We Have Always Lived in the Castle

As with most mystery films in modern cinema the intrigue which captures an audiences attention lies in a film-makers ability to sustain and unravel a plot sufficiently over the duration of a movie.

The pacing of this movie is painfully slow, but only because there is a limited amount of content to faithfully adapt. Otherwise, it's well acted, surprising and suspenseful.

Do yourself a favor and do not ruin the movie's plot for yourself before you watch it, otherwise you'll be depriving yourself of most its entertainment value

This movie has no true genre. I was expecting gothic horror, but perhaps that was fault in having never read the book. It certainly was not scary (zero chills), nor was it suspenseful. But it does leave us pondering how equipped we are to handle human cruelty, both in enduring it, and in our capacity to forgive. Do we isolate ourselves or do we try to push forward? Or do we completely unravel and seek revenge or play out our hurt and rage until it has been avenged? These are questions this movie will leave you pondering, and of course much depends on our lot in life, our finances, our social support, our inner strength and many other factors.

This movie was undoubtedly weird, but kind of in a good way. The storyline was captivating and the characters were well cast and well acted. Not scary, but had a definite creep factor.

It is hard to form an opinion on this film. The characters are not amicable, despite the riches they live in. Once the family secret is revealed, it is hard to dislike them anymore. I find myself liking and disliking Mary at the same time.

This film is based on Shirley Jackson's classic short story "We have always lived in the Castle", which if you haven't read it you should. In the book, the story is told through Mary Katherine Blackwood's point of view and introduces the reader to an unreliable narrator.

The film did a nice job of following the story from Mary Katherine's, or "Merricat" as she is called, perspective. Backdrop was perfect...the house, the forest, the town. The cast was great...crazy, cryptic, mysterious, manipulative, obsessed, driven...everyone's role contributed successfully to the uneasiness intended with this dark family drama. The slow pacing contributes to the feelings of deep loneliness, longing and ultimately desperation...which build up to a horrific act by "scared" and ignorant townspeople. (Not the first time Shirley Jackson has made social commentary on townspeople and their lack of empathy....her short story The Lottery has haunted me since junior high!)

The acting by Taissa Farmiga as Merricat, was so well done. She successfully navigated this character that is at once protective, loving, sinister and unapologetic. Likewise Alexandra Daddario was brilliant as Merricat's older sister, who played the difficult role of trying to hold on to normalcy when everything is anything but...including how everyone thinks she is the cold-blooded murderer of her own family. Crispin Glover was a delightful surprise as their nearly mad uncle who is obsessed with telling the story of the tragedy of their family...and Sebastian Stan is equally brilliant as the opportunistic, manipulative, money-grubbing, interloping relative.

The director did an excellent job...like the book, of not giving you all the facts, while trying to build your empathy for a character who may ultimately not deserve as much empathy as you think...or do they? One of the ultimate questions of the story.

Slow, beautiful and disturbing this period piece based on a classic is really worth seeing.