(4 / 4)
Hereditary is a game changing horror masterpiece that subverts all tropes and expectations associated with the demonic possession subgenre, delivering a tightly wound story that explodes with haunting imagery you will not soon forget.
Hereditary, which marks the feature directorial debut of Ari Aster, has been receiving rave reviews for several months now since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Critics have been heralding the film as the next Exorcist with many claiming it to be one of the most terrifying films of all time. Although this sort of hype is always enticing to hear, too often in the past have other horror films, such as It Follows and The Witch received similar accolades and have not quite lived up to this acclaim. Both of these films were without a doubt strong entries in the horror genre, but both were somewhat overblown in terms of their impact on the genre, resulting in an initially disappointing reaction from myself. This is not the case with Hereditary, as Ari Aster has crafted a truly game changing cinematic masterpiece that subverts any expectations you might have about this seemingly familiar story until arriving at a chilling conclusion that will haunt your dreams forever.
Despite the film’s eventual destination, the story begins innocently enough with the central family composed of Annie (Toni Collette), her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), and her children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro) dealing with the death of Annie’s mother, Ellen. There are a few clues about Ellen having had an interest in the occult as well as some strange belongings that Annie discovers, but if it weren’t for the ominous score by Colin Stetson you would be forgiven for believing this to be a rather tame story. As the story moves along, Annie’s daughter Charlie, who was always very close with her deceased grandmother, begins to behave increasingly abnormal, performing acts such as decapitating the corpse of a dead bird and stating strange facts, such as her grandmother having always wished that Charlie had been born a boy. It is gradually revealed that there is a much more sinister family history than we are initially shown, and the film details the mounting tension of the family properly grieving this death. As is generally the case, there is a lot more to this story, but it is in everyone’s best interest to know as little about the story as possible as part of the film’s impact is in its unpredictability.
Upon reading this description, it is understandable to believe that Hereditary is a story we’ve heard countless times before, with Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen immediately coming to mind as similarly being centered upon an evil spawn in the vessel of an innocent child. Hereditary manages to be aware of this natural comparison and brilliantly plays with the audience’s expectations through the utilization of some wild twists in the story. The result is that you initially feel as though the story is going in a certain direction, but this is quickly turned on its head and you are left feeling mystified as to what will come next, which is not an easy feat today when there have been countless supernatural and demonic possession films already.
The film’s lengthy 2-hour runtime proves to be an asset as this provides the story sufficient time to breath and properly acquaint us with our protagonists as well as suitably ramp up the suspense. Hereditary is remarkably disciplined as the majority of the film does not feature any explicitly horrific events and there isn’t a single jump scare to be found in the entire film. It is also worth noting how Aster’s utilization of wide shots for many of the scenes in which the family is interacting, cleverly parallels Annie’s career as a scale model artist as it makes it appear as though the family is in fact living in someone else’s own scale model of a home. Although this might not sound that significant, it proves to be an artful way of alluding to the fact that the family might as well be dolls to be played with by a larger unknown force that is pulling their strings from the shadows. This flourish with the camerawork coupled with the film’s constant restraint and the early allusions to the occult creates a dense miasma that pervades the bulk of the film. Even during scenes that appear innocuous on the surface, there is a sense that this family is inevitably doomed, in spite of it not being apparent what the threat is and how all of the clues that have been laid out will ultimately culminate.
Despite all of this apparent doom and gloom, Hereditary is not afraid to revel in its own absurdity at times, with the film astonishingly providing some darkly comedic moments that don’t remotely deter from the film’s impact. It is also worth noting that the film wisely avoids many of the supernatural horror genre pitfalls, chiefly the frustration of our main character being unable to prove the existence of the supernatural entity they are engaged with. Unlike so many other films of this genre, Hereditary doesn’t make up the rules as it goes along, meaning that if a character is able to communicate with the dead, they are clearly able to demonstrate this to other family members. This is a smart choice that more horror films should obey, as it leads to the supporting character’s disbelief being driven by psychological motives based on tangible evidence rather than merely not being able to see the ghosts for no reason other than the plot demands it.
The acting performances also can’t go unacknowledged, as the entire cast across the board provide brilliant performances. Milly Shapiro’s performance as Charlie is effectively chilling and ominous and Gabriel Byrne provides strong supporting work as the level-headed spouse who wants to move on and maintain stability for his family, however, the true standouts of this ensemble are Toni Collette and Alex Wolff. Collette whom I’ve always appreciated in whatever role she performs, is a revelation as she masterfully encapsulates Annie’s descent into manic grief perfectly. Collette’s reactions to certain events are so chilling that in my opinion some of the most horrifying situations are purely due to her bloodcurdling reaction rather than the grisly event itself. Alex Wolff’s performance as the eldest son Peter is also incredible, as he seamlessly portrays his development from a lackadaisical teenager with no aspirations other than satisfying hedonic objectives to a tortured soul who is no longer capable of living his old life. I had seen Wolff in My Friend Dahmer recently and was very impressed with how he portrayed the character’s mounting fear in that film, but his performance in Hereditary blew me away. I look forward to seeing him in more roles in the future.
In addition to the many amazing feats Hereditary achieves, it also manages to serve as a thoughtful metaphor for mental illness and the demons we inherit from our own families. This was reminiscent of The Babadook, which adeptly did the same with its treatment of the demon in that film as a metaphor for learning to live with your grief. I believe that more horror films should follow this metaphorical approach, as it provides another layer to the film, transcending it beyond watching the mutilation of individuals and instead provides a poignant message about an overarching issue.
Hereditary is a cinematic masterpiece that is without a doubt one of the best horror films in recent memory and a spectacular feature debut for writer and director Ari Aster. The film cannot be missed, even if you may regret it over the next few nights as the nightmarish imagery will inevitably be seared into your mind.
