If there's one movie this year that will have you turning to God in prayer, it won't be a faith-based movie like " but rather Ari
Aster's extraordinarily creepy "Hereditary". With one of the most striking debuts in recent memory, Aster proves to be a new mastermind of the horror genre. Scaring audiences through both supernatural and worldly terrors, it's a film that won't leave your mind any time soon.
"Hereditary" tells the story of a deeply troubled family, made up of a teen son, his younger sister and their parents. At the beginning of the film, the family has just buried the grandmother, a woman who passed on her internalized trauma to her daughter Annie. As the new matriarch of the family, Annie (played by Toni Collette) tries to keep the family strong through this latest tragedy. But forces from within and without threaten to break their already tenuous family bond forever.
When "Hereditary" was released earlier this summer, audiences didn't quite know what to make of it. Despite strong reviews from critics, the film scored a paltry D+ CinemaScore, indicating general audience dissatisfaction. I was therefore genuinely surprised when I finally watched the film and found it to be one of the most effectively terrifying horror films I've ever seen.
Though the marketing promised a standard issue haunting/possession narrative, Aster arrives at that place from a more indirect angle. He brilliantly incorporates the idea of metaphorical inner demons with literal ones and then unleashes them all on this vulnerable family, wreaking havoc on their lives.
Indeed, one early therapy scene is quite telling, as Annie explains the mixed emotions she feels after the death of her estranged mother. Harboring inexplicable guilt and blame for all her misfortunes, it's hardly surprising when we realize the brittle tensions within the intra-family relationships. That underlying malice within the family is viscerally felt, thanks to some go-for-broke, raw performances from the cast.
At the center of it all is Toni Collette, who all but turns herself inside out for her role. As her character endures unimaginable tragedy and inescapable anguish, she is a whirlwind that stirs up her co-stars and brings out the best in them. Most notably, the scenes she shares with Alex Wolff are absolutely searing as they unravel this fraught mother-son relationship.
Even if it didn't have the traditional horror elements of disturbing images and creepy sounds - and contrary to popular belief, this film has more than enough of them - the film's central conceit of the effects of damaged families would be haunting on its own. Indeed, if you can't feel safe around your own family, then where do you run to? I can hardly think of anything more traumatizing.
