Review of Hereditary (2018) by Filmjunk — 07 Jun 2018

This is real horror. Ari Aster is a writer and a director with the largest possible amount of passion for his craft. Nothing about Hereditary feels cheap or predictable. The horror relies not just upon loud noises or disturbing imagery, but upon subtlety. As a visual and auditory experience, Hereditary is almost perfect. There is a tremendous deal of skill shown in the scares of this film: every shot lasts just the right amount of time, always revealing the frightening imagery at just the perfect moment and for the proper duration of time. Aster understands that things not shown can be just as scary as what appears on screen. The music is really what puts things over the top and elevates the film to the horror of works like The Exorcist. There is constant tension because the music knows when to come in and it knows when to stay away and let the other sound effects run their full course. It all comes together as a work of brilliance. There is some poorly done, very noticeable audio dubbing that distracts from the movie's tension, but it's not too big of a deal.

The horror is so effective because it's based around events that feel genuine, like they could actually happen. The story blends the supernatural with the realistic in a fantastic way that makes for the type of horror experience that sticks with you to make your own real life as terrifying as the film.

Toni Collette is an absolute revelation in this film. She delivers perhaps her best work ever and injects the atmosphere of the film with the raw terror and loss experienced by her character. The supporting cast isn't always quite as impressive. Alex Wolff didn't quite sell some of the scenes that demanded the most of him. But the performances are overall leaps and bounds above average, especially for a horror flick.

The story doesn't always seem like it's going in any one direction and can feel cloudy throughout the first viewing, but it all wraps up very clearly at the end. The film's conclusion is one that never releases any tension, but rather ends at the most horrifying possible moment. The rising action continues and never falls, and it makes Hereditary one of the best horrors of the decade and shows Ari Aster as a more-than-promising up-and-coming filmmaker.

Story: 9.

Acting: 9.5.

Script: 9.

Visuals/Sound: 9.

Entertainment Value: 9.5.

OVERALL SCORE: 9.