Hereditary

Release Date: June 8, 2018
Runtime: 127 minutes
Rating: R
Studio: A24
Director: Ari Aster
Cast: Toni Collette; Gabriel Byrne; Alex Wolff; Milly Shapiro; Ann Dowd

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS (ONLY IF YOU KNOW THE MOVIES I REFER TO) BELOW**

This one takes a little while to get going, but once it does, Hereditary proves itself to be an effective creeper for the discriminating and more progressive moviegoer.

Hereditary isn’t what you would really label a “horror” movie in the sense that, say Halloween or even The Strangers are horror movies, although there are certainly elements in Hereditary that one would consider horrific (demonic children, decapitations, you get the idea). The film is more along the lines of the thinking-persons horror movie, akin to Dario Argento’s classic, Suspiria (a remake of which is heading to theaters this fall) or Robin Hardy’s, The Wicker Man.

Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne (always nice to see him on the big screen) live a nice, but secluded suburban life in a magnificent house in the woods with their two kids: stoner son, Peter (Alex Wolff), and tween daughter, Charlie (Milly Shapiro). Not sure what Byrne’s character does for a living (something corporate, I guess, since he’s seen in an office setting), but Collette is an artist who specializes in creating miniatures (doll houses and such), which are invariably ten times more sinister in horror movies. Charlie, for her part, isn’t normal: she has an affection for decapitation and exercises such affection on animals. So, immediately you’re thinking, “This is how serial killers get started.”

Without going into much more detail so as not to spoil the direction the movie takes, let’s just say that there’s a tragedy that sets the thick of the plot in motion.

This sort of movie will only work if it is played with dead seriousness by the performers, which, thankfully, it is. Let it be said that no one does unhinged like Toni Collette and she lets loose here. The versatile actress possesses an extraordinary actor-ly ability to utilize her face as a tool with which to register emotion. Collette has always been a fascinating actress to watch (Showtime’s The United States of Tara is a tour-de-force of acting bravura that must be witnessed) and she is a pleasure to behold in Hereditary as she switches from love to pain to pathos – sometimes within the same scene! Gabriel Byrne has the potentially thankless task of playing straight man to Collette’s more showy role: he’s the one with whom the audience is presumably supposed to identify. Although, first time writer-director Ari Aster (making an extremely assured debut – he’s definitely one to watch) provides Byrne with some nice moments of his own as he slowly comes to realize that his wife is moving ever so gingerly towards the edge of sanity. Alex Wolff is convincing as Collette and Byrne’s high school-aged son who is, as teenagers tend to be, in constant conflict with Mom and Dad. However, I must say, this kid needs to take crying lessons – his whimpering is insufferable!! Little Milly Shapiro is effectively spooky as Charlie and has some chilling moments. Ann Dowd, the spectacular character actress finally getting her moment in the spotlight thanks to her recent Emmy win for her terrifying Aunt Lydia in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, shows up in a pivotal supporting role and her presence is welcome in anything as far as I’m concerned.

Hereditary is the kind of film that movie buffs will enjoy. It’s all craftsmanship, and you can tell that Mr. Aster learned a tremendous amount from his time at AFI. His film’s sense of dread is evident from the git-go and everything from the low drone of the score to the deliberate camera movements to the mise-en-scène is in support of the unsettling tonality Aster wants to convey. A wonderful shot late in the film – you’ll know which one I’m talking about – perfectly encapsulates the overwrought mood Aster creates without falling into self-conscious grandstanding. Special mention must be given here to cinematographer, Pawel Pogorzelski, and composer, Colin Stetson, both of whom do exemplary work.

A horror film that runs close to two hours, never mind over two hours (Hereditary clocks in at two hours and seven minutes) has to earn that length. With an ace cast giving nuanced performances and a tight script that leaves no thread unspooled, Hereditary easily earns its place as the valedictorian of modern day creep-outs.