Poorly acted and directed ego trip without sense and substance

Rating: 1/10 (28 July 2018)

In fact, most bad movies still deserve a couple of stars - for sound, cinematography or for one good actor. The reason why I am giving Hereditary only one star (and would give zero if I could) is that it is not just a simple bad movie; it is a pretentious bad movie, taking itself deadly serious and pretending to be ART - without being it. This claim is what makes me so furious. Be bad, be unprofessional, be unintentionally comical - but do not pretend you are something that you are not!!
Hereditary is bad, because it can never decide whether it wants to be drama or horror - and does not succeed in both. The horror is not gruesome, and the drama does not work because you feel no compassion for the characters and have no interest in them. How could you, if they are shown as unsympathetic - not to say, repelling - from the very beginning on?? This repulsive quality seems really hereditary! The neglected mother looks like a long-time alcoholic, the daughter has disturbing looks and behavior (a very well-acted part, but evoking no sympathy at all), and the son is so miscast and badly acted it is just impossible to care about him. The only figure that deserves some sympathy is the poor father of this deranged family (why for God's sake did he marry this woman?..).
The plot is messed up and confusing. More than that, the film gets unintentionally funny where it tries its hardest to be dramatic, and the poor acting makes it even funnier. I never saw Toni Collette before but the job she is doing here is dismal. Her performance is one-key, without any nuances. Where is this whole gamut of emotions other reviewers are speaking of?? Look at her eyes (there is ample chance to do so, due to the many close-ups). The eyes of any good cinema actor are his or her key instrument to convey emotion. Her eyes are empty, without any expression. Her only way to portray emotion is getting hysterical - and not even then is she compelling. I do not know whether she is a bad actress; the fault is anyway the director's. I am usually very prepared to sharing the emotions on screen, especially regarding loss and sorrow. But this time, my friend and me had to laugh when she tried to play a nervous breakdown - this says a lot...
Do I have to mention that this film makes a game out of constantly referring to the great classic horror films, especially Shining and Rosemary's Baby, without ever coming close to their quality? We are art, because we play with art! No. You are not.
If you want to see this movie, wait until it is on TV or Netflix or something. Do not go to the cinema. Do not waste your money. And, much more important: do not support this wanna-be ego trip with your money.