Spook Out! Day 14 ~ We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018)

Netflix Says...
"The fragile and secretive world of two sisters and their uncle crumbles when their charming cousin arrives with eyes toward the family fortune."

I Say...
If you're trying to cut sugar from your diet but finding it hard to stick with, just watch this movie.

Horror Type...
Suspense, Thriller, Family Drama

Main Players...
Taissa Farmiga as Merricat Blackwood (Witchy Lil Sis)
Alexandra Daddario as Constance Blackwood (Agoraphobic Big Sis)
Sebastian Stan as Charles Blackwood (Grasping Cousin)

I liked...

• Daddario's portrayal of the fragile, shellshocked sister, forced by fate to grow up and assume the always-smiling '50s housekeeper role, was amazing--bravissima!
• the pockets of quirk that pop up now and again
• how well the sisters look after one another, and their debilitated uncle
• the real sense of living in the past, both literally and metaphorically, that the movie conveys
• that the movie was pretty faithful to the book upon which it's based...

The Meh...
...and yet, the movie does something the book doesn't, as far as I can recall: it hints at an answer to the big WHY, which I find unsatisfying as what the film implies doesn't answer the WHY fully (that is, the movie's WHY applies to one person only; however, it doesn't make sense regarding the others who are impacted by the movie's WHY). I appreciate that last bit doesn't make a lick of sense but to explain further would mean getting all spoilery.

Would I recommend it...?

As a fine bit of drama, yes. As a horror film, no (though to be fair, I'm not sure why I thought this was a horror movie when I added it to my list for this little blogfest).

Miscellany...

Crispin Glover steals nearly every scene he's in, as the debilitated uncle, in a quiet but compelling way. (And no, I don't think that just because the man's smoking hot.) (Really.) (But dang, that man is smoking hot!)

Ratings...

My Grade: A for a great dramatic film which horror buffs would likely enjoy if they don't go into it expecting a scary movie. Unsettling and disturbing, yes, but not scary.

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=89%, Audience Score=57%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched We Have Always Lived in the Castle on Netflix (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle's IMDb Page

We Have Always Lived in the Castle's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 14 of

Spook Out! Day 13 ~ The House at the End of Time (2013, In Spanish w/Subtitles)

Amazon Says...
"A mother imprisoned for 30 years for the murder of her husband returns to her home, but the supernatural events, which led to her crime, come to haunt her and reveal a sinister secret about the house."

I Say...
^The summaries I've read for this film are a bit of necessary misdirection, but to explain further would mean depriving you of the pleasure of discovering The House's mysteries for yourself. (So I won't.)

Horror Type...
Horror, Suspense, Family Drama, Fantasy

Main Players...
Ruddy Rodríguez as Dulce (Badass Mom)
Gonzalo Cubero as Juan José (Loser Dad)
Rosmel Bustamante as Leopoldo (Loving Son)

I liked...

• Rodríguez's portrayal of the harried mom--financial worries and her sometimes annoying sons stress her to the max but you never doubt the love she feels for her kids (actually, she's just masterful in this, period)
• the set design--I've never felt so twitchy watching a deteriorating house as I felt watching this one
• the hot priest who seeks to offer Dulce spiritual solace (that's not a euphemism--he really is just a good guy doing his job)
• how they take your basic haunted-house story and spin it into something wonderfully bizarre
• the sweetness that emerges in the third act; it may seem hard to believe but this movie provides a heart-warming (though not treacly) ending I just love

The Meh...

• the dad of the piece experiences a legit heartbreak but then seeks vengeance against a vulnerable innocent, which is totally believable but ugh
• I feel like knowing something more of the experiences of previous tenants of the house would round out the narrative (but perhaps a sequel's in store that'll provide just that?)

Would I recommend it...?

Definitely watch this award-winning film! It has some good scares that aren't OTT, though there are moments of violence.

Miscellany...

The Spanish title is La casa del fin de los tiempos, which means "The House OF the End of Times." Not to split hairs but once you've seen the movie, you feel the difference.

Ratings...

My Grade: A
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=Not Available, Audience Score=72%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The House at the End of Time on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

The House at the End of Time's IMDb Page

The House at the End of Time's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 13 of