It's 'so deeply unsettling that you don't feel right afterward'
While every film is unique, it's possible to see a recurring theme in the 'relatively recent' horror films that have resonated with critics and fans alike. Family.
Films like Get Out, A Quiet Place, Mother! (this writer wasn't a massive fan of that one), The Witch and It Comes At Night have all focused on the family unit but Hereditary looks set to really dig into some trauma.
We've
had our eye on this one for a while and truth be told, it's shaping up to be one of the film events of the year because everything we've seen and heard about Ari Aster's film has been breathtaking.
Ok, what's it about?
When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter's (Toni Collette) family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wWKNij_1M
Clip via -
A24
It's clear that Aster has been influenced by classic character-driven horrors like Rosemarys Baby, Don't Look Now and The Exorcist. In fact, people have been comparing Hereditary to William Friedkin's iconic horror but that's a little bit lazy because Aster's film really does stand up on its own merits.
In terms of the cast, Toni Collette has consistently proven that she's brilliant in anything - take a look at Muriel's Wedding, The Way Way Back, Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense for proof - and
Gabriel Byrne is a very solid addition.
Hereditary is released on Friday and with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 87% on the far more reliable Metacritic, it's an essential watch for horror fans.
These critics agree:
Associated Press - "Hereditary is a movie so horrifying and good that you have to see it, even if you shouldn't want to, even if you might never sleep peacefully again."
Entertainment Weekly -"If you're the kind of horror nerd whose cage gets especially rattled by séances, shock scares, and the supernatural, you're in for a hell of a time."
USA Today - "A visceral experience so deeply unsettling that you don't feel right afterward. Dirty, even. So unclean that a church visit wouldn't be out of the question."
Rolling Stone - "In its sense of poisoned family bloodlines, of the everyday invaded by unspeakable evil, of bone-chilling terror you won't be able to shake, Hereditary is a new horror landmark. Toni Collette should have Oscar calling."
SF Weekly - "One of the most emotionally harrowing horror movies in years."
Minneapolis Star Tribune - "Are you ready for the year's scariest movie? I don't think you are, not at all."
Toronto Star - "Hereditary is a great horror movie."
