Movie Review: "Hereditary"

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!