Movie Reviews: We Always Lived In The Castle

 

Directed By: Stacie Passon

Written By: Mark Kruger

Running Time: 96 minutes

Country: USA

Genre: Horror

Music By: Andrew Hewitt

Theme: Isolation, Agoraphobia, Tribalism, Female Autonomy, Evil

Initial Situation: The Story Of A Family Who Lives In Isolation

Conclusion: The Killing Of Cousin Charles Blackwood

Based On The Novel: We Always Lived In The Castle, By: Shirley Jackson

Starring:

Taissa Farmiga As Mary Katherine Blackwood

Alexandra Daddario As Constance Blackwood

Sebastian Stan As Charles Blackwood

Cruispin Glover As Julian Blackwood

Paula Malcomson As Helen Clarke

Peter O' Meara As Sam Clarke

Plot

Mary Katherine Blackwood, Merricat (Taissa Farmiga) is a 18 years old, she lives on the family estate outside the village and isolated, with her sister Constance (Alexandra Daddario) and their uncle on  Wheelchair Julian (Crisoin Glover)

Constance Blackwood is a handsome young girl, she cares about Mary and Julian.

She never left the house for six years since she was tried and acquitted of the death of her parents by poisoning them.

She hasn't the courage to confront the villagers who believe that she is responsible for the homicides.

Constance has only a friend, Helen Clarke, they meet at Constance's house for tea and to chat about this and that. Helen's goal is to convince her to build a social life.

Every Tuesday Mary goes to the village to shop and borrow books from the local library.

At the village she is always mocked and chased away for being a sister of a murder who has avoided the trial.

Mary recourse to the magic to protect her loved ones Constance, Julian and Jonas.

Her way to protect her family is burying the objects used by the members of the family, to keep evil forces at bay.

Everyday Merricat checks that the buried objects and the planted diary on a tree are safe and in the same position.

For her this balance mustn't be broken.

One day, a cousin, Charles (Sebastian Stan), shows up at their house for a social visit.

He soon reveals his true nature as a cocky young man who sleeps in their father's room, wearing clothes and smoking a pipe. Constance is physically attracted to him, he will do everything to go out with her, he is attracted by Constance and by her money locked in a safe.

For Mary, he's a threat that must be removed immediately.

The cousin clashes head on with Mary, when he discovers that she has buried money of a certain value, being made of silver.

The clash is so hard for Merricat. In a fit of rage, he throws all the objects on a table in his father's room to the floor.

One of these objects is the still-lit pipe, which will cause a massive fire.

The villagers gather around the property, some are worried, others are happy, others ransack the house.

Helen Clarke tells the girls that their uncle Julian died from breathing the poisonous smoke.

The property is partially burned, in the kitchen appears Jonas, they will do everything that they can to return to normality.

Unexpectedly the villagers repented of their actions bringing food and beverages remaining in a complete silence with all.

Charles enters the house without their consent, he attacks Constance and Mary beats him to death and buries him in the garden.

Mary, Constance and Jonas are happy in solitude on the planet earth and no more on the moon.

Characters

Protagonist: Mary Katherine, Constance, Julian Blackwood, Helen Clarke, Jonas

Antagonist: Cousin Charles and Helen Clarke

Message

The main message is that female emancipation has a high price to pay.

Fortunately, the company is about to change course.