18-year-old Mary Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood lives on the family estate with her older sister Constance and their ailing uncle Julian. Constance has not left the house in the six years since she was tried and acquitted of the death of her parents by poisoning. Every Tuesday, Merricat goes to the village to shop while the villagers harass her. Merricat practices her own brand of protective magic by burying articles of power in the ground to keep evil forces at bay. It’s unclear whether this power is real, or imaginary.We Have Always Lived in the Castle 2019 Full Movie
Constance sees only a single family friend, Helen Clarke, who comes to tea every week. Helen tries to convince Constance that she should rejoin the outside world. This enrages and terrifies Merricat, who creates magic to prevent Constance from leaving. On Thursday, Constance sends Merricat on an errand to town. Merricat is distressed at the thought of going into town on the wrong day and has no time to check her magical safeguards. When she returns, she finds all her wards have been unearthed. She finds Constance with their cousin Charles.
Over the next few days, Charles attempts to lure Constance away with the promise of seeing the world while setting his sights on the family fortune, locked in a safe. Constance is charmed and subservient toward him. However, Charles behaves condescendingly to Julian and taunts Merricat with the idea of stealing her sister. Merricat retaliates by casting magical spells on Charles, vandalizing his room and belongings, and speaking to him only in descriptions of poisonous plants. When Charles threatens to punish her, Merricat throws everything on his desk, including his lit pipe, into a wastebasket. Charles beats her until he discovers that his room is on fire.
The fire department arrives, along with the villagers, who call to let the house burn. Constance and Merricat hide downstairs as the fire is extinguished. The villagers rush into the house and vandalize it. The mob seems ready to attack the sisters, but Helen Clarke’s husband announces that Uncle Julian has died of smoke inhalation. The mob disperses, and the sisters take refuge in the woods.