Netflix's The Haunting Of Bly Manor: 5 Spookiest Moments From The First Trailer

the haunting of bly manor henry thomas

The team behind one of the best horror TV shows of all time, Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, is returning to the streaming service for a new batch of thrills, chills and exquisitely directed kills. The Haunting of Bly Manor is Mike Flanagan's second series within the Haunting anthology, and viewers just got a quick-but-fantastic look at the first trailer (which can be found lower down). This looks like another winner, everyone, and now we know when it's coming out, too.

Unlike with Hill House, Mike Flanagan didn't take on all of the directorial duties himself, and shared the job with a selection of other talented filmmakers such as Citadel's Ciarán Foy and Cargo's Yolanda Ramke & Ben Howling. While we're not yet sure which directors were responsible for which episodes, let's celebrate how freaky it all looks by running down the five spookiest moments from The Haunting of Bly Manor's first trailer. (The song isn't listed below, but I think we can all agree it was just as unnerving as anything else.)

haunting of bly manor doll in room

That Lonely Little Doll

It's clear that The Haunting of Bly Manor is going to focus on the inherent scariness of "old dolls in the dark," as evidenced by this first moment where a single doll sits by itself in a drab basement-esque setting. I don't know about you guys, but I get weirdly uncomfortable by seeing small things (like dolls or insects or real babies) inside of large wide-open spaces like this in movies and TV shows, since something calamitous usually follows. It's like vicariously experienced agoraphobia, and this Bly Manor moment is likely going to bother me when it plays out in full.

haunting of bly manor dolls in room

Dolls Moving By Themselves

I wouldn't say I get intimidated very often, and I think that's directly correlative to my lack of experiences walking into rooms housing large collections of old, creepy dolls. Such a collection exists in Bly Manor, apparently, which puts it pretty low on my list of ideal Airbnbs. Oh...wait...the dolls actually move when no one is around to see them? Well, I guess that sounds like a fun time and NO IT DOESN'T AT ALL AND WHY IS THAT DOLL TRYING TO LOOK AT ME AND WHAT DOES IT KNOW ABOUT ME?!?

haunting of bly manor woman in lake

Creepy Lake Ghost

Now, I don't know for sure if this is an actual ghost, or even if it's taking place in a lake, so maybe I'm out of line by making such blind assumptions. Maybe I'm also out of line for using the word "blind" when talking about a ghoul whose eyes appear to be nonexistent. Of course, if it doesn't have eyes, then how does it know to look RIGHT AT ME AND WHAT DID THIS LAKE GHOST HEAR ABOUT ME FROM THAT POSSESSED DOLL?!?

haunting of bly manor dollhouse

The Dollhouse Opening By Itself

When, in the annals of recorded history, has anything good ever come from a dollhouse that unexplainably opens on its own? Well, there was the one time when...NOPE! Dollhouses that open by themselves are definitely nothing but horrifying trouble, especially if there are dolls inside that are meticulously crafted to look like the characters living inside Bly Manor. That's how you know when you're really boned.

haunting of bly manor girl playing with dolls

Whatever Is Happening Behind This Girl

The first Haunting of Bly Manor trailer caps off in quite the brilliant way, with Amelie Smith's character (I think) standing in front of a musty trunk while some ungodly creature is moving slowly in the blurry background behind her. The disturbing gasping is raspy in the most splendidly awful way, as if the being just rose from a week-old grave and was getting used to breathing again without any of its autopsied organs. I suppose the girl has a familiar relationship with said creature if she felt comfortable enough to shush it like that, assuming she didn't get mauled immediately after doing so. Good for her, good for her.

Check out the first Haunting of Bly Manor trailer below, and let us know which parts you thought were the scariest.

The Haunting of Bly Manor is scheduled to debut on Netflix in its entirety on Friday, October 9, at 3:01 a.m. ET. While waiting for that to finally arrive, get familiar with the stars using our updated cast list, and then head to our Netflix 2020 premiere schedule and our 2020 Fall TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.