Merricat, Constance and their Uncle Julian live in isolation after experiencing a family tragedy six years earlier. When Cousin Charles arrives to steal the family fortune, he also threatens a dark secret they’ve been hiding.

The film opens with Merricat Blackwood (Taissa Farmiga) speaking about how things have changed then we jump back a week to catch up on what to where we started. Merricat is bullied in town and shunned while shopping for her reclusive sister Constance (Alexandra Daddario) and older Uncle Julian (Crispin Glover). We learn that the cold shoulder from the town is due to an incident from six years ago that still haunts the family now. We then get to meet Cousin Charles (Sebastian Stan) as the long lost family member who is here to help but it’s clear he wants something else. Tension increases as Charles starts to cause a rift between the resident family members. Add in some lite witchcraft, possible supernatural elements, and a constant feeling that something awful is about to happen and you have a good idea of what you’re about to see.

One of the first things you’ll notice is the pacing. While some could see it as deliberate, others will see it as slow. There is a lot of build up along the way, with threads and plot points added throughout the movie. It actually becomes almost too much for the film to handle.

The production all throughout is top notch. The colors were vibrant when needed and muted when called for. The score was on the more ambient side of the spectrum which only served to help the feel of the film. Director Stacie Passon handles the material well and you can see her talent come through the muddled story.
The acting was also on point, I would be hard pressed to find a weak link among the cast. Taissa (American Horror Story) was great at conveying an awkward and withdrawn eighteen-year-old, Alexandra (San Andres) shined at showing a woman hiding behind a mask that starts to crack as the run time counts down, Crispin (Back to the Future) as the Uncle felt totally different than anything I’ve ever seen him in and finally Sebastian (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) who was able to slip into such a slimy role with ease.

This is based on a book of the same name which is written by Shirley Jackson, while you may not recognize her name, you would recognize her work. She is responsible for The Haunting of Hill House as well as the short story The Lottery. You can see that care was put into the film but the problem is that there is so much thrown around and so many breadcrumbs dropped that you can become confused about the actual movie you’re watching. While ‘complex’ isn’t inherently bad, it’s the lack of resolution that becomes the roadblock.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle was a challenging movie to review. The acting was great, production was spot on and the overall feel was there. But the bloated plot and the feeling that the film ended too soon keep it from being a great movie. If you’re a fan of Shirley Jackson, by all mean,s check this out as her son served as co-executive producer. Just don’t expect the shock of The Lottery or the terror of The Haunting of Hill House.