Hereditary

Rando 6/23/2021 3:58:53 PM 8.4

I've been meaning to watch this movie for a while now and made the mistake of watching this 12 at night while I was alone (Don't do that!) Usually horror movies don't effect me and if they do its usually while the movie is playing. But this movie has stayed with me for days now. I can't get it out of my head. This is not a movie for someone who wants jump scares, slasher death/screams or a movie that plays in the background. You have to actually pay attention or you will be completely confused at the end. There are subtle hints throughout the movie to show you where the movie is headed but there are still surprises throughout. The acting is very good. I have to say though I love Toni Collette and that was one of the main reasons I watched it. ***Spoilers Start*** Toni Collette and Alex Wolff do an amazing job carrying this movie. After Charlie's death, the look on Alex's face conveys so much that words are not necessary to understand that shock he is under. There is no overacting or crying or screaming just shock and utter disbelief.***Spoilers End*** Everyone in the family does an amazing job in their roles. Charlie is just so creepy throughout the movie. You empathize with all of them and understand their frustrations even while knowing some of their decisions are just plain wrong. Though there are no conventional jump scares the atmosphere of the movie has you on edge the whole time. There is a building of tension between the family from all things unsaid about their past/current trauma and the grief that they are currently going through that comes to a head. Watching this family completely come undone is emotionally heavy but also has terrifying consequences. Definitely a must watch if you like horror. But not for people who want to be scared in the moment with killings and jump scares.

MaxTyrone 6/23/2021 3:58:11 PM 8.4

While psychological horror movies seem to be a thing of the past, with movies of this nature cropping up once every little while, _Hereditary_ creeps along with the force of looming evil. This isn't an average Halloween, popcorn-at-the-theatre moviegoing experience. Instead, what we are presented with is palpable heaviness for the better half of two hours while tensions rise in a dwindling household and with some burgeoning Satanic undertones encapsulated in some of the darkest, most isolating atmosphere that contends with the likes of _The Witch_ and _Rosemary's Baby_. Toni Collette plays Annie Graham, mother of two children - eldest son in high school, the youngest a girl possibly at the tail-end of middle school. With the recent death of her mother, Annie attempts again and again to reconcile with the misfortunes - to put it lightly - that befalls her family. Annie's psychological state dances between the forefront of the film, while the backdrop of lingering family turmoil boils to the top. This is an unrelenting experiment in acceptance, both placed on the key figures in the film, as well as those watching. When watching, keep in mind the word "control" and discern whether Annie had any at all. This isn't a movie for anybody - I'd go far as to say that this movie isn't for the average moviegoer. There are certain plot points that don't make sense. But if you go into this knowing what the director was trying to do, which, in my opinion, was to make the viewer feel completely uncomfortable while paying homage to some great horror movies, then it will be a rewarding watch.

r96sk 10/30/2023 1:25:28 AM 8.4

<em>'Hereditary'</em> is strong horror fare! I did find the opening half of the film the strongest, in the second half I lost interest ever so slightly and the ending underwhelms a tiny bit. It does, however, do impressive work in creating an unsettling environment to tell its story - there are one or two moments that did surprise me, a lot. Toni Collette gives a brilliant performance, one that I couldn't possible pick any holes in - top stuff! Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro are worthy of praise as well. They all manage to add so much life and believability to the plot, even towards its more fantastical conclusion.