Update: Pleased to report that the 2018 film version of “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” the Shirley Jackson novel I reviewed earlier this week (see below), and which we just watched on Netflix, is well done. Shot in Ireland, executive-produced by Michael Douglas and Stanley Jackson Hyman (Shirley’s son), the movie is creepy and fairly faithful to the story—with a few unexpected plot twists, including a major one I didn’t see coming.
Props to director Stacie Passon, Crispin Glover, Taissa Farmiga (Vera’s sister), Sebastian Stan as Cousin Charles, and in the role of Constance, Alexandra Daddario who is currently knocking them dead in HBO Max’s “The White Lotus.”
Worth adding to your queue. And following, careful reader, is my original review:
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The written word can terrify, sometimes even more than imagery. And when the words come from Shirley Jackson, you’d better hide under the bed.
In 1948
Jackson wrote “The Lottery,” one of the most horrifying short stories ever. I won’t bother to explain the plot because it’s still early and I haven’t had my first cup of coffee. Just know that if you haven’t read it, you must.
While you’re at it, read “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” Jackson’s last novel written in 1962. The words are simple and unadorned but their power to terrify is strong.
Two sisters, Mary Katharine (“Merricat”) and Constance, live in a decrepit old house in Vermont, along with their cat Jonas and their elderly Uncle Julian. Nobody comes to see them as they are the scourge of the town. Why?
The women were accused year back of poisoning every member of the family—their parents, cousins, even Julian’s wife.
Constance was acquitted but the memory of that horrible day is ever present. In fact, Uncle Julian,who is disabled and slightly demented, speaks of nothing else but the events of the mass murder.
Into this macabre environment comes a distant cousin Charles. Merricat takes an immediate dislike to him and he to her. This escalates into an all-out war and a finale that rivals something out of Edgar Allen Poe and Nevil Shute’s “On the Beach.”
It bears repeating that no images are necessary to tell this story. No superheroes. No “Avengers” cast. No CGI. Just the powerful pared-down language that is Jackson’s hallmark.
Once I finished the book (and thought to myself, “this would make a great movie”) I googled the title and found that it had indeed been made into a 2018 film starring Alexandra Daddario (from “The White Lotus”) and Sebastian Stan (from the original “Gossip Girl”.) I bet you’ll never guess what’s next on my list. After a strong cup of coffee, that is.