Hereditary (2018) Review – A Masterclass in Generational Trauma and Dread

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Ari Aster’s 2018 mega-hit Hereditary.

A horror modern classic

Hereditary follows the story of Annie Graham (Toni Collette) and her family as they battle grief and dysfunction. The movie starts with the death of Annie’s mother from dementia. Despite her mother seemingly not having many connections, Annie is shocked to see a large turnout at her funeral. Annie begins to believe that there is a deeper mystery surrounding the death of her mother. But, before she can investigate, her life is torn apart once again by another tragedy. A tragedy that will send the family down a spiral of strange happenings that threatens to tear them all apart.

“Hereditary starts off as a slow paced family drama deliberately aiming to set the viewer off base. This false sense of security makes what follows all the more affecting and impactful.”

Hereditary starts off as a slow paced family drama deliberately aiming to set the viewer off base. Sure, the story is quite sad as there is obviously a lot of hidden generational trauma at play but it’s nothing you would class as scary. It’s this false sense of security that makes what follows all the more affecting and impactful, however. Tragedy and suffering causes our protagonist’s mental health to slip and she starts to lose her grip on both the people around her and her sanity.

It’s a believable and relatable story but it’s a diversion. The horror is coming and it arrives just when you think you know what you are dealing with. Aster whips the rug out from underneath you and leaves you flat on your back staring up at a full blown nightmare. A shocking final twenty minutes comes out of nowhere to remind you that the relatable story was just a setup for some truly effective horror. This is slow-burn that reminds you how it should be done. Set the viewer up and then devastate them without mercy.

A disturbed family

Dealing with the loss of a parent is something most people will go through. Annie and her mother had a complicated relationship and it would appear they did not know each other particularly well. This gives way to something fairly common with family bereavements: the uncovering of secrets. Hereditary works in a sort of suspenseful mystery sense in that you are witnessing Annie slowly uncovering the truth about her family.

The secrets unveil fairly slowly but very deliberately. Nothing is rushed and there is no eagerness to get to the meat of the story. Luckily we are treated to a number of shocking situations and some unexpected scenes that keep the movie flowing fairly well. Horror fans are a notoriously antsy bunch but Aster recognises that. There are enough disturbing events occurring to keep horror fans interested, for the most part.

“One scene in particular stands out as among the most shocking in modern horror history. It is a genuinely gruesome moment that is set up perfectly to shock the viewer.”

One scene in particular stands out as among the most shocking in modern horror history. It is a genuinely gruesome moment that is set up perfectly to shock the viewer. People talk about it all the time and you have probably already had it spoiled by the time you read this review. Indeed, it leads to some of the more unsettling moments in the film. Toni Collette’s tour-de-force performance really comes to the forefront from here on out and the movie takes a turn for the shocking.

An intense ending

For a movie that crawls along at a snail’s pace, the ending explodes pretty much out of nowhere. The familial drama is replaced with a full blown horror movie complete with some horribly graphic violence and a stark commitment to scaring the viewer. There’s so many different facets of genre stuff shoved into this final 20-30 minute stanza it’s actually quite surprising. We have visual nightmare fuel, occult, a little bit of torture porn, and some Satanic Panic stuff that could have been ripped right from the 1970s. It genuinely succeeds on all fronts but it’s also where the movie is most divisive.

It is such a stark tonal shift that it leaves you legitimately shocked at what you just witnessed. Sure, we have hints that it will go this way. You never see it coming at the halfway mark of the film, though. The viewer is left to clean up the mental mess left in their skulls.

It would be remiss of me to not point out that the ending may not be for everyone. The whiplash is real after the slow paced familial drama that comes before it. Some people hate it but it is a daring decision that pays off big time. Particularly for fans of retro horror movies.

An interesting set design

I have to talk about the set design here and the camera work used to frame it. The set for the house was built on a sound stag. This enable the movie to be filmed occasionally from a side on perspective. It’s utterly unique and lends the movie a visual style that is distinctly Ari Aster. The house is frequently viewed as a cross section framing it as not just a home but a place where people each experience their own individual nightmares.

“You should definitely watch Hereditary. It is a modern horror classic and one of the most critically acclaimed movies in years. Aster does tons right, from the acting to the intense ending.”

This plays into the story as Annie is a miniature artist who makes tiny replica houses. It’s as if you are looking at the characters inside of a miniature house. It’s extremely clever and genuinely inspired.

The technique isn’t overused, either. It is worth keeping your eyes peeled throughout Hereditary. There is a lot of background stuff going on that can really enrich the plot. People appear hidden in the scenery, sigils are scattered throughout the environments, and there are hints as to what is going on in many of the scenes. I am a big fan of stuff like this and it lends itself well to repeated viewings.

Fantastic acting

The cast of Hereditary is fantastic throughout. I know people have given special mention to Toni Collette as Annie. While I do agree that her performance is great. I think the people claiming she was snubbed for an Oscar are, perhaps, stretching things a little, though. It’s a great performance as far as horror movie standards go but it is also somewhat lacking in character nuance. Collette turns everything up to 10 which can get a little tiring after awhile.

I actually think Alex Wolff as Peter deserves special mention. His performance, for me, stood out above the others, even Collette. He reflects a huge range of emotions incredibly well and is at his best when conveying the trauma Peter goes through. There are a few scenes, in particular, that really stand out for how distraught he looks. Side characters are all great. I really enjoyed seeing Ann Dowd as Joan. I think she is a hugely underrated actor and she is brilliant here. It’s cool to see Gabriel Byrne as well.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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