Good set up, slightly silly denouement

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2020)

Hereditary demonstrates considerable skill in how it sets up an unsettling tale about a family enduring a devastating loss and what dark forces may be behind this. The family members are presented as idiosyncratic, representing different perspectives, but all of whom are sympathetic in their own ways and not yielding to simple stereotypes. The difficulties behind the events in their lives unfold slowly and eerily, director Ari Aster pacing the film expertly. As a result, we have a film that has a very strong and convincing first two thirds but alas loses its way in the final third when everything suddenly becomes somewhat generic and echoing the melodramatic moments of horror cinema's greatest hits.