Hereditary (2018)

    If you are a horror aficionado, chances are you may have already seen Ari Aster’s debut film, Hereditary. Hailed by many as one of the greatest horror movies in recent years, Hereditary is also a film about grief and how people process this emotion differently. In fact, this film is almost more interesting when it is delving into the how the different stages of grief exhibit themselves in unique ways (especially with Toni Collette’s character). At one point in the film, Collette's character is literally heaving while on all fours as she rocks back and forth, screaming "it hurts too much!" While this kind of display could easily come off as melodramatic if not executed properly, instead it stands out to me as one of the better portrayals of pure agonizing grief by an actor or actress in recent memory.

    Otherwise, Hereditary contains many of the familiar horror tropes: strange-looking child, house out in the middle of nowhere with a spooky attic, creepy dollhouses, witches, the occult, seances (seriously people just say no to seances it never ends well), and evil books that can’t be destroyed. The movie doesn't rely on "jump scares" really at all, however, it does contain one of the most shocking scenes I've seen in a while that will probably leave you with your mouth hanging open for a second.

    In my opinion, the acting truly carries this film, Toni Collette does a fantastic job of portraying a horribly grief-stricken mother and her facial expressions convey every emotion from apathetic depression, to burning anger, to sudden horror (during one screaming match at the dinner table I was convinced that her eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets). Alex Wolff also plays his part as the bewildered and terrified son, while Gabriel Byrne portrays the classic "dad who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else right now" role.

    I won't delve too much into the plot, because it's hard to discuss too much without inadvertently spoiling things, but I will say that a majority of the film is "teasing" what is to come, however, once we get to then end, things move quickly. Although I found the ending to be fascinating, I was ultimately a little disappointed that we didn't get a more thorough explanation or more closure on what transpired. Admittedly, this is probably what Aster was going for in leaving some questions unanswered, however, I think one last scene would have really wrapped things up nicely. I wouldn't say Hereditary is one of my all time favorite horror films, but it is an enjoyable and intriguing ride.


-Ryan Maples


Rating: 7.75