The latest film that I watched that made me stare horrified at the screen of my TV was Hereditary, the debut film of Ari Aster, who was both writer and director. Aster had a low budget of only $10 million and managed to even get to the $80 million, getting a lot of recognition for this film that was very artsy and bold with its scenes.
The film is about Annie Graham, a woman with a husband and two teenage children, who are preparing for the funeral of her dead mother, an old woman that seemed to be loved in her community but who Annie remembers as mentally ill.
The Graham family mourns, feeling distressed, and having different methods of grieving. As the story unfolds we learn that she took many secrets to the grave and we wonder about the supernatural events that little by little destroy this family and how they are linked to this old lady's death.
Hereditary is carried by the amazing performances of Toni Collette as Annie Graham, Alex Wolff as Peter Graham, and Milly Shapiro as Charlie Graham. The drama and execution of the horror were brilliant thanks to this amazing cast.
I would like to put emphasis on Toni Collette who in my opinion gives an oscar worthy performance, managing to make me uncomfortable, distressed, and even scared throughout the whole film, she is able to craft a character that makes us wonder whether she is insane or if perhaps these supernatural events are actually real. She is amazing at portraying grief, dread and rage, Collette's cries are something to behold, I was shocked by them.
I was also impressed by Alex Wolff, who I'd never seen before but who in my eyes also carried a large portion of the film as a deeply distressed character that goes through hell, trying to stop this force that seems supernatural. I applaud how he made me feel the mental decline of his character, it was amazing.
And lastly, I want to applaud Milly Shapiro because she manages to make us uncomfortable by this unsettling character with such little dialogue.
Hereditary is a psychological horror film and it mostly touches on family dynamics, trauma, and the mental deterioration of the family after this big tragic event.
The scenes are amazing, everything looks fantastic and a lot of them are just images that are stuck on your mind. There is also something very beautiful in the shots, Aster just has a lot of care for his craft.
This film is not to keen on explaining exactly what is happening as one keeps wondering if it is all in the mind of the characters or if everything is actually real, you have to pay attention to the details as if you were making a puzzle until the final act hits you, and you are left shocked and in awe. Aster knows what to show and when, just in the perfect timing for it to make you as anxious as possible.
This film is a horror movie that cares about having a message and it doesn't rely on jump-scares but in te amazing script it has as well as the shocking imagery it offers in its most haunting scenes.
