May. 17, 2019|United States|96 Min.|n/A
Genre: Drama;Mystery;Thriller
Description: “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” released in 2019, follows the story of 18-year-old Mary Katherine, nicknamed Merricat Blackwood. She resides on the family estate with her older sister Constance and their ailing uncle Julian. Constance has remained confined to the house for six years since her acquittal in the poisoning death of their parents. Every Tuesday, Merricat visits the village for supplies, enduring harassment from the locals. To protect herself and her family, Merricat practices a form of protective magic by burying objects she believes ward off evil, though it’s unclear whether these rituals hold any real power.
Constance’s only visitor is Helen Clarke, a family friend who comes for tea weekly. Helen encourages Constance to rejoin the outside world, which both angers and frightens Merricat. Determined to prevent her sister from leaving, Merricat uses her magic. One Thursday, Constance sends Merricat on an errand to town. Anxious about going on the wrong day and unable to check her protective measures, Merricat returns to find her safeguards destroyed and Constance in the company of their cousin Charles.
Over the following days, Charles tries to persuade Constance to leave the estate, promising her a life beyond its walls while also eyeing the family’s fortune locked away in a safe. Constance is charmed by him, but Charles treats Julian condescendingly and taunts Merricat with threats of taking her sister away. In retaliation, Merricat casts spells on Charles, vandalizes his room, and communicates with him only through references to poisonous plants. When Charles threatens to punish her, Merricat throws his belongings, including a lit pipe, into a wastebasket, accidentally starting a fire.
The fire department and villagers arrive, with the latter urging the house to burn. Constance and Merricat hide downstairs as the fire is extinguished. The villagers then intrude, vandalizing the property. The mob appears ready to attack the sisters, but Helen Clarke’s husband announces that Uncle Julian has succumbed to smoke inhalation. The crowd disperses, and the sisters retreat to the woods, seeking safety in their isolated world.
Cast director: Stacie Passon
Cast actor: Taissa Farmiga, Alexandra Daddario, Crispin Glover, Sebastian Stan, Paula Malcomson, Peter Coonan, Ian Toner, Joanne Crawford, Anna Nugent, Peter O’Meara
Original name: We Have Always Lived in the Castle