[curious music]
[bird cawing]
[Mary] My name is
Mary Katherine Blackwood.
I am 18 years old,
and I live with my sister,
Constance.
She is the most precious person
in the world.
The Blackwoods have always
lived in this house.
We have never done anything
to hurt anyone.
We put things back
where they belong.
And we will never leave here.
No matter what they say...
or what they do to us.
Never.
But a change is coming.
And nobody knows it but me.
[music continues]
[weathervane creaks]
[birds singing]
[man on record] I do the wrong,
and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that
I set abroach
I lay unto the grievous charge
of others.
Clarence, whom I indeed
have cast in darkness,
I do beweep to
many simple gulls,
namely, to Darby,
Hastings, Buckingham,
and tell them 'tis the queen
and her allies
that stir the king
against the duke, my brother.
Now they believe it,
and with all whet me to be
revenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey.
But then I sigh,
and, with a piece of scripture,
tell them that God bids us
do good for evil.
- [Constance] Merricat!
- And thus I clothe my naked villainy
- with odd old ends stolen forth of Holy Writ...
- [meows]
- and seem a saint...
- Merricat!
- when most I play the devil.
- Merricat, come on!
[Constance] Please,
wash your hands.
What are you reading?
A pretty sight,
a lady with a book.
I'm reading something called The Best
Practice Guide to Canning, Uncle Julian.
[Julian] Admirable.
I don't seem to have
any information
on whether your father took
- his cigar in the garden that morning.
- He did.
- He always did in the morning.
- I should begin the chapter with that.
"I won't have it."
I heard your mother say that.
Your father said,
"We have no choice.
I mean it." End quote.
- Here's the list.
- Mr. Elbert doesn't like big bills.
- All right now.
- The coins are better.
You'll go to the town.
You'll check out
our books and records.
You'll buy our groceries
- and you'll be back in time for lunch.
- Do I have to...?
Lock the door.
[curious music]
[Mary] Tuesday is
the most terrible day.
Because Tuesday
I must go to town
and see all of those
who hate us.
I read in my book of spells
that if you bury something evil
or touched by cruelty
you may take its power
and you cannot be harmed
for one whole day.
[speaks spell softly]
Protect me.
We live at the end
of Blackwood Road,
which runs in a great circle
around the village.
Father, like all
the Blackwoods before him,
was very rich.
And he built this gate
to keep us safe.
But it could not protect him.
People here believe
that six years ago Constance
killed Father and our family
and poisoned Uncle Julian.
They think she is wicked
and should be sent away.
But now we live as two queens in a
castle on top of the highest hill.
You eat rats!
[chattering]
They wish for our ruin.
But they don't understand.
- [item thuds]
- [man] A rack of lamb.
Eggs.
Coffee.
Flour.
- Walnuts.
- Thomas.
Peanut brittle.
Thomas, stop it!
Anything else?
[bell tolls]
Good morning, Merricat.
How are you today?
Fine, thank you.
- Black coffee, please.
- Sure.
[doorbell jingles]
[man] Hey, Stella!
[Stella] Gentlemen.
- [Mary] As soon as I heard his voice...
- Where's the fire?
Yeah, it's practice drills
this morning, ladies.
I knew my spell of
protection had been broken.
Lady.
Long ago, Jim Donnell fell in
love with my sister, Constance.
He wanted to steal her away
from us in his automobile.
But I told Father.
So...
And Father was powerful
they tell me you're moving away.
So Jim Donnell lost his job
and his love.
And then his automobile.
They tell me
you're moving away.
No.
No?
Must've just been gossip.
Did you ever hear anything like
the gossip in this town, Stella?
Leave her alone, Jim.
I'm not bothering anybody,
Stell.
I'm just asking Miss Mary
Katherine Blackwood here
how it is that everybody in town
is telling me her and her sister
are going somewhere
else to live.
Hmm?
Yeah.
It's a pity
when the old families go.
Though I guess you could say...
most of the Blackwoods
are gone already.
Well, I can always tell people that, you know, I
knew Constance Blackwood. I knew her real well.
Did they ever do
anything to you, Bobby?
I could tell people,
I fixed their broken step
once and never got paid for it.
Well, that must've been
an oversight, Bobby.
I tell you what,
now that John Blackwood's gone,
you can march right through
the gate and see her.
[laughs]
She'll see you get
what's coming to you.
[whispers] Didn't fix it.
Excuse me?
Father said shoddy work should
be punished, not paid for.
Is that so?
[bell tolls]
[Jim] Go away.
Maybe you should
run along home now.
They'll be no peace
around here till you do.
[Bobby] You got that right.
Now, you just say the word,
Ms. Mary Katherine Blackwood,
and we'll come up there
and we'll help you pack.
Free of charge!
[tolling continues]
[eerie music]
Merricat.
Merricat.
[young boy] Where's old Connie,
home cooking dinner?
"Merricat," said Connie,
"would you like a cup of tea?"
[younger boy] "Oh no," said
Merricat, "you'll poison me."
[older boy] "Merricat," said Connie,
"would you like to go to sleep?
Down in the boneyard
ten feet deep!"
- Kids!
- [older boy] Bye, stupid!
My mom says you
and Constance eat rats.
Go home, you witch!
[panting]
[Constance] Merricat.
Look how far I came today.
Next thing you know,
I'll be following you into town.
You wouldn't like it very much.
Tonight,
I believe I will
commence Chapter 44.
I will begin with
a slight exaggeration
and from there go on into
an outright... lie.
Constance, my dear?
Yes, Uncle Julian?
I am going to say that my wife
was beautiful.
[gentle music]
I'm always happy when you
come home from the village.
Yes, you bring me food...
but also I miss you.
I'm always happy to get back.
How was it in town today?
I'm getting better.
I went so far
down the lawn today.
Someday I'll go.
I'll take you to the moon.
It's beautiful there.
We will be picking
lettuces soon.
The weather has stayed so warm.
On the moon, you have lettuce
all year round, yes?
On the moon we have everything.
The locks are solid and tight.
It's just you and me.
And the sun
would shine every day.
[sighs]
The world is full
of terrible people.
[Mary] Constance believes
in the goodness of people.
Nothing bad will happen,
Merricat.
I promise.
[door hinges squeak]
- [whistling, song begins]
- [door shuts]
[song continues]
[singing in Italian
from record player]
[muffled song continues]
[Constance speaks Italian]
[Mary] A new wickedness
is coming,
I feel it,
so I cast a spell
of strong protection.
I bury another silver coin
along with a doll Father gave
Constance whose eyes can never shut.
I nail the book Father gave me
to the pine tree.
As long as they remain in place,
Constance will be safe.
- [song ends abruptly]
She's brought someone else.
Are you frightened?
No.
I'll send them away.
Answer the door.
Good afternoon, Mary Katherine.
I brought Lucille Wright.
You remember her?
And Mr. Clarke, of course.
Goodbye, dear.
I'll come pick
you girls up in an hour.
Goodbye, Mary Katherine...
Oh, Helen, the staircase.
Oregonian pine.
Shame.
Nobody sees it anymore.
[Constance] Tea?
[Helen] The garden looks
beautiful, Constance.
I do so love a garden.
I do.
This year we raised $600 at the
Friends of Miss Porter's Iris Contest.
Six hundred dollars!
An iris contest this early?
Adrian Whittle won
with her plum iris.
You could have beat her to a pulp
with your Night Ruler, Constance.
You're missing so much.
[whispers] So much.
[Helen] I care about you, dear.
Your mother and I were such...
It's spring. You're young.
You're lovely.
You have a right to be happy.
Come back to the world, dear.
We've forgotten the milk.
Thank you, dear.
I mean, not too much at first.
That would look odd.
- [Lucille] Or, perhaps dinner.
- [Helen] Dinner.
[Mary] Make Constance stay.
Make Constance stay. Make Constance stay.
[crashes]
I'll think about it.
[Mary] No one will come here.
They're too afraid.
[Helen] Good heavens,
Mary Katherine.
- They hate us.
- Nonsense.
I don't listen to their gossip,
and neither should you.
People will gossip.
Father used to say the
townspeople were lazy animals.
- Trash.
- Rum cake?
[Mary] He said if they only worked a
little harder they could have a castle too,
and then they could grow things
like stores and roads
- and beautiful gardens.
- Do you really suppose people are afraid to visit here?
[Julian] Afraid to visit here?
My niece was
acquitted of murder.
There could be no possible
danger in visiting here now.
Julian Blackwood.
Hello. Lucille Wright.
- Hello, Julian.
- [Julian] Though one could say
there's danger everywhere.
Danger of poison, certainly.
My niece, Constance,
could tell you of the most
unlikely of perils,
garden plants
more deadly than snakes,
and simple herbs that slash like knives
through the lining of your belly, madam.
That's all been forgotten.
No one ever thinks
about it anymore.
A most fascinating case, one of the
true genuine mysteries of our time,
of my... time, particularly.
And I survived
to tell the story.
I followed the trial...
Julian,
there is such a thing
as good taste.
Taste, madam?
Have you ever tasted arsenic?
You mean you remember?
A family gathering
for the evening meal.
Never supposed to be the last.
The dining room?
Just a glance?
Lucille!
Lucille!
I used that sugar myself
on my blackberries.
Luckily, fate intervened.
Some of us, that day,
she led inexorably
through the gates of death.
[Julian] I took
very little sugar.
I told her not to mention it.
I swear I did.
Constance, I swear. I wouldn't
have brought her here.
My brother, John,
at the table that night.
And you will notice
my sister-in-law,
who was, madam,
a delicate woman,
a woman born for tragedy.
And the girls.
Yes. Constance.
Merricat... was not
at the table that night.
A great child of 12,
sent to bed without her supper.
I remember the meal perfectly.
Spring lamb
roasted with mint jelly...
But the blackberries
were the important part.
I can see that
you are about to ask
why she should conceivably
have used arsenic
when she can put her hand
upon a bewildering array
of deadly substances
without ever leaving home.
But she bought the arsenic,
- [Lucille] she told them.
- To kill rats.
[Lucille] Why?
Why did she do it?
Unless, of course, she's some sort of
homicidal maniac or a mass murderer.
[Julian] Why?
She was let off by the jury.
Too pretty and well-bred
to be locked up forever.
But she told the police
it was her fault,
that they deserved to die.
I deserve to die.
We all do, don't we?
[car horn honks]
- Don't we?
- [Helen] Lucille.
We're leaving.
- I told you not to mention it!
- [Lucille] I'm sorry.
- I know. I know, but...
- Didn't I tell you?!
- [Lucille] I didn't know that he was going to...
- [car door shuts]
You stupid bitch.
Constance, how was I?
Charming, Uncle Julian.
You didn't need
your notes at all.
It did happen, didn't it?
Yes, it did.
If I'm spared the time,
I will write the book.
If not, please see to it that my notes
are entrusted to some worthy cynic
who will not be too concerned
with the truth.
[eerie piano music]
[wind howling]
[Mary] Father?
[Constance]
What are you doing?
[Mary] I heard Father
in his room.
They're gone.
I feel him coming back.
[pencil scratching]
Merricat!
I need you to go to town.
It's not my day to go.
We're out of sugar.
I want to make a rhubarb pie.
I dislike rhubarb.
But it has the prettiest
colors of all.
Nothing looks so beautiful
on the shelves as rhubarb jam.
Make it for the shelves, then.
Here are the coins.
But it's not my day.
You'll be back
in time for lunch.
[Mary] I didn't know
I would be going to town.
Lock the door behind me.
- [bell rings]
- [Mary] Sugar.
I had no time
to check my safeguards.
The house would not be secure.
[man]
Nothing but trouble.
If I would have known
I needed to go today...
- Whoa!
- a Thursday...
Hey, Mary Katherine, where are
you going all dressed up?
I would've checked my coins.
And my doll.
And I would have checked Father's
book was firm on the tree.
[gasps] There you are.
Constance, Father's book
has fallen from the tree.
It's our cousin,
Charles Blackwood.
I knew him at once.
He looks just like Father.
[Charles] It's a pleasure
to finally meet you, Mary.
Got a hug for your cousin?
[Constance] Merricat,
he's come to see us.
[ominous music]
[panting]
[whippoorwill sings]
[Julian] "I won't have it."
End quote.
- [meows]
- "And I listened at the door...
[Julian continues]
of course...
as they quarreled hatefully."
You slept in your garden
on the moon, didn't you?
I didn't come in in time to hear
what they were quarrelling about.
Silly Merricat.
[Mary] Uncle Julian doesn't
like your omelets anymore?
The fruit is for Charles.
- [Charles] Morning.
- [cat hissing]
[Charles] Oh!
Uh...
Oh, it's okay.
I've got it, Charles.
[meows]
Good morning, Cousin Mary.
- Shy?
- [Constance laughs]
We don't see a lot of strangers.
Mmm.
Now that's a handsome cat.
What's his name?
Jonas.
Jonas?
Jonas? Is he
your special pet?
- Yes.
- [Jonas meows gently]
Well, we're going to be very good
friends, you, Jonas and I.
[Julian] Charles.
[Mary] I see Uncle Julian
and Constance light up for him.
His presence
is a strange new spell.
- Are those pancakes?
- I am powerless before it.
It's been a long time since
anyone's made me pancakes.
- Delicious.
- But he came unbidden,
and I will drive him away.
Your, uh... great,
uh, great-grandfather...
planted those trees over there.
[Charles] Hmm.
They're really nice.
A little crooked.
Should we...?
Oh, that's all right.
I... need my exercise.
Don't tidy Father's room this morning.
Charles is staying there.
[exhales]
[gentle music]
[Charles] But Venice
is my favorite.
You lose yourself
in a maze of beauty.
Canals of singing gondolieri
and narrow streets where
every corner looks the same.
But, what is most chilling
is that when you walk,
your footsteps echo behind you,
and you think that
someone's following you.
Your shoes are loud
on the cobblestones,
and when you stop,
it sounds as though
someone else has stopped.
But, I suppose,
if you had someone
walking with you,
if you were not alone,
then it wouldn't really matter
if you were being
followed or not.
I've never been anywhere.
Too bad. Why is that?
Father said everything that
mattered was in America.
Uncle Julian, here's a biscuit.
Eat the soft side.
Constance,
do you think I should begin
Chapter 45 with:
"It was a fine morning,
a bright fine morning,
but none of them
knew it was their last."
Uncle Julian,
do we need to discuss
that right now?
It was so long ago.
That chair is
my dead brother's chair.
That last time I saw him there
he was foaming at the mouth.
Can it all just be forgotten?
- Forgotten?
- [Charles] We don't want to talk about that bad time.
Okay?
I believe that you are speaking
slightingly of my life's work.
Sit down, Constance.
Why don't we
tuck in your napkin here
or you're gonna
mess yourself, buddy.
You're missing a button, Charles.
I'll sew it for you.
Oh.
I, uh, noticed this morning
there was a broken step out back.
How about I fix it for you?
That would be very kind of you.
And I could also go
to the village
and pick up whatever you need...
I go to the village on Tuesdays.
- You do?
- But I worry about you.
I'll give you a list,
Charles, and some money
and you shall be
the grocery boy.
[Charles] You keep
money in the house?
Father didn't trust the banking system.
It's all in the safe.
Amanita phalloides
contains three poisons.
Mushroom Amanitin,
which is slow but potent.
Phalloidin, which attacks
the liver and kidneys.
- [Julian] John...
- And Phallin,
- which dissolves red corpuscles although it is the least potent.
- [Julian] John...
I taught her all the deadly ones
so she won't eat them.
The first symptoms do not appear
until seven to 12 hours after eating.
John, I'm telling you, investments aren't
what they were when father made his money.
- [Mary] Or even 40 hours.
- But he knew times change.
- Who's he talking to?
- Cold sweat.
Oh, he thinks you're
his brother, John.
- Vomiting.
- Times change.
- All right. Enough.
- Vomiting. Vomiting.
Do you think I should begin
Chapter 45 with,
"It was a fine morning,
a bright fine morning,
and no one knew
it was their last."
[Constance]
There you are, dear.
Constance, he should be
in the hospital.
I'm going to get you a sherry.
[Julian] Do you know what it's
like to be poisoned and live?
No.
[Julian] Hmm.
It's... It's terrible...
to lie here waiting
to die.
Please, don't touch my papers.
[eerie music]
[birds chirping]
[Mary] May I have my lunch?
There you are.
I think I'll wait to have
my lunch with Charles.
I'm making gingerbread for him.
[Mary] I am beginning to think
my spells no longer work.
No matter how many things
of Father's I bury,
I cannot protect Constance
or make Charles go.
Our land is beginning
to fill with them.
This web of terrible things.
I will need stronger magic
to keep us safe.
[Charles] Hey. What are you
doing over there?
Oh...
You're planting too deep.
Let me show you how you do that.
Gotta use two fingers,
all right?
See?
Constance?
Constance?
Yes, Charles?
What the heck is she doing?
She's gardening.
Connie, th...
this thing is made of gold.
That's my dead brother's
gold watch.
- I thought he was buried in it.
- It's not important.
[Charles] Not important? Well...
The hell of a way to treat
a valuable thing.
Nobody wants it.
You could've...
You could've sold it.
I certainly did think
he was buried in it.
It's worth money.
It's probably worth a great deal of money.
Sensible people don't go
burying valuable things.
- [scoffs]
- Charles.
[Charles stammers] Yes?
You look very flushed.
[chuckles]
I...
It's gold.
Are you hot?
Maybe.
Would you like a bath?
[whistling]
[footsteps approaching]
I was just leaving a towel.
[Mary] Constance...
has he said anything
about leaving?
He's our cousin,
and he's decided
to come visit us,
and he will go when he is ready.
[footsteps approaching]
Cousin Charles.
Cousin Charles.
[clears throat]
Well?
I've decided to ask you, nicely,
to please go away.
All right.
You asked me.
Please, will you go away?
Cousin Mary doesn't like me.
Here I've come to...
see my two dear cousins
and my old uncle
who I haven't seen
in years, and...
Cousin Mary won't
even be polite to me.
Well...
Constance likes me.
That's all that matters.
[mid-tempo song plays on piano]
[Constance's piano
playing continues]
[Mary] I try to find
the right words to expel him...
[Charles] Constance!
But his power is strong.
[Charles] Constance!
Constance, will you make Uncle Julian
a little soft cake for his lunch...
Constance is busy now.
Run along and play.
- I'm sorry.
- But Uncle Julian's going to...
She's busy right now.
Your sister works like a slave.
He wears Father's suit,
sleeps in Father's bed,
smokes his pipe,
and glides his tonic
all over his hair.
And Constance does not see it.
[chattering]
She obliges him
and pretends he
is not like Father.
And now she frowns at me...
I love you, Constance.
As though I'm the one
who is different.
I'm so tired.
[hammering]
Constance?
- [Julian] I cannot work in here...
- [Charles] Constance?
If Charles is going
to talk all the time.
- This is too much.
- What now?
Have you ever seen
anything like this?
Look at it, Connie.
Look at it.
Look at it.
I suppose it belongs
to Merricat.
It doesn't belong to Merricat or
anything like it. This is money.
There are 40 silver coins
in here, Connie.
This is outrageous.
She likes to bury things.
She has no right to bury things.
[Charles] This is terrible.
- She has no right.
- No harm is done. It's fine.
How do you know
there isn't more?
How do you know that crazy kid
hasn't buried 40,000 coins
around here we'll never find?
Goddamn kid.
How's the step coming?
[Charles] I need more nails.
Here.
Just take some of these.
- And if that's not enough...
- Con... Constance.
You can just charge it
to our account.
Th... Constance.
Con...
Hey, I can buy half
the market with this.
You shouldn't keep
that much money in the house.
And you should have a phone.
It became troublesome.
Thank you for fixing the step.
[vintage pop song]
We're engaged to be engaged
We're not merely
going steady
We're just waiting
till we're ready
[Bobby] That's a nice machine.
[chuckles]
Four-speed?
What's under the hood?
- Six-cylinder.
- Ooh!
How do you get a car like that?
Ace-high straight.
Not around here you don't.
That will change
the way we feel
You look familiar.
Do I?
Where from?
I'm from right up on the hill.
Ain't that a bite.
Well, I didn't know there were
any more Blackwoods, eh, Ned?
[Bobby] Wonder how long before
this one ends up in the boneyard.
[Ned] Another Blackwood
to take our money.
Just like their tyrant daddy
and the rest of them!
No, they should just throw
those high and mighty girls
to the woods for all the trouble
they caused this town.
[Ned]
Those Blackwood girls...
they're no different
than their daddy.
Sitting up in their castle.
Rolling in their heaps
of silver coins.
[song continues faintly]
[coin screeches]
That will change
the way we feel
They say...
[song continues muffled]
He's gonna die.
[laughs]
When wedding bells are
rung
We're engaged
to be engaged
[Constance]
Where have you been?
[Mary]
Out wandering.
I think we need
to forbid your wandering.
It's time you quieted
down a little.
- "We?"
- [Julian] Constance.
Charles is not a bad man.
He's making
Uncle Julian sicker...
He's only trying
to keep Uncle Julian
from thinking about sad things.
- [Julian] Constance...
- He should be more cheerful.
Constance, it's time
I had a box.
I can put all my papers
in the box
and put the box in my room.
And Charles cannot touch them.
You're a good child, Merricat.
[Julian] My box.
[Constance]
I've been hiding here.
[Julian] My box.
I've let Uncle Julian spend all
his time living in the past.
- I've been unkind.
- Is that Mother's necklace?
[Constance] Uncle Julian
should be in a hospital.
- You should... you should...
- It would certainly not be kind
to put Uncle Julian
in a hospital.
You should have a boyfriend!
[Julian] My box.
Well, well, well.
- Everybody's here.
- Charles!
Oh, Connie.
I was thinking, while I'm here,
I should go through your father's papers.
Don't touch my papers!
There might be something
important in there.
I haven't even
been to the study.
[Julian] What is this?
This is your box, Uncle Julian.
What for?
To put your papers in.
I'll take care of him.
You go, wash up,
and get ready for dinner.
[sighs] Thank you, Charles.
I wonder...
in about a month from now...
who will still be here.
You or me.
Ahh.
[melodic tones play]
You're my love
- You're my angel
- Rat-a-tat
You're the girl
of my dreams
I'd like to thank you
Rat-a-tat
I'll wait patiently
Daddy's home...
Is that Father's suit?
Gingerbread in July
is my favorite thing.
It looks good on me, yeah?
How I've waited
for this moment
Rat-a-tat
To be by your side
Your best friend wrote
and told me
There is nothing like the sunset over
Florence from the top of the Duomo.
Is it beautiful?
Four hundred and sixty-three
steps to the most exquisite sight.
A picture couldn't
capture the magic.
You have to go.
How do you say,
"Take me away"?
[speaks Italian]
How do you say,
"I want roast lamb for dinner"?
[Charles speaks Italian]
"Cooked by someone
other than myself."
[both chuckle]
[speaks Italian]
How I've waited
for this moment
You're so lovely.
Your best friend wrote
and told me
Rat-a-tat
You had teardrops...
We have many plans to make.
Daddy's home
Daddy's home
To stay
Daddy's home
To stay
I'm about 1,000 miles away
[birds chirping]
[Charles] Constance?
Constance?
Constance?
Constance?
[ominous music]
[Charles] What do you have
to say for yourself?
The Cicuta maculata
is the water hemlock,
one of the most poisonous of
wild plants if taken internally.
The Apocynum cannabinum
is not a poisonous...
Stop it!
May I have my lunch, Constance?
- Of course.
- Constance...
But first you have to explain
to Cousin Charles.
Please don't be angry, Charles.
I'll clean your room right away.
- [Charles] Mary Katherine!
- [Julian muttering]
I'm gonna give you
one last chance to explain.
Why did you
make a mess in my room?
I cannot work in here if Charles
is going to talk all the time.
This is none of your business.
Answer me.
[Julian] John,
how often must I tell you,
I know nothing about it
and it is none of my concern.
- My name is Charles.
- It is a quarrel between the women
- and it is none of my affair.
- May I have my lunch, Constance?
- Of course.
- I do not involve myself in my wife's petty squabbles...
- Shut up! Please.
- I'd advise you to do the same.
Constance, the sooner you're
out of here the better.
I will not be told to shut up
by my own brother!
We will leave your house, John,
if that is really your desire.
I will ask you,
however, to reflect.
Charles, when are you leaving?
I'm not leaving.
- I'm staying. No!
- This is all my fault. All of this is my fault.
- This is a crazy house.
- You stay away from my papers!
- Uncle Julian...
- You keep away from my papers, you bastard!
My dear, I apologize
to use such a word.
It is merely a word used among men
to categorize an undesirable fellow!
I tell you
I've had enough of this.
You have forgotten yourself,
to take such a tone to me!
Please be extremely quiet now.
Not until I am done
with Mary Katherine.
My niece, Mary Katherine,
died in an orphanage of neglect,
during her sister's trial
for murder.
But she is of very little
consequence to my book...
She's sitting right here.
Enough!
You must either be quiet
or you must leave this room.
- This is a mad house.
- You look very tired. You should go rest until lunch.
I'm not going anywhere until
something is done about this girl.
Why should anything be done?
I said I would clean your room.
Constance, why aren't you
going to punish her?
Punish me?
Punish me?
You mean send me to my bed
without my dinner?
You are a very
selfish man, John.
Stop it, Julian!
It is not fitting for men
of dignity to reproach...
- Please...
- threaten when women have had a falling out.
- Shut up! Stop it!
- You lose stature, John. You lose stature.
- Stop it!
- You lose stature, John.
- Not another word, please.
- You lose stature!
You lose stature, John!
- You lose stature!
- Do you hear me, Julian!
You're a ghost and a demon!
Merricat, enough, okay?!
You are making it worse.
- [voices begin to fade out]
- [Charles] Answer me!
- [eerie music]
- [Constance] Stop it! Stop, Merricat, please!
Answer me.
[panting]
[Mary] Some terrible force has brought
everything I've ever buried to the surface,
like the opposite of a spell.
What could be
the opposite of a spell?
[deep exhale]
A curse.
[man] You should have
a new book.
Should Mary Katherine
have a new book?
She should have
anything she wants.
Our most loved daughter
should have anything she likes.
Mary Katherine...
we love you.
You must never be punished.
You are to see to it that our most
beloved daughter is never punished.
[gentle music]
[Jonas meows]
[Julian] Chapter 36.
"It was a beautiful meal."
Here she is.
Wash your face and your hands.
Get ready for dinner.
Cousin Charles is already angry with you.
Your sister and I have had enough of
your hiding and destroying and temper.
We're going to have
a long talk tonight
after I enjoy the beautiful meal
that your sister made
for me this afternoon.
Run along, Merricat.
Your dinner will be cold.
Let me ask you a question, Mary.
Why don't you like me?
- [Constance] Oh, Charles.
- No, it's okay. I'm just asking.
Why don't you like me?
She likes you.
No...
she doesn't.
I think I know why.
Lord knows I have my theories.
But you never really never did
give me a chance, did you, Mary?
She likes you.
I came here to offer
assistance...
and guidance.
And from the look of things,
I think I got here
just in time, but...
what did I get in return?
Not even a thank you.
Perhaps if John knew that
it was their last day,
he would have not begrudged
my wife her sausage.
[annoyed exhale]
What took you so long?
[chuckles]
Forget it.
Don't even say a word.
I just want to enjoy
this meal in peace.
[quiet chuckle]
- Amanita phalloides contains three poisons.
- Don't.
Mushroom Amanitin,
which is slow but potent.
- Enough!
- Phalloidin, which attacks the liver and kidneys,
and Phallin, which
dissolves red corpuscles.
I mean it.
I won't stand for it.
[Mary] The first
symptoms do not appear
- until seven to 12 hours...
- Not another goddamned word!
Constance?
- [screams]
- John...
[continues screaming]
[Charles] Get out
there, goddamn it!
- No. No.
- [Mary muttering spell]
[Charles grunting]
[Constance whispers] No.
No. No.
No! [laughs]
- No. No...
- Father, stop!
- No!
- Be quiet! Shut up!
- [Mary] What are you doing?
- [Charles] Be quiet.
Just shut up!
Shut up! Shut up!
- [Mary] Father, stop!
- [Charles] Shut up!
- Shut up! Shh! Shh!
- [Mary whimpering]
- [Charles] Shh! Shh!
- [Mary sobs]
Father, stop! No!
[Charles] Be quiet and shut up!
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up.
Shh...
- [Mary sobs quietly]
- [Charles] Shut up.
[quietly] Shut up.
[panting]
[low roaring]
What is that?
What is that?
[Mary sobs, speaks incoherently]
[Charles] Fire!
Fire! Fire!
Fire, Constance.
Grab a bag.
Constance, quick.
Hey, hey, hey.
Grab the money out of the safe.
Okay? Do you hear me?
Constance, fire!
[panting]
I'm gonna get help.
[honking while driving]
[continues honking]
[dog barking]
- [faint horn honking rapidly]
- [Stella whispers] Fire.
Fire!
Fire in the Blackwood House!
- [Constance sobs]
- [Mary speaks spell softly]
[panting]
[flames sizzle]
We just cleaned it.
- Constance...
- It has no right to burn.
[continues honking]
[Constance coughing]
[fire engines approaching]
Uncle Julian.
[Constance]
Uncle Julian!
Uncle Julian, open the door.
[knocking]
Uncle Julian, open the door.
[Jim] Clear the house.
Do you hear me?
Clear the house!
- [gasps]
- [panting]
[coughing]
Throw up that bottom line
and get up in the tanks.
That's a fire, all right.
Oh yeah, that's a fire.
[crowd murmurs]
Why not let it burn, Jim?
Now, Bobby, you know sure well
we can't let
this fine manor fall.
We're firemen.
We gotta put it out.
[indistinct shouting]
Move it, move it!
Everyone out! Clear the house.
[faint shouting]
Clear the room!
[Jim] Let's go! Let's go!
- [man] Come on!
- Let's go! Water!
- [man] The hallway!
- [firemen chattering]
Water!
[man] We need more water!
[crowd chattering continues]
[man] We should have
burned it down years ago!
Let it burn!
Let it burn!
Let it burn!
[crowd chants] Let it burn!
Let it burn!
Let it burn!
Let it burn!
"Merricat," said Connie,
"would you like a cup of tea?"
"Oh no," said Merricat,
"you'll poison me."
- [chanting continues]
- Let it burn!
[boys taunting] Merricat.
Merricat.
[crowd cheers]
[Mary] The sound of their hate
is another kind of fire
moving through the bones
of our house.
I know now that
all of my spells are broken.
What was buried here
in this village,
their want for our ruin,
has come to the surface at last.
[man] Where are the girls?
Fire's all out, folks.
[woman] Should have just let
that fire burn, Jim.
[man] Should've burned
down years ago.
[man 2] Now what do we do, Jim?
[man 3] Crazy witches.
[indistinct chatter]
[panting]
Constance, we have to go.
What are you doing?!
- [window shatters]
- [crowd cheers]
- [woman] Take it! Take everything!
- We have to go outside.
[crowd screaming angrily]
- [grunts]
- Get the money!
[crowd shouting]
Let's get some of that gold!
[shouting continues]
What the goddamn hell
is going on here?!
[Charles]
Get out of here!
Get out!
[panting]
[Woman] Don't forget
the candlesticks!
Go!
[older boy] Merricat!
[grunting]
[older boy] Merricat!
[younger boy] Merricat!
Merricat!
Stop it!
- [mob shouting]
- [Sam] You crazy, drunken fools!
[Helen] Where are they?!
What do we got here?
[boys taunting]
Merricat! Merricat!
[man] Look who's here,
the little debutante.
[screams in fear]
- [screams in anger]
- Where're you going?
- [screams]
- [Mary] Constance!
Sam!
[all shouting]
[mob chants] Burn! Burn!
What are you doing?
Leave them!
[Stella] Stop it! Stop it!
No! No!
That's enough!
Stop it!
[Sam] That's enough!
You listen to me!
- Leave them alone!
- Listen to me!
- [extended honk]
- [grunting]
-[gunshot]
[mob quiets down]
[panting]
Julian Blackwood is dead.
There's been a death in this house.
You get out of here!
[Constance sobbing]
Go on now!
Get out of here!
[both panting]
[birds singing]
[gasps]
We're on the moon at last.
[Constance] Uncle Julian.
Poor Uncle Julian.
Who will write his book?
[footsteps approaching]
[sighs] My kitchen.
[Jonas meows]
I'm going to put death in all
their food and watch them die.
Like you did before?
I'm sorry.
He was wicked.
He was a very wicked man,
our father.
He was very wicked to me.
I put it in the sugar.
I know.
I knew then.
- You never use sugar.
- No.
No... no.
That's why I put it
in the sugar.
[Constance]
You saved me, my Merricat.
We'll never talk about it again.
Never.
- Never again.
- [knocking]
[Helen] Constance?
[knocking continues]
Constance?
[insistent knocking]
It's Helen and Sam Clarke.
Open the door, dear.
Never again.
Never.
[whispers] Never...
[Sam] Constance?
I just thought
you'd like to know that
your Uncle Julian's funeral
is the day after tomorrow.
There's a lot
of flowers already.
I think you'd be very impressed if you could
see all the flowers we all sent Julian.
We're your friends, dear.
You shouldn't drive away
your friends.
Constance, everything's fine.
We're going to forget all about it.
In a few weeks, no one will
even remember what happened.
[water dripping]
Sam, break down the door.
No.
Every window's already broken
in the place already, Helen.
I'm not gonna break anything
else, for Christ's sake.
Then climb in a window,
for God's sakes.
No. Look, leave them. They'll
come out when they're ready.
They're not children.
We can't go upstairs.
[pounding on door]
[Ned] Hey, Miss Constance?
Hey, Miss Constance?
I... I got a chicken here.
My wife roasted it up nice.
[stammers] And there's
some cookies and pie.
I hope you can hear me.
I, uh...
I broke one of your chairs.
I'm-I'm sorry.
[stammers] I'll just
leave it here.
Sorry again.
Do you think
it's as good as my pies?
- [hammering]
- [Constance] Leave it, Merricat.
Let some sun in.
[knocking]
More food.
We're the biggest
church supper they ever had.
[insistent knocking]
[Charles] Connie?
I'm back.
Constance?
[Charles]
Darling.
Let's forget all that
ever happened.
I want to be friends again.
Will you open the door?
Connie, I didn't mean
for that to happen.
I didn't. I'm sorry.
I can help you, Connie.
I can.
We can have a life together,
away from here.
Don't you want that, Connie?
Italy.
Remember how that felt?
Remember...
when I held you?
Connie...
Please, you have
to open the door.
You understand?
I can't help you
if you don't let me.
Do you hear me, Connie?
I can't help you
if you don't let me.
And I'm not going away.
I'm not going away, Connie.
- [jiggles door]
- [groans]
There will never be
anyone like me, Connie.
Who's gonna love you?
Nobody.
Nobody's gonna love you.
Is that what you want, Connie?
I don't deserve
to be treated like this!
[stammers]
I could just walk away!
I could!
Is that what you want?
I don't deserve this!
I don't deserve this!
I don't deserve
to be treated like this!
I came here to help you!
[pounding on door]
[gasps]
- Hey! Connie!
- No! No! No! No! No!
No! No! No!
- Hey, Connie!
- No!
- No! No! No! No!
- Connie!
- [Constance screams]
- [grunts]
[body thuds]
[panting]
May I have my lunch, Constance?
You can have whatever you want.
[birds chirping]
[curious music]
My name is
Mary Katherine Blackwood.
I am 18 years old,
and I live with my sister,
Constance.
She is the most precious person
in the world.
The Blackwoods have always
lived in this house.
[man] Let's just put the bag down
and get the hell out of here.
We have never done
anything to hurt anyone.
Merricat.
[younger boy] They're probably
not even in there.
Merricat!
- We put things back where they belong.
- [older boy] Merricat.
Merricat!
Merricat!
- And we will never leave here.
- [older boy] Merricat!
Are you cooking up some stew?
What's for dinner?
Babies?
I bet you like to eat babies!
[younger boy] I heard
you eat rats!
You should have burned!
- Baby rats!
- Burned with all the rest of your things!
Would you like a cup of tea,
you rat witch!
Come out and get us!
You stupid bitch!
[older boy screams]
He didn't mean it!
No matter what they say
or what they do to us.
Never.
What will we have
for lunch today?
Rhubarb pie.
I wonder if I could eat a
child if I had the chance.
I doubt that I could cook one.
It must be terrible
to be so afraid.
I love you, Merricat.
[slow instrumental music]