A deep, twisted experience to dissect and go insane over

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2018)

Hereditary is a slow-burn descent into madness and hell all weaved around the structure of this dark family drama. It begins with the funeral of Anne Graham's estranged mother Ellen. And the word "estranged" is a light way to describe the relationship between Anne and Ellen. Due to mental illness being a common trait in Anne's family history, Anne continually felt her mother trying to control her life. It even led to the point where had Anne had to keep Ellen away from her first-born son Peter. Eventually Anne "gave" her second child and daughter, Charlie, to Ellen when she was living in her house before her death. Hereditary does have haunted houses and demonic possession elements but the draw of this masterpiece is seeing how this seemingly ordinary sane family discovers the horrifying reality they are in.
Ari Aster shows superb amount of craft for a horror story that could have been handled ok or mediocrely. Aster never lets the horror be something that is front and centre. He shows very little jump-scares and relies on very little explanation of the supernatural until the third act. While the horror is lurking off-screen which makes it even more effective, the attention is made towards the dysfunctional relationship within the Graham family. By exploring the idea of family-based mental illnesses, Aster makes us question if this family truly has control over their horrible choices or if they have inherited something that denies them choice at all. As the film goes deeper into the mentality of the Graham's, psychosis and supernatural blur to challenge what is real or not. When supernatural horror kicks in, you already start to feel your sanity slipping away.
If Hereditary deserves any recognition other then Ari Aster's skills as a talented filmmaker, it's Toni Collette's Oscar-deserving performance as Anne. Collette creates an emotionally complex character from her performance. Collette can go from showing complete denial to breaking down into complete despair after discovering something horrible. And then she will lash out with the fury of hell in a particular dinner scene that will not be forgotten. Once you see Anne's psyche break, Collette convinces you her turn from being a sceptic to suddenly believing in the supernatural thanks to the desperation she expresses on her face.
The build-up of the tension is helped by Pawel Pogorzelski's cinematography. The film now and then shows Anne making life-like miniature replicas of her house. Every room in her artwork matches to detail the real-life house. And thanks to the way Pogorzelski frames the camera, the negative space makes you feel like the characters are unknowingly living inside one of these miniatures. The camera's perspective makes feel like some higher power is watching their behaviour like someone looking at fish inside an aquarium.
Hereditary won't be for those expecting a quick scare for entertainment sake. Hereditary fits more in the mold of A24's other artistic horror films like The Witch and It Comes At Night. It's a deep psychological analysis of a family loosing their minds with otherworldly forces playing a part. Hereditary is very unique creepy experience that is worth dissecting once you have seen the film.