the kids aren't all right

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2018)

A movie that divides people in the way that this film does is typically a good sign but in this case the issue probably goes deeper than 'you'll either love or hate it'. This is a film you either will or won't invest in, and that will partly be about your expectations about what a horror film is; what a horror film should or shouldn't be. I suspect that many who dislike it will simply object to the emotional cost of entry: it isn't pleasant or fun for the most part, and while the film certainly has its forerunners neither is it clear what the rules are, or indeed what the genre is. That in itself is unsettling and no doubt intentional
Those who end invest will find themselves buying into what is an exquisite nightmare that gets worse by every turn. I was going to say it moves inexorably towards its conclusion. I'm not entirely sure whether it does. Once it arrives the end will either leave you gob-smacked or dissatisfied. It is only at that point perhaps that it is clear what the film is, and where it's comparisons are to be found. Quite a few on these boards have compared have compared this to the exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. Personally I think only the latter is an appropriate comparison, but while that film is a work of brilliance in many ways Hereditary goes further. There is none of the cosiness of the former film. No sense that evil might be fun, a club that might have exclusive benefits worth the price of admission. Yet oddly and disturbingly it is only at this conclusion, the apogee of the nightmare rather than its dissipation that there is anything like repose.
I'm not sure this is a film that everyone or even most people will enjoy, and for that reason it might be worth thinking about whether its your cup of tea before you buy the tickets. Much of it is unpleasant rather than scary and the subject matter is uncomfortable to say the least. The story involves the destruction of a family and there is nothing in that that will make you feel good, however it does create the conditions for the cast to do some wonderful acting. All of the cast are good but the standout performance is most definitely Toni Colette's. Her scene at the bereavement encounter group was just so good and effortlessly natural and I struggle to think of any other actress who could have pulled off her part so well. Personally I think Frances McDormand, in comparison is over-rated and Collette acts the latter under the table in this film. I really do hope she gets recognition for this role.
Did I like it? I'm not sure. Probably no, but I do think it was very good, and presents some fine innovation in terms of refreshing the horror genre. It is overlong, and slow for much of the first half of the film, but the momentum gets going in the second half