Ari Aster pens a fresh modern horror with his first movie and Toni Collette is terrifyingly good

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2019)

Hereditary doesn't have many negatives at all. It is a refreshingly good horror in a genre that relies on too may of the same old jump-scares and basic plot devices.
Written and Directed by Ari Aster, his first movie, Hereditary is a fantastic opener for the American. One of the main takeaways for a horror is to leave the viewer talking about and remembering the scares. Hereditary certainly achieves that. The plot feels different, certainly in how it builds and some of the scenes are certainly memorable. I am looking forward to Aster's second movie Midsommar later this year featuring the excellent Will Poulter.
Speaking of the cast, Toni Collette is simply outstanding in this movie. So much so, that she is in for Oscar contention. Her expressions in many scenes are simply terrifying on their own. The great thing about this movie is that this performance doesn't even need to carry the movie, the supporting cast is also good. Alex Wolff as the son, is also outstanding and he is involved in all of the major and scary scenes in the movie. Milly Shapiro plays a character that is particularly well written and she pulls off the creepy sibling with ease. Gabriel Byrne who plays the most sane character in the movie also is his typically solid self.
I need to mention the cinematography also, some of the scenes are really well shot. The house in particular, which reminded me of some of the hotel rooms and lobby in The Shining, was a very good choice. The open plan living area just added to the tension in one major scene with Collette, Byrne and the fire.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable watch for any horror fan and Ari Aster is definitely one to watch as a writer and director in this genre. 8/10