The Scariest Ghost in The Haunting of Bly Manor Isn’t Dead

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*Light spoiler alert (no important plot elements were harmed in the making of this article).*

Halloween is right around the corner, and many of us will be looking for a friendly scare to grace our screens. We all have different tastes and in this brave new world of streaming, we have endless categories at our fingertips, from vampire films to paranormal scares to the gore fests found in the Saw franchise.

One of the most hallowed (pun intended) genres of scary films is the classic ghost story. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have heard of Netflix’s Haunting anthology series, which began with the Haunting of Hill House in 2018, followed by this years’ release of The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Based on The Haunting of Hill House and The Turn of the Screw by Shirley Jackson and Henry James, respectively, raving fans have fallen in love with the series’ intricate characters as well as the shocking plot twists and turns.

As each narrative unfolds, we as the audience are treated to frightening ghosts in every corner, sometimes fleeting, sometimes thrillingly terrifying (look no further than the Bent Neck Lady of Hill House for the scariest in the first season).

And yet, by the time we reach the satisfying end of each tale, we are no longer frightened, because we know the identities and backstories of our ghosts.

The genius of the Haunting series is that we see ourselves in elements of the various characters. Dani’s yearning for authentic acceptance. Miss Jessel’s certainty that she has found true love. The falling apart and falling together of the Crain family. The skepticism of Steven Crain. The hopeful sweetness of Nell Crain. The love stories. The family interactions. The beauty and the pain of it all.

After having devoured both series though, I found that the most terrifying spectre of all is the one that isn’t really dead. It’s the inner demon of Uncle Henry of Bly Manor.

This mirror image of Uncle Henry is his sole friend and constant torturer, acting as a sort of ghoulish Ghost of Christmas Past and Christmas Present, taking Henry back to his most shameful moments and slamming him down into his unbearable present.

And when Henry’s personal demon smiles, the sight is one of the most ghastly moments in either series.

Why is this? Because this gremlin of Uncle Henry, his inner critic, is not so different from the ghost we all live with.

According to the National Science Foundation, 80% of all our thoughts are negative and 95% of all our thoughts are repetitive.

This means that we each have our personal inner ghost constantly whispering into our ear. Reminding us of all the times we have failed, of all of our shameful moments, and why we are not worthy of love.

At its heart, The Haunting of Bly Manor is a love story. It’s a tale of how love changes us. Sets us free.

And in this Covid world of today, that freedom from our inner ghost is something we could all use a little more of.