Movie Review: “Hereditary” is one of the best horror films of the last decade!

Movie Review: “Hereditary” (R)

Believe the hype, because “Hereditary” is the real deal! This is a terrifying exercise in tone, and it gets under your skin in a big way. In fact, while attending the Sundance Film Festival back in January, a few of us were so impressed by it that we opted to see it a second time.

Adding to the overall effectiveness of this feature-length debut from director Ari Aster is the deliberate pacing and very idea that this isn’t just a surface-level horror show. No cats jumping on the windowsill here. No, this is the kind of unsettling horror that’s bursting at the seams with an ominous sense of dread, but “Hereditary” is also very much a character-driven piece.

As “Hereditary” opens, distraught Annie Graham (Toni Collette) is in the midst of dealing with the death of her mother, Ellen. During the funeral, it becomes clear that Annie’s life growing up was anything but peachy, but an apologetic letter left behind by the family matriarch suggests that all will be fine moving forward, and despite a rough life, this woman takes comfort in that.

Following the funeral, Annie attempts to move on with her life alongside husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) and their two children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). Unfortunately, though, a horrific incident plunges the Graham family into complete and utter chaos, and what begins as an examination into family dysfunction, grief, guilt, and possible mental illness takes a detour into what could be best described as potentially sinister in nature.

Some of us have branches on our family trees that are best left not being talked about, and “Hereditary” deals with such a branch. Without delving too far into spoiler territory, let’s just say that this particular limb is part of one fucked-up family tree. The question remains, though: Can Annie break the cycle that has virtually affected her for her entire life?

Horror films aren’t often recognized on the mainstream awards circuit, but Toni Collette deserves any recognition that’s coming her way for her work in “Hereditary.” She’s positively fantastic in this picture! I’ve been a fan since “Muriel’s Wedding,” and this movie is about as far removed from that one as you can get. Annie is an extremely complicated character. She’s vulnerable and human to be sure, but there’s another part of her that suggests she might be one fry short of a Happy Meal. Collette plays all of these sides to grand dramatic effect in a performance that is easily one of the strongest of her career.

Alex Wolff (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”) hits all the right notes as Peter, a resentful teenager struggling to communicate with his lost soul of a mother. This young actor brings a lot of emotion to the table and pulls off some very effective moments throughout. Milly Shapiro is given the daunting task of portraying the overtly odd youngster here, and she does so beautifully. Her clucking goes without saying, but she’s also involved in one sequence in particular that you’re not likely forget. Rounding out a stellar cast is veteran Gabriel Byrne. “The Usual Suspects” star is fittingly understated in the role of a loving father and husband who is becoming increasingly tired of enabling his wife’s seemingly erratic behavior.

“Hereditary” is an expertly crafted film, and it benefits from a moody, atmospheric vibe that might remind some viewers of Robert Eggers‘ “The Witch.” The subtext and the attention to character detail also bring to mind Jennifer Kent‘s “The Babadook.” Of course, there’s another classic movie that appears to be an inspiration here, but to name-drop that one would give too much away, so I’ll refrain from doing so.

All you really need to know is that with “Hereditary,” Aster has fashioned a truly scary and unnerving cinematic experience. But it’s one that is as dramatic, upsetting, and tragic as it is creepy, exhilarating, and downright terrifying. It’s astonishing that this is Aster’s feature-length directorial debut, because he handles the bulk of the proceedings like a seasoned pro. Aster never loses sight of the characters in the piece, but when it’s time for the spook-alley theatrics to let loose, he delivers in a big way. Seriously, there are a handful of creep-out moments in this picture that are absolute all-timers. What’s more, “Hereditary” is beautifully shot, and the masterful sound design goes a long way to drive home the tone of the film.

It’s safe to say that distributor A24 has a hit on its hands with “Hereditary.” Again, this movie delivers the scares: it’s emotionally raw, and it’s extremely well-acted. But in a couple of very rare instances, it’s punctuated by unexpected but much welcome bursts of humor, too. It should also be noted that the finale in this picture is sure to be a major topic of discussion. It’s certainly left of center and bordering on bonkers, but it totally works in the context of the film.

“Hereditary” is one of those movies that you simply can’t wait to talk about in the lobby after it’s over, and it’s certainly a film that is best experienced with the largest crowd possible. Just be sure you don’t let the branch hit you on the way out.

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