I probably liked this taught movie more than most because it brought back memories of my mother & grandmother describing the plight of dust bowl wives trying to survive while their husbands tried to find work & send money home. The constant fight to keep a home clean, trying to feed children & keep them healthy was a daily battle. And many did sink into a world of madness. Sara Paulson's performance as Margaret was sublime & eerie. This is a prairie gothic tale with excellent performances by all. The cinematography shows the swirling darkness of the wind & dust. Yes, it's slow paced but the tense or unexpected moments drive the story forward at a quick pace. Life during the dust bowl years was tedious, straining the senses, rattling nerves, with the thought of death always sitting on the shoulder. One either left, lost their mind, died, or demonstrated the utmost in survival skills & lived. This movie portrayed all of those possibilities.