Someone understands how horror works....

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2018)

People had been saying that Hereditary is this generation's Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby. Big claims. I don't think I can agree that it's as good as either of those classics but it's probably one of the best horror films in recent years, and there have been some very strong contenders.
If I were to compare it to either of the horror classics mentioned above I'd say it more closely resembles Rosemary's Baby. It has the same sense of evil, the paranoia of conspirators moving behind the scenes to manipulate their target for infernal ends and the crushing claustrophobia of being isolated from any help or shelter that might save them from their ultimate fate.
But not only is it an effective horror but it's also a tragedy. These characters are doomed from the very start, the events that befall them are triggered by their own weaknesses. We watch a family falling to bits because of the grief and guilt associated with a terrible accident.
I purposely avoided spoilers before watching this film, it's best seen without preconceptions but, anyone who has read even a little bit on the occult will pick up on the direction it's going within the first 10 minutes! Even so, it very effectively builds a sense of dread and fear without a reliance on jump scares.
Well worth seeing.