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The Haunting of Bly Manor is the second entry in Mike Flanagan’s anthology series, following the critically acclaimed The Haunting of Hill House. Loosely based on Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw and other works by the author, this series is a masterful blend of gothic horror and emotional drama. It explores themes of love, loss, and the lingering echoes of trauma, with supernatural elements interwoven into the lives of its characters.

In the late 1980s, Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti), an American au pair with a troubled past, arrives at Bly Manor, an isolated English estate, to care for two orphaned children, Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). Hired by the children’s absentee uncle, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas), Dani hopes to find solace and a fresh start.

However, Bly Manor is far from ordinary. The house is steeped in eerie mysteries and haunted by literal and figurative ghosts. The children exhibit strange behavior, and Dani begins experiencing unsettling visions, including recurring encounters with a spectral figure.

The manor’s staff—housekeeper Hannah Grose (T’Nia Miller), chef Owen Sharma (Rahul Kohli), and gardener Jamie (Amelia Eve)—each harbor their own secrets and past traumas.

As the layers of Bly’s tragic history are revealed, the series delves into the lives of those who lived (and died) there, including the enigmatic Rebecca Jessel (Tahirah Sharif) and the malevolent Peter Quint (Oliver Jackson-Cohen).

The story unfolds as a tapestry of love stories—some tender, others destructive—against a backdrop of grief, betrayal, and unresolved guilt. At its heart is the tragic tale of the Lady of the Lake, Viola Willoughby (Kate Siegel), whose unrelenting will binds the spirits of Bly Manor.