In a Nutshell

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.

[imdb]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/[/imdb]

Review

The family home. Not just a physical thing but a comforting idea that dwells within our mental state. In both respects, it can be a refuge from the fears and troubles of the world, safe with those who we cherish most in life. On the flip side, it can be argued that this ideal is merely superficial as it can be a place where the darkest and most twisted parts of who we are lie in wait, biding it’s time before genuine terror can rise to the surface.

Be it through a manic knife-wielding relative or a siege from the undead, the horror genre has removed the safety parameters of the family home and submerged them an ocean of absolute fear from both internal and external threats. With Hereditary, filmmaker Ari Aster (in this his feature film debut) explores both the fear of the what’s out there and fear from within.

The film follows the story of a family coming to terms with the death of the grandmother of their household. In their mourning, they not only reflect on their own pasts but unravel some dark secrets inherited throughout the families history which only serves to haunt them to the point of tragedy.

Meticulously Crafted Horror

With Hereditary, Aster meticulously crafts (like the miniature models in the film) a grim tale of grief and the grieving process with a solid script (which he also wrote). Rooted in strong foundations of a dysfunctional family drama that unfolds on screen (most prominently during an awkward family meal), the horrific elements work to nightmarish effect as the focus on character enhances the scares as the real horror dwells within their dynamics with each other.

In the face of most modern horror films, Hereditary abandons cheap tricks such as jump scares in favour of genuine tension and an atmosphere of dread. This dread that gradually builds throughout the film is almost unbearable as the tension is almost tactile by the end. Particularly in the final fifteen minutes of the film which features one of the most terrifying sequences in recent memory.

Another strength of the film is how it manages to pay homage to many great horror films without delving into cliche or becoming a checklist. The spectre of horror greats such as Rosemary’s Baby and Don’t Look Now loom heavy over the film but don’t overwhelm it as Aster clearly establishes his own voice in the film with a blunt but atmospheric style in the mould of the likes of Michael Haneke.

The slow-burning pace of the film works for the most part throughout the film as it helps give a greater impact to the moments of pure horror even if it does make the film lag in the second act. This slow-burning effect is aided through some terrific camera work as slow pans serve to enhance not only the atmosphere but the incredible performances from the entire cast. Visually, cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski makes the film a beautiful nightmare with great use of shadows that linger in the mind long after leaving the cinema.

You Can’t Choose Your Family

Leading the cast is Toni Collette in the role of newly promoted matriarch, Annie with a superb performance in which she manages to wring just about every emotion out of herself and leaves it all on the screen. The wide range of emotions that she manages to pour out from herself is captivating to watch as the audience is helpless in watching her slow descent into madness.

One particular scene in which she discusses her family’s history with mental health issues to a group grief counsel manages to encapsulate the film in a nutshell and this would not have been possible without Collette’s stellar performance. As her tortured son Peter, Alex Wolff is just as good in a performance where his soul is drained by the downward spiral of events and laid bare. His sympathetic portrayal of a young man at the end of his tether, riddled with guilt is perfectly conveyed through Wolff’s sorrowful eyes.

Gabriel Byrne as the families well-meaning but emotionally ineffectual father, Steve is very good in what is the straight man role to the families burgeoning madness. He embraces his character’s dejection with a sense of complete helplessness to all that is going on around him. In her debut performance, Milly Shapiro is chilling as the off kilt daughter Charlie. Full of mystery, her haunting presence throughout the early stages of the film really leaves an impact on the film.

In horror films, the sound design can make or break a film and with Hereditary it is outstanding. The way in which a simple clicking sound is utilised manages to evoke feelings of shock and unease for audiences with audible reactions clear throughout the theatre. In relation to the film’s sound, Colin Stetson’s unnerving score sets the film’s tone from the opening scene and draws parallels to Angelo Badalamenti’s work with David Lynch at times.

Verdict

To call Hereditary an assured feature debut for director/writer Ari Aster would be a major understatement. He assembles a tremendous ensemble cast and plunges them into the darkest corners of his imagination with an exercise in sheer terror. Rich in visual and cerebral with its scares, Hereditary is one of the finest horror films of recent years.