The 1962 mystery novel We Have Always Lived In The Castle has been adapted into a movie in recent years, but the story would make a better miniseries. The book was written by American author Shirley Jackson, who's most known for her controversial short story "The Lottery" and horror novel The Haunting of Hill Housewhich was adapted into a television series in 2018 by director Mike Flanagan.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle is told through the point of view of Mary Katherine Blackwood, or Merricat. She's an 18-year-old girl who lives with Constance, her older sister, and Julian, her ill uncle, on the Blackwood estate. Six years before the events of the book, there was a horrible tragedy that killed their family members, leaving the three of them to live alone in the house — isolated from the rest of the world. As the novel goes on, the reader learns that the tragedy that killed Merricat and Constance's parents and brother—along with Julian's wife—was a mass murder. They were poisoned with arsenic, which had been mixed into the sugar bowl. Eventually, it's learned that Merricat orchestrated the murders, though Constance was the one who faced the blame and hatred of the townspeople.

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The movie adaptation of We Have Always Lived In The Castle came in 2018. The film version of the story was directed by Stacie Passon and written by Mark Kruger. Taissa Farmiga—who has garnered fame from her roles on American Horror Story—starred as Merricat, while Alexandra Daddario played Constance, and Crispin Glover portrayed Uncle Julian. The movie featured phenomenal performances and was mostly loyal to the main plot points of Jackson's novel, but it garnered mixed reviews from critics due to its lack of drama and excitement. For many reasons, a miniseries would  be better suited to adapt Jackson's story, as a movie can't quite cover everything properly.

Taissa Farmiga in We Have Always Lived In The Castle

The book, though relatively short at about 214 pages, takes its time detailing Merricat's stream of consciousness and explaining past and present occurrences through her point of view. The movie had to fit Merricat's thoughts—as well as plot developments, both small and large—into only 96 minutes of screen time. The pace of the movie felt somewhat rushed, with its twists and turns hurried and almost confusing. What's more, because the movie couldn't take the time to fully delve into Merricat's psyche, the reasoning behind many of her actions often seems irrational.

A miniseries adaptation of We Have Always Lived In The Castle could be unhurried in developing Merricat and her unique, albeit disturbing, character arc. In the book, she practices "sympathetic magic", burying items like coins and marbles in the ground and nailing objects like books and watches onto trees. She believes that these "spells" will keep the estate safe. Merricat, who poisoned and killed many of her family members, certainly displays sociopathic tendencies. She also demolishes things during stressful moments and suggests over and over again that she and Constance should live on the moon.

With a miniseries adaptation, entire episodes could be devoted to the past, detailing how the Blackwood family lived before tragedy; in the movie, Constance merely hinted that their father was "wicked". A miniseries could also fully illustrate the poisoning incident, which in the book is told only via the ramblings of Uncle Julian. Other episodes could examine how Constance lives her life, being agoraphobic and the keeper of Merricat's sinister secret. The character of Uncle Julian could also be fully explored, as could Charles and his greedy attempt to interrupt Constance's life. Other episodes could center on the townspeople, examining their hatred of the Blackwoods. Overall, a miniseries adaptation of We Have Always Lived In The Castle could take its time digging into each of Jackson's characters, and could slowly build up to the story's brilliant ending, as has been done in other, similar series like the aforementioned The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor

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