series, starting withThe Haunting of Hill Housein 2018.The Haunting of Bly Manorcame out two years afterHill House, and although it was still well-received, it was generally thought of as an inferior follow-up to one of the best horror shows of all time. Though it might not always reach the same heights as some ofFlanagan’s best Netflix horror projects,The Haunting of Bly Manoris definitely underrated and deserves more love.
It would have been so easy for Flanagan to follow upThe Haunting of Hill Housewith more of the same, but he goes in a completely different direction withThe Haunting of Bly Manor.While it might force viewers to peek through their fingers multiple times per episode,the series is content to do its own thing and slowly unfold its tragic narrative, asking its audience to be patient because the payoff by the end of the show is entirely worth it.
The Haunting Of Bly Manor Is More About Emotion Than Scares
The Series Featured A Touching Love Story At The Center Of The Scares
Mike Flanagan is a master at mixing genuine scares with some of the most emotional stories in the horror genre.The Haunting of Hill Housethrived in this aspect, utilizing the idea of ghosts and hauntings to tell the story of trauma and fractured family. ForThe Haunting of Bly Manor, though, the series took it even further,pushing the scares to the background as an emotional love story unfolds at the center of the entire show.
It’s hard not to cry at the end ofThe Haunting of Bly Manor.
Sure,The Haunting of Bly Manormight not be as scary asThe Haunting of Hill HouseorThe Fall of the House of Usher, but there is still some genuinely terrifying imagery to be found throughout. The series isn’t preoccupied with being as scary as it can be,leaning into the gothic romance genre to tell a touching love story about two characters that discover who they are against the backdrop of a haunted manor. It’s hard not to cry at the end ofThe Haunting of Bly Manor.
Why Carrie Fans Will Love The Haunting Of Bly Manor
Carrie And Bly Manor Explore So Much More Beyond The Horror Genre
LikeThe Haunting of Bly Manor, and several other Mike Flanagan projects,Carriemight be categorized as a horror tale, but it goes so much further beyond that. At the heart of Carrie’s story is a girl who goes on a journey of self-discovery, embracing the power she has despite being socially isolated and full of religious trauma. Female sexuality is also a major focus ofCarrie, andThe Haunting of Bly Manorleans into a lot of these same themes as well, telling an incredibly touching LGBTQ+ story in the process.
The firstCarrieadaptation came out in 1976, just two years after Stephen King’s novel was published.
Viewers looking for complex female characters like Carrie should definitely check outThe Haunting of Bly Manor, considering that the two main characters the story revolves around are some of the best that Mike Flanagan has ever created. There is so much to love aboutThe Haunting of Bly Manor, and it is a shame that it is often not held as high as some of his other projects, despite being just as great.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Cast
When Dani Clayton is hired as an au pair for the Wingrave children, members of the wealthy family living at Bly Manor, she gets more than she bargained for when she witnesses apparitions, ghostly forms, and other paranormal phenomena that haunt the premises.
Carrie
Carrie is an adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel of the same name, which tells the story of a bullied youth who develops supernatural abilities. Unlike previous adaptations of the work, this version—helmed by Mike Flanagan—will be a series instead of a feature film.
