Hereditary (2018)
Film Review
By the Geezer of Oz
Fresh after their estranged family matriarch passes away, her family try to cope with her death as best they can even though most of them did not have a very close relationship with her. They are haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences of the family’s past, while experiencing some very odd events at present as dark secrets begin to unravel.
Another example as to why, these days, it is best to know as little as possible about a film before seeing it. My advice is to stay away from trailers or any potential spoilers which might pop up anywhere. It is best to discover most films while viewing and this one holds quite the reward.
Directed by first time feature director, Arie Aster, it is almost shocking as to how well this film is put together. At the hands of Aster, a master craftsmen, Hereditary is easily one of the best horror film I’ve seen in the last decade. While there are some plot points which seemed odd to me, they were quickly forgotten as this utterly spooky film moved forward and completely drew me in deeper and deeper.
I couldn’t help but look for influences, and there are plenty. I could see how Aster, who also wrote this fantastic script, was somewhat influenced by horror classics such as Poltergiest, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby and the best of Asian Horror cinema. However, while viewing, I could not help but feel that Hereditary has a pace reminiscent of 2015’s The Witch, especially in some spots, and the visual imagery of Donnie Darko mixed with 1970’s horror-thriller aesthetics. I could even sense some influence of John Cassavettes’ scripts and M. Night Shyamalan filmmaking techniques. Still, overall, while potentially “borrowing” from all these, Hereditary is one of the most original horror films I’ve seen of late.
The film stars the always-amazing Toni Collette (Muriel’s Wedding, The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine, TV’s The United States of Tara) who puts forth an Oscar worthy performance here. Alex Wolff (TV’s In Treatment, The House of Tomorrow, My Friend Dahmer), newcomer Milly Shapiro, who impresses in her first feature role, veteran Gabriel Byrne (Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects, Stigmata, End of Days, Ghost Ship) and the always interesting Ann Dowd (Side Effects, The Drop, TV’s The Leftoversand The Handmade’s Tale) round out the core cast.
Arie Aster is extremely impressive, but it is important to also mention the amazing work done by cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski and the tense, hypnotic music by Colin Stetson. Their contribution to this film is beyond measure.
This one is another recently dubbed “scariest film of all-time”, but it is actually even more spooky and affecting than simply a “scary movie”. This film will stay with you for a long time after viewing and beyond. I would predict that it would, in time, become a genre classic. Personally, this is the most enjoyment I got out of watching a horror film in quite a while.
So, please avoid watching trailers and reading anything about the plot and just watch this film. You will not regret it.
Horror at its best. 9/10.
