The Manor (I) (2021) User Reviews (157)

A bit scary but also pretty stupid

[debdshaw60 · 6/10 · 8 October 2021]

I'm 61 and had a non debilitating stroke. Nobody put me in a nursing home or even suggested it even tho I was having serious mental health issues in the beginning. You can't see dementia on an MRI. You CAN see Parkinson's on an MRI and do you know what happens when you have a stroke? LOTS of brain scans. If she had Parkinson's it would have showed on those scans. Parkinson's dementia doesn't come first before the observable symptoms. Who doesn't know these things? Dementia is only an observed and testable issue. This woman has no symptoms of Parkinson's disease. You can't be forced to take medication against your will. You can't be confined against your will. You can leave any time whether the doctor suggests it or not unless you're confined by a court. Her daughter does not have medical power of attorney. All of this is ridiculously distracting from the get go.

The performances are good. The chemistry between the grandmother and grandson is amazing. I love all the residents of the home. The daughter is absolutely hateful. All great performances.

Most of the staff, however, come off as evil from the start. In a senior home that expensive, they'd have the veneer of caring. They'd be placating. I think of it were not for bad directing and the main character issues I mentioned earlier it would have been much better. They could have had some actual reason for her to be there.

On the whole, disappointing only because of poor writing premise.

An entertaining and traditional horror movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 8 October 2021]

I wasn't sure what I was in for here, as I sat down to watch the 2021 Amazon Original horror movie "The Manor", but it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen was actually sufficient enough to make me sit down and watch it. And I have to admit that the movie's cover/poster was definitely helping to convince me to watch it as well.

And as it turned out then writer and director Axelle Carolyn actually managed to churn out a pretty wholesome story here with "The Manor". The writing is pretty good and the pacing of the movie was equally good. I enjoyed the slow build-up of suspense and not really knowing what was going on until well into the movie. So thumbs up to Axelle Carolyn for that.

Visually then "The Manor" is pretty good. This is not a horror movie that relies heavily on special effects or ghoulish creatures, but there is a great atmosphere permeating the movie. And the environment of the house is really spot on, which adds a level of believability to the movie.

Aside from an interesting storyline, then "The Manor" does have some great acting performances, and especially Barbara Hershey (playing Judith) carried the movie phenomenally well with her performance. And the movie also have the likes of Bruce Davidson on the cast list.

If you enjoy a good old fashioned horror movie, then give "The Manor" a chance. I did, and I was genuinely entertained by what the movie delivered.

My rating of "The Manor" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Welcome to the House of...

[Xstal · 4/10 · 11 October 2021]

... Feeble, Unoriginal, Night-scares! An ageing dancer unintentionally entombs herself in a home for the elderly only to discover some residents are not what they present. Everything you've seen before although the performances are notable and the special effects far from wooden.

Terrible

[gianmarcoronconi · 4/10 · 29 October 2021]

Movies with an excellent atmosphere and well-structured characters. Throughout the film the tension is kept very well but the ending sucks there is nothing more to say, even the final twist that is unexpected does not make the slightest sense because it comes out too much from the narrative arc of the protagonist.

Keep it up Blumhouse.

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 7/10 · 21 October 2021]

I enjoyed it. I could have loved it more without the Celtic cult nonsense because it was very cliché to me. I think this film is a pretty good horror film for those of us older than 50+. Being forgotten in a place like that home, gradually losing your memory and then to add insult to injury, being mistreated during the golden years is truly a horror. I really loved it the kid for sticking by Judith, his grandmother when even Judith's daughter wrote her off.

I thought Barbara Hershey performance was excellent. I particularly like how they aged her gradually as the movie progressed with makeup. I didn't see it initially until much later in the film because it was so very subtle and the scenes get dimmer and darker and harder to see.

I also like to mention the lady that shared a room with Barbara Hershey. I am not sure if her name is Michele Hart? But her performance was probably the most convincing of them all. I cringed at the way the nurses manhandled her. I think some people my overlook her performance because she is a side character in the film. But I would say that her acting performance was Academy worthy. Yeah I know, this is a Blumhouse horror flick and the Academy dismisses horror films regularly, but she was very good. For those of us who have or had loved ones in a convalescent home, then you will know how real she made that place feel.

As subtle as throwing a church bell into a well

[kuarinofu · 3/10 · 20 October 2021]

If they would put just slightly less effort into it the film would've just been 80 minutes of black screen.

Sorry for being negative. The film consists solely of cliches and themes used a thousand times by now in horror cinema. If you have seen any other horror film besides this one, you can predict not only the ending but almost every scene and every line of dialogue. Every hint, every supposed twist we have already seen before.

The story is just slapped together and the film expects you to buy a lot of things. Nobody really bothered with acting either. The composite shot of an elderly man scaling the wall upside down was hilariously cheesy.

The ending was ok, but since 90% of the film felt like waiting in an elevator, it doesn't matter much. The creature make-up was surprisingly good, so I don't think it was made specifically for this film, seems too costly to such a minimal budget whatever-type of film.

This feels like it was made by someone who has never seen a horror film, but checking the director's bio proved me wrong. So, I guess there were other reasons. Maybe Jason Blum just said, "Come on, I got this script I found in the attic from 1995, let's slap something together in a week and make some easy cash".

If you're planning to see this one, and you have seen horror films before, watch the first 10 minutes and you will build every other scene and the ending in your head.

V Good

[atractiveeyes · 7/10 · 9 October 2021]

This is a very good horror film. It's not that scary but it has a beautiful gothic atmosphere with a few scare jumps. The story is a bit stupid but it's also interesting and beautiful. Lead performance is superb. All in all, it's a decent well made horror.

Watch The Glow (2002)

[lucastvp · 5/10 · 24 October 2021]

As soon as the movie begins, there's something missing... and then I noticed: I wasn't engaging with the characters. I can't even explain why. Maybe bad performance, not so good plot development... The story is nice. The idea of seeking youth isn't new, but I enjoy it. The ending surprised me both in a good and bad way: it was unexpected she and her granchild to forget about everything and embrace the cult. But that's the problem: they forget all they've been through! Interesting and badly made at the same time.

I recommend you to watch The Glow (2002). Not a masterpice, but much enjoyable than this one with almost the same plot, twists and turns.

TV movie that is better than most

[killercharm · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

Blumhouse presents a TV movie that is better than most. There were even a deft scare or two. A 70 year-old dementia patient doesn't like her new digs at the nursing home. There's something bumping in the night and the cat knows who's next to die. The whole place is appropriately gloomy and the story is delightfully doomy.

I thought it would be at least a 5

[benzed · 4/10 · 9 October 2021]

I thought it would be at least a 5.

If not for Barbara Hershey I would have rated it 2 or 3.

The first 3 minutes were fine.

Soon on I was annoyed and losing interest. A bit more time I had the thought that I was inflicting punishment on myself by continuing.

Watched till the end.

Either Barbara Hershey is out of money or a Producer or a director is a very close relative or someone called in a favor.

Acting was mediocre. The screenplay, directorial influence, cinematography, CGI, and editing destroyed any possibility of the film from getting any good ratings or reviews.

WICKER MAN MAGIC!

[plasmapilot · 8/10 · 8 October 2021]

A spooky look at life in a senior care facility! The "cat scenario" was especially eerie because it's been documented several times based on actual events at nursing homes. At times the darkness made viewing difficult, despite adjusting lighting on my screen. Wait for the surprise conclusion! Barbara Hershey hasn't lost her luster after all this time. Great entertainment for me,despite being a senior!

Blumhouse series best

[johnnyhbtvs27 · 6/10 · 8 October 2021]

Neat little horror film with an ending decision i didn't see coming. A stellar performance from Barbara Hershey (looking great for her age), this is the best of the Blumhouse series of 2021 so far.

Okay movie, but the premise

[matthewmillerwriter · 5/10 · 9 October 2021]

I cannot get over the ridiculous fact that a perfectly healthy, vibrant woman, only 70 years old, WANTS to go into a nursing home. That is absurd. Those are horrible places where people go to lose their freedom and die. Who would WANT to do that? It does not fit her character. That alone pissed me off enough to lower my rating.

I like Barbara Hershey, but this was like a made for tv movie. :I

[midnitepantera · 3/10 · 8 October 2021]

Nothing exciting to see here folks! So if your looking for scary, or good then pass on this.

It may be worth a watch to people who don't like scary horror movies and prefer more of a mystery that's on the bland side of the street.

a bittersweet experience with wasted potential

[jdring2007 · 6/10 · 25 February 2022]

The nursing home horror approach seemed interesting enough and they get to it quickly, but given the 80min runtime that's not too shocking. Despite this, there was very little a tual horror to the movie, except for a few creepy moments and the revelation of the creature at the end. Props to the cosmetic effects and overall design for it, although far from scary. There was a surprise here and there story-wise, but nothing to blow you out of the water. And unfortunately the climax was anticlimactic, ruined by an overlong spile of dialogue and an unexpected ending that felt like a bad joke. Seemingly rushed, too, which made it worse. Acting all around was passable to good, but my main praise goes to Barbara Hershey and her many blatant lines devoid of sugarcoating, which gave her character some personality opposed to most female protagonists in horror movies. I honestly enjoyed the buildup and characters of the first half more than the culmination of the second. A lot of wasted potential.

Original and insightful but fails in the end

[jason-16503 · 3/10 · 29 October 2021]

Acting was descent and both Barbara Hershey and the actor portraying her grandson were very well played. The subtle portrayal of the thin line between reality and delusion was brilliant. It really highlighted modern society's dismissive treatment of the elderly and how they are sandbagged into a spiraling deterioration once they enter "care" facilities. The premise was good and the story unraveled well. Unfortunately, the message was a complete failure. When given the opportunity to do the right thing, the protagonist chose to go and join the villains and drag her grandson along with her. At the moment of truth, he says something like, "I don't want to lose you grandma" and instead of enjoying the rest of her days with him, she throws it all away. No consequences. The film is however a reflection of our current state of affairs, where self comes above all else and everyone else be damned. Disappointing.

Flawed premise but go with and you might like it

[mycannonball · 6/10 · 27 December 2021]

It's a flawed premise from the get-go. Barbara Hershey as a 70 year old willingly moving into this nursing home with a roommate who can't really even converse with her because she is much more elderly/disabled doesn't make any sense. The main character moves with ease and is sharp intellectually and cracks jokes, and sorry, there's just no way she'd move into this nursing home. I mean, perhaps the nursing home could HIRE her to work for them?

If you get past the silly premise and just go with it, it's a decent horror film. Standard locked-in style story with a supernatural twist. Cool setting of the manor (even though all those stairs would be unrealistic for elderly people).

Good idea, awful execution

[sushicocacola · 1/10 · 8 October 2021]

The concept of the movie is not bad, but the dialogue is cringe from start to finish. The jump scares have no impact. I used fast foward a lot because it was a boring movie.

Inspired by other films, it is a dark, metaphysical horror movie, well-crafted, and definitely worth a watch for the fans!

[Mivas_Greece · 6/10 · 10 October 2021]

Mystery / metaphysical horror movie. A fairly modern but aged woman, due to some health issues decides to separate from her daughter and grandson and stay in a nursing home. Still, strange things happen there, and among other things she loses all the freedom of her life, and while she still seems to have a clear mind, they try to convince her that she is crazy, that she has dementia, like the other ones. On the one hand she sees strange shadows at night, on the other hand she sees that gradually people in there to be dying one after another. As much as she wants to return home, her family is convinced that she is really suffering from hallucinations and she has dementia and that it is better to stay there. But what is really happening? Has she really started to lose her mind or is there something really dark in the nursing home? A question that she must answer trying to find evidence against time since soon it will be her turn too. Influenced by other films, but interesting and well-rounded, with experienced actors and very good direction, with suspense and mystery throughout and with a dark element in various timepoints. Also, its short duration does not leave room for boredom, while the ending will surprise many people. On the downside, despite the ongoing mystery, it could have been much more intense and may have been extended to have a little more action in the end. It is still worth a watch for fans of the genre.

The Coven

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 23 April 2022]

The seventy-year-old Judith Albright (Barbara Hershey) is a former dancer that gives dance classes to children. When she has a stroke, she decides to leave her daughter and her beloved grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander) to live in a nursing home and not be a burden to them. Judith shares a room with Annette (Nancy Linehan Charles) and befriends the trio Roland (Bruce Davison), Ruth (Fran Bennett) and Trish (Jill Larson) that invite her to play bridge with them. Along the night, Judith has dreadful nightmares and sees a monster attacking Annette, but nobody - including her daughter - believe her and think she has dementia. She befriends also the nurse Liesel (Ciera Payton) that says that she has also noted something supernatural happening in the Manor, but she vanishes. Now Judith decides to investigate the secret of the Manor.

"The Manor" is an average supernatural film with many veteran actors and actresses. The flawed plot is reasonable and could be better and better, but there are many clichés. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Mansão" ("The Manor")

The fountain of beauty, Wiccan style

[ajordoman · 8/10 · 22 September 2022]

All the negative reviews must be from millenials or newer. Good pacing, Barbary Hershey is delightful. Some of the script could use some polishing. I laughed when she referred to marijuana as "grass". I don't think I heard it called that since my older sister used that term that back in the seventies. The ending was a little strange. Watching Bruce Davison hop around in front of a fire spouting Wiccan incantations was a hoot. Granted it is an old theme of witches and old earth magic but I found it moderately entertaining for 81 minutes. Some people have zero patience for Gothic horror . Go look elsewhere.

To the manor, re-born.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 1 January 2022]

Following her work as author of a horror movie book and a brief stint acting in a handful of forgettable flicks including then husband Neil Marshall's disappointing Doomsday and Centurion, Axelle Carolyne made the move to writing and directing her own films. The Manor is a made-for-TV supernatural thriller that shows that Carolyne has considerable potential as a film-maker: the budget mightn't be huge, but this well-crafted mystery possesses a suitably creepy atmosphere and effective visuals that make for a solid little fright feature, while the strong central performance from Barbara Hershey helps to paper over any cracks in the script.

The intriguing set-up sees OAP Judith (Hershey) move into a nursing home (the Manor of the title) following a stroke. Soon after, she begins to witness strange events, including a scary shadowy figure in her room at night. The doctor informs her family that these strange occurrences are all in Judith's mind, the result of the onset of dementia, but Judith is resolute, insisting that she still has all of her faculties; with help from her grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander), the old woman investigates and uncovers the secret of The Manor.

A traditional spooky horror, the film doesn't rely on fancy special effects or lashings of gore, instead using the gloomy locale and well-drawn characters to conjure up the chills. That said, there is one supernatural character in the film, brilliantly designed but sparingly used, that should keep special effects fans happy (and it doesn't rely on CGI, for a change!). After plenty of sleuthing and mild peril, the mystery is wrapped up with a neat twist and a clever denouement that ensures that Judith need not worry about losing her marbles in the future.

Lame and boring

[LassoGirl6205 · 3/10 · 2 January 2022]

I love Blumhouse movies, but this one misses the mark. It moves very slowly, maybe because it's about old people. Such great actors are wasted on a clunky script with a few cliché jumpscares. I pretty much figured it out 1/4 way through, fell asleep halfway through, and woke up in time for the ending, which was exactly what I figured it would be.

Satan's School for Old People.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 27 October 2021]

Some genuinely talented actors took advantage of quick work by appearing in this hideously bad TV movie that is similar to the many Satanistic themed TV movies of the 1970's that were ten times better because of clever scripts and a delightful camp factor. This direct to streaming movie teachers Barbara Hershey as a woman suffering from Parkinson's who goes into a rest home only to find out that there is a very deep, dark secret. She befriended several people including Fran Bennett, Jill Larson and Bruce Davison, yet quickly finds out that there's something amiss of her new friends. She can't convince daughter Katie A. Keane and grandson Nicholas Alexander of what it is, and soon she's hunting through secret rooms and roaming through the woods, only to come upon the truth by complete accident.

Disturbing and agenda driven by Amazon, this film has some very dark messages and is not entertaining at all. The constant banging of severe music every time something intense is about to happen becomes cumbersome after a while, and the performances end up being cliched and ridiculous as the plot develops. Hershey does try to add some sensitivity to the script but she is saddled with a ridiculous looking hairstyle that is not flattering on a 50 year old woman let alone a seventy-year-old one. Nicholas Alexander as the grandson probably gives the best performance.

While it's nice to see Jill Larson of "All My Children" outside of daytime, it appears that she's readapted her old character of Ursula Blackwell of "One Life to Live". Poor Fran Bennett is filmed to look like she's about a hundred here, and this ended up being her last work. Davison plays a truly underdeveloped character, and he gets a very undignified ending involving a demonic presence that is just disgusting to the eye. This would have been more preferable had it starred Morgan Fairchild since she starred in several of those TV classics which would have tied her in from one generation of the genre to another. Hershey just seems out of her element.

It's alright I do love Barbara Hershey especially in Falling Down

[UniqueParticle · 6/10 · 31 October 2021]

I understand the hate I expected more for Amazon's most wanted horror as of recently. Has some solid horror bits but nothing special, more so makes me nervous to be old and makes me hate the way people get treated. The Manor is a little messy and effed up for people held against their will!