Fine direction, good acting and yet...

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 2018)

Ari Aster, who debuts as director, has done a very fine job of keeping the spectator riveted without using conventional music or scary sound effects. In fact, the scariest moment in the movie comes from young daughter's swallowing in her saliva. Toward the end, one hears what appears to be a yoga mantra, and never has any mantra sounded more terrifying.
The claustrophobic atmosphere is appropriate and well exploited but the moment Joanie comes in with her supernatural contacts, the film begins to go over the top. There is far too much gore in a film that actually tries to be subtle most of the time. And Peter's coronation as Paimon in the end struck me as a damp squib, after all the shenanigans and cruel killings.
Finally, Gabriel Byrne is simply wasted as Steve, a husband who apparently just misses the plot altogether and has no authority at all within the family. What about sleepwalker Collette and all her miniature furniture and people? Couldn't see the point of it.
Admittedly, this is not my type of movie, but I cannot honestly give it more than 6/10