Nowadays, the goal of almost every streaming television series is to act as extended movies. Yet few succeed as well as Mike Flanagan’s “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” These two Netflix series are adaptations of classic ghost stories, the first after Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” and the second after Henry James’ “The Turning of the Screw.” Although not connected story-wise or tonally, the creators prove that they are a master at their craft with these two shows. Yet which one is superior?
“The Haunting of Hill House” came out in 2018, while “Bly Manor” came out this past October. This new series of horror is an anthology, meaning each season is a different story with different characters. Both “Hill House” and “Bly Manor” were critically acclaimed, but it was becoming apparently obvious that “Hill House” was the fan-favorite. First off, it should be clear that it is very difficult to compare these two, as they are two completely different types of shows. Yes, they are both ghost stories set in huge mansions, but “Hill House” is a family drama that leans heavily into the horror genre, while “Bly Manor” is more of a gothic romance with supernatural elements. Similar concepts, but vastly different delivery.
Both stories are superb, managing to be some of the scariest television shows in recent years. Flanagan is really great at creating well-written characters that we’re invested in. If I had any complaints about one of the show’s stories, it would be the pacing in “Bly Manor.” Time jumps can be a really useful tool to tell a story. “Hill House” does that perfectly, inter-splicing key moments from the past and present. It doesn’t quite work in “Bly,” though. The timeline can become very unclear, and the transitions between the time periods aren’t nearly as smooth as its predecessor.
Many argue that “Hill House” is the scarier show. There are many more chilling concepts and ghosts than “Bly Manor,” but I wouldn’t say that necessarily makes it scarier. “Bly Manor” really exemplifies quality over quantity. Though there are not nearly as many jump-scares or ghosts on-screen, the few times in “Bly Manor” that there are are truly terrifying. ‘The Lady of the Lake’ remains one of the scariest ghosts I’ve seen in media.
Michael Huisman and Timothy Hutton in “The Haunting of Hill House” (Netflix, 2018).
Acting, on the other hand, is not as much of a toss-up. Every single character in “Hill House” feels so real. I was especially impressed by the younger versions of the main characters, who deliver amazing performances despite being as young as nine years old. I wish I can say the same for “Bly Manor.” Although some performances are pretty good, such as Victoria Pedretti’s Dani, most of the cast seem almost cartoonish, with obviously faked accents and cringeworthy dialogue.
After almost 10 hours of watching a series, one would become extremely invested in the story, so the ending really matters in a show like this. I can say without hesitation that “Bly Manor” had a better ending than “Hill House.” “Hill House,” although hitting highs “Bly Manor” never did, ultimately had an underwhelming ending. I by no means think that every story should have a sad ending, subverting expectations of what normally would be a feel-good conclusion. But in a show like “Hill House,” where each episode addresses trauma and sadness so beautifully, it’s disappointing to see it wrapped up in such a cheesy, perfect ending. “Bly Manor,” however, is not afraid to find a balance between depressing realism and a somewhat happy ending.
Both “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” set new standards for series on streaming services. They each offer something brilliant to the table, with their own share of scares and drama. Ideally, you should watch both of them as soon as possible. But if you had to choose one, I would have to go with “The Haunting of Hill House.”
