We Have Always Lived in the Castle Film Viewing Guide & Discussion Questions

This viewing guide is based on the 2018 movie based on Shirley Jackson's 1962 classic Gothic novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle. The film is appropriate to view after reading the novel or after reading any of Jackson's novels or short stories. It is also a great film to show at the beginning or end of any unit on Gothic literature or as a stand alone lesson that is relevant to the curriculum during spooky season. Teachers can appreciate it because it is a well-done film that is very faithful to a classic novel that can generate thoughtful discussion, and students can appreciate it because it is fairly modern with well-known current actors that is creepy (without much blood or violence) and suspenseful.

The film stars Taissa Farmiga as Merricat, Alexandra Daddario as Constance, Sebastian Stan as Charles, and Crispin Glover as Uncle Julian. Although it is unrated by the Motion Picture Association, it is rated TV-14 in the U.S. Like the book, the movie focuses on psychological terror. There is only mild gore (from newspaper photos of the murders) and violence, no nudity or sexual content, only wine with dinner and pipe smoking as far as drugs and alcohol go, and very little swearing. The few times characters swear, it is all PG-13 material. The film is available (at the time of posting this) on Amazon and Amazon Prime.

This product includes:

1. Viewing guide for students (w/extensive answer key notes for the teacher)

2. A handout of discussion questions

3. A handout with background on Shirley Jackson, the novel, and the movie.

I designed this to use to introduce a unit on Gothic fiction, so the viewing guide and discussions questions focus on Gothic elements and themes in the movie and on how suspense is created in the story and in the filming. I have a version of this viewing guide bundled with a PowerPoint introducing Gothic literature and with a PowerPoint called How Authors Create Suspense. If your students do not have background information on these two things, I suggest purchasing the bundle (called Intro to Gothic Fiction Film Unit). I use the discussion questions handout as an entrance ticket to a seminar discussion of the movie, which I would use as an assessment. If you are unfamiliar with seminar type discussions, I also have a resource explaining how I conduct and evaluate seminar discussions. However, the questions also work fine with any kind of class discussion or could even be writing prompts.