Highly Recommend

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2020)

Hereditary was Ari Aster's directorial debut in 2018, although this was not the first film of his I'd seen. This past summer I'd gone and watched Aster's recent Midsommar (2019) on a whim, with no idea as to what I was in for prior to viewing. In summary, I was blindsided but hooked. Coming into Hereditary I was prepared for a similar coaster ride of emotions and disgust as with Aster's film I'd seen before. Thankfully I was not disappointed. This film is packed with powerhouse performances by nearly every major player, primarily between Annie (Toni Collete) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro).
A brief spoiler free synopsis of the film. After the recent passing of Annie's mother, her grieving family which includes her loyal husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) and their oldest son Peter (Alex Wolff) and daughter Charlie. They attempt to process and cope with their loss, although their efforts are further tested through continual tragic losses. At its core, Hereditary is a multi character study, primarily between Annie and her son Peter. As a whole, the plot was not difficult to follow for the first and second act. All the events occur for a reason, the family members themselves are responsible for the misfortunes of the family, a fact which becomes harder to accept once the supernatural elements came into effect.
From a technical aspect Hereditary delivers such intentional works through the candid cinematography and subtle but effective lighting. Annie is an artist, whose work involves creating plastic miniatures of recent to far past events in her life in an attempt to cope with her otherwise volatile life events which consistently plague her. Several wide shots of the rooms reflect Annie's creations and at times they even lend in foreshadowing the events that followed. It was a creative reflection of the controlled plastic environment Annie would establish within her means to be mirrored with the uncontrollable nature of her life.
The bulk of my processing post viewing this film, was the excellently crafted symbolism, storytelling and character development carried from scene to scene. There was not a moment I could recall of ever being bored, or prohibiting the experience for any reason. I needed to see what the direction of the first act would deliver. On the basis of watching the trailer for Hereditary alone, you expect to be greeted with typical mainstream horror movie trends. Thankfully, this film takes a departure from such conventionality that's been released in recent years. The events Annie and her family endure are horrific in nature, but in a relatable sense when discussing the tasks of overcoming grief and self inflicted guilt.
I love a film that encourages a second viewing to further understand details not blatantly revealed through an initial viewing. There is so much to offer if given the time of day to analyze the scenes. The time given to understanding the true intent of the horror displayed, makes the payoff which kicks off the third act in a refreshingly satisfying experience. The ending delivers a tragic yet somehow relieving sendoff to this family we've been witnessing endure such suffering. Rather than portray death in the literal sense, their loss lies within a failure to depend and support each other as a family ideally should.
I highly recommend this excellent film to anyone looking for more bang in their buck when it comes to horror flicks. Though this is not for the faint of heart, and is anything but a feel-good film. It almost feels wrong to call this horror alone, as it leans more alongside a well crafted drama. I look forward to seeing Ari Aster's future films.