The horror genre has been going through an interesting phase
of late, with a good mix of movies – some of which are classical and do a good
thing well, and there are others which try new things and extend the definition
of the genre. “Hereditary”, by first time director Ari Aster, is a bit of both.
The movie pays homage to classic horror movies, while at the same time
subverting audience expectations and delivering a disturbing, slow burn movie
that unravels in a way unlike most horror movies.
The movie is, for me, one of the best of 2018; but may well
be one of the most polarising movies of the year. “Hereditary” is something
extremely different, with it being both a psychological thriller/horror as well
as dealing with classic fear elements. There are a lot of viewers who have
expressed their dislike for the movie (I feel it may be because it does not
line up to classic horror tropes, but this is such a disturbing and creepy film
that I find it hard to believe that it did not leave everyone unsettled). But
no matter what your opinion is on the final product, I think it is an
undisputed fact that Toni Collette has delivered an absolutely phenomenal
performance, one that should definitely find a place in the list of the
greatest performances of all time.
“Hereditary” starts with the funeral of Ellen, the matriarch
of the Graham family, and introduces us to the members of the family – her
daughter Annie (Toni Collette), son-in-law Steve (Gabriel Byrne), and their
children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro), their daughter who has
allergies and some mental issues. As the story progresses, disturbing
occurrences haunt the dysfunctional family, challenging their sanity and even
their lives. To give away anything more would be criminal, and I’ve already
rewritten part of this review to avoid spoilers, so I’ll stop here on the plot.
There is a lot to appreciate here. Technically, the movie is
great – with the lighting (especially the lighting) and sound design adding to
the sense of dread throughout the movie. The camerawork is perfect too. And Ari
Aster masterfully uses the great technical team to create a great finished
product. The script is great, though that is a divisive statement. There are a lot of
layers, and the progression on the movie had me hooked. At the end of it all, there
is a lot of tiny details that come together and I would definitely love to have
a repeat viewing and a lot of people to discuss the movie with. Of course, I
won’t be visiting the theatre for a repeat viewing (more on that in a bit).
The acting is perfect as well. Ann Dowd, Alex Wolff, Milly
Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne – all of them are great and complement the story
telling. But it is Toni Collette’s incredible turn, a performance that just
towers above anything else, that is the highlight of this movie. I really hope
she gets the accolades she deserves for her performance.
I would definitely recommend the movie to those who
appreciate horror movies – it will definitely not be what you expected, and
that can either excite you or disappoint you. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
P.S.: Let me caveat that. I enjoyed the movie, but my
experience was marred by a deep sense of frustration. Not on the movie, but on
the Central Board of Film Certification – there are cuts in this movie, which
is so irritating! Especially in scenes which build up for a while, the moment
of payoff ends up being cut in the movie. I sincerely believe that the movie
watching experience is much more pronounced in a cinema hall, all the more for
horror movies. So, it is truly frustrating that despite being given an ‘A’
certificate, the censors have to get their grubby hands all over the movie and
start chopping away to glory. And in this movie, it is a great shame, because
the movie doesn’t resort to cheap jump scares – the entire investment in
tension building gets ruined by a simple cut. I have already ranted on this
before, but the censorship really took away from my movie going experience. It
is a real disappointment that our censors are not able to understand the art of
cinema. Unfortunately, risk taking cinema usually gets the sharp end of the
scissors, so movie lovers have to suffer. Shame!
