Hereditary

Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Mallory Bechtel, Ann Dowd
Directed by: Ari Aster
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A family begins experiencing strange events after a death in the family.

Review:

Tim: Ari Aster's directorial debut is a near-masterpiece of the horror genre. Many of the elements and themes covered here have been done before, but none so brilliantly portrayed as what we see in Hereditary. You could look at this as yet another haunted house movie, a family terrorized by a malicious, supernatural evil. There's been dozens and dozens of those movies. And yet, not for a single second did I ever feel like this movie was treading down the same paths. This film felt wholly unique and separate, a unique, unforgettable spin on the classic horror film. I'm not ready to call this movie the new generation's Exorcist like some of the marketing has done, but I'm a raving fan of what is undoubtedly one of the best horror movies of a the decade.

I have to give Aster so much credit because he never once took the easy way out. I can't recall a single jump scare in this movie. He creates a compellingly dark, uncomfortable, atmospheric film that is frightening without quick cuts and cheap tricks. He crafted a film that was almost oozing with creepiness. The visuals and the sound effects are so stunning and effectively used. I love the emphasis on practical effects verses relying so heavily on visual ones. That made the movie significantly more complicated, but the whole thing feels real. Whether that means seeing a character hanging in the top corner of the room in the background, or a deceased character sitting in a field surrounded by a line of fire- this film is filled with frightening imagery. The candle that lights itself, the stomach-clenching telephone pole scene. The seance. It feels like every scene of the film was made by an expert craftsman. I'm stunned that Aster did this in his first feature film. This feels like the work of a master director who is finally hitting his stride. He approaches this film like Toni Collette's character approaches her miniature work. Aster felt like he had a fanatical attention to detail and the entire film benefits as a result. I know there are other things to talk about, but so much of this movie felt like the work of a genius.

For one, I loved that this movie straddled the line between horror and family drama. The film is long (perhaps just a bit too long) and part of that is all the time spent with these characters. At one point, I realized nothing especially creepy had happened in a good twenty minutes- we were just watching drama between these characters unfold. That was an unconventional choice, but it puts the focus on these characters. This is one of the most character-driven horror films I've ever seen. I loved the script, which was brilliant. It keeps us in a state of suspense, slowly sharing details about what's happening. There are some big, unexpected twists as the different pieces of the plot fall into place. It ultimately all makes sense, without spelling everything out. There's still a good deal of ambiguity and questions surrounding the story- which is a really good thing.

I have to rave about the cast for a few. I've never been a fan of Toni Collette and while there are aspects of her performance that I didn't like, I have to applaud her work. She is at times unhinged, confident, confused, hopeful. The range of emotions she shows is stunning. And, almost all of them are believable (I did feel a few times during the more intense scenes that she forced her performance to the point where it felt like acting). It's really an incredible performance. And, while Collette got raving reports from critics (well deserved, I admit), I have to say that I was more blown away by Gabriel Byrne. Sure, his performance isn't as emotional or extreme as Collette. But what he does is give perhaps the greatest skeptic horror movie performance I've ever seen. I truly believed every single thing his character did. It felt like if a real man was in his position dealing with these strange events, they would behave nearly identical to him. His performance was so rooted in reality that it made the whole film believable. I'm shocked more critics didn't pick up on this. Collette is amazing and adds to the film significantly, but Byrne quietly helps this become a great film.

I was stunned by Alex Wolff's performance as well. It starts out ordinary enough- in the beginning of the film, I felt that he was fine but nothing special. As the movie goes on, he gets several opportunities to flat out act- and his performance is remarkable. It's one of the more memorable aspects of this film. It's certainly closer to Collette's crazy range of emotions and Wolff goes there for all of them. His performance is almost too good to be believed. Milly Shapiro was fine. She certainly does some creepy things and she adds to the film, but I didn't quite love her performance. Ann Dowd was fantastic in a supporting role. As a whole, the cast did something special here. It had to be a combination of them delivering career-best performances as well as the direction of Aster, but it was remarkable.

Hereditary is a movie that takes a concept that has been done before and puts 99% of the similar movies to shame. It's the kind of film that reminds you what a horror movie is supposed to be. It makes you realize how bad so many horror movies are. It feels like the work of a man who had incredible passion for the story and the characters. It felt like the desire here was to create a work of art, not cash a check. In a year where we already got a great horror movie (A Quiet Place), I think I have to give the nod to Hereditary. I'm not sure of another year that had two horror movies this great, though. 2018 was special for that reason.

Suffice to say, I loved Hereditary. I was uncomfortable throughout. I continually swore under my breath and felt a constant sense of dread. Sure, the middle of the movie loses just a bit of momentum as it shifts a bit too much to the family drama side. It feels like not enough progresses for a chunk of the film before it gears up for the finale. And yet, even with a few flaws here and there, this is still one of the best horror movies I've ever seen.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: A Quiet Place, The Conjuring