Netflix’s Haunting of Bly Manor viewers claim they ‘can’t sleep’ after binge-watching the series

Just two nights after Netflix dropped the supernatural horror drama series The Haunting Of Bly Manor on Friday, some viewers are already having trouble sleeping. 

After binge-watching the series, loosely based on Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn Of The Screw, Twitter users vented about recovering from the chilling scenes. 

The new nine-episodes, which are the second installment in the Haunting anthology, have even prompted fans to cover all the mirrors in their home out of fear. 

‘This was the result of me trying to watch Haunting of Bly Manor at 2 am last night,’ one Twitter user wrote, with a snap of his bedroom mirror turned over on the wall.

In response to the hilarious tweet, one commentator replied that ‘covering your mirrors is the new covering your webcam.’  

Another tweeted: ‘Am I spiritually cleansing the mirror at 4 in the morning? Yes. Is it because of the Haunting of Bly Manor? Absolutely.’ 

Among the sea frightened binge-watchers, many admitted they ‘can’t sleep’ and, now, believe even the sound of a door creaking is a sign of paranormal activity. 

Ahead of watching Haunting of Bly Manor, one viewer tweeted she would ‘like to formally apologize’ to her future self, as she will ‘undoubtedly regret it later on when I can’t sleep.’ 

While many found the ghost story to be terrifying, others commented to agree with the series’ showrunner Mike Flanagan’s description of the series as a ‘love story.’  

‘It certainly provides a new way to tell a love story, and there are three of them that really beat at the heart of this season,’ the director of Doctor Sleep told Vanity Fair in August. 

He explained: ‘They all have a very dark edge to them. And by the end, it’s really hard to differentiate tragedy with romance. That sense of romantic longing for someone who meant so much to us—but who’s gone—really is the heart of any ghost story.’ 

While the series come on the heels of Flanagan’s The Haunting Of Hill House, with some of the same cast members and creative team returning, the stories of the two seasons are not connected. 

Victoria Pedretti, who portrayed the older version of Nell Crain in Hill House, is back in the lead role of Dani Clayton, an American nanny looking after orphaned children Miles and Flora Wingrave (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Bea Smith).

Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires Dani (Pedretti) to care for his orphaned niece and nephew, following the death of their caretaker (Tahirah Sharif), who died on the grounds of their family manor in the town of Bly.

The children reside at Bly Manor with the estate’s chef Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (T’Nia Miller). 

But all is not as it seems at the manor, as centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling gothic romance.

With suspenseful music lurking, the second trailer teased images of young Flora standing near a pond and then playing in her bedroom.

As the music grows more intense, Flora walks down a dark hallway in the manor and proceeds to put a mask on someone, or something.

‘There you are. Now let’s come up with a story,’ she says as the screen fades to black. 

The focus turns to Dani as she tries to comfort the orphaned children about the loss of their parents with a slowed-down and somber instrumental version of Motley Crüe’s classic song Home Sweet Home playing.

‘I know what loss is. Your parents loved you so, so much,’ she could be heard saying in a voice-over before adding, ‘In a way they’ll always be here.’

After a number of creepy and dark images, a startled-looking Mrs. Grose confesses: ‘It’s going to sound strange, but I’m having somebody else’s dream… the dead.’

A montage of frightening supernatural activity follows that culminates with one of the male characters stating: ‘The people here… they’re born here… they die here.’

For the final image, Dani goes from stoic to startled when she feels a pair of hands touch her waist as she cleans dishes in the kitchen. Those hands disappear when the music reaches a crescendo and the clip quickly changes to show four others, including the children, seemingly preparing a meal at the kitchen table.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor, which also stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Kate Siegel, debuted on October 9, 2020.