Review of Hereditary (2018) by William B — 17 Jun 2018

This much I know: grief is terrifying. It sneaks up on you, batters you emotionally, and it cares nothing about the debris it leaves in its wake.

FYI - remember the feeling you have when you hear Judy Collins' "Both Sides Now." That feeling will change after you see "Hereditary.".

That said, writer-director Ari Aster's shattering "Hereditary" begins with the death of a less-than-beloved family matriarch. Her daughter, Annie (Toni Collette, delivering the best performance of her impressive career), gives an abrupt, peculiar eulogy for her deceased mother. At home, her husband (Gabriel Byrne) is quiet and supportive, initially; her son Peter (Alex Wolff from "Patriots Day" and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle") just wants to be a teenager, smoke pot, and score with girls. Her daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is a strange kid - withdrawn, methodically programmed to partake macabre activities. Charlie is pensive and quiet (you know, like many 13-year-olds). Given they have just experienced a loss, it sounds like a typical family.

Hardly.

Annie's craft is one of artfully recreating disturbing events; and despite her apparent estrangement from her mother, she finds the need to attend group supporting meetings. Indirectly through the group, she is approached by a seemingly caring and supportive woman named Joan (Ann Dowd). I won't give anything here, but Dowd - who has always been a fascinating presence - has entered her career pique (remember her riveting performance in the 2012 thriller "Compliance"?), bolstered by her current Emmy-winning role in Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale." Dowd is adept as appearing sympathetic and nurturing - but with more beneath the façade. After the death of Annie's mother, something shocking happens (I was unprepared for it, and I did jump in my seat). Collette's response is mesmerizing; Byrne is bemused and shocked; and Wolff's scenes from here on out qualify him for serious Supporting Actor Oscar consideration.

What ensues is more than a horror film, symbolically addressing the topics of grief and loss. Aster's masterful direction is deliberate and expertly paced. A24 has distributed films like last year's "It Comes at Night" (akin to "A Quiet Place," with nothing seen - all left to the imagination); the poignant and enlightening "A Ghost Story"; and the Oscar-nominated "Lady Bird," which broke out and gave the company mass appeal. "Hereditary" will be dismissed by some - probably those who expressed disappointment over "The Witch" - as a letdown. It's not. It's anything but a letdown. When the entirety of the experience sunk in, I realized I wanted and needed to see it again. And seeing it the first time was an exercise in heart-racing terror.