Ari Aster delivers an insidious and seminal work of horror
The 2018 edition of the SXSW Conference and Festivals is here, and the Cinapse team is on the ground, covering all things film.
For complete coverage, please visit cinapse.co/sxsw.
Much has been made of the potency of Hereditary, the new horror film from A24. After a trailer left viewers unquestionably shook, there came a screening at Sundance where comparisons were made to genre benchmark The Exorcist. Now after it graced SXSW I can say believe the hype. Ari Aster’s debut is a reminder of how insidious and affecting horror can be, and how there are plenty of new ways to induce terror in an audience.
The matriarch of the Graham family has passed. A stern, cold figure, suffering from dementia in her final years, her death evokes different feelings within the family members she leaves behind, while stirring up traumatic incidents from the past. Her daughter Annie (Toni Collette) grieves while also reexamining her own relationship with her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) and more notably her two children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and young daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro). It’s this youngest member of the clan that reacts most strongly to the bereavement, having formed a close bond with her grandmother, one which Annie came to view as toxic. Not long after the funeral, Annie catches a glimpse of her deceased mother in the dark corner of her studio, the beginning of a strange series of events that lead her to delve into memories and emotions long suppressed. A terrible incident only serves to compound the grief festering at the core of this family ,and while enveloped by it forces unbeknownst to them pull their strings, moving them towards a chilling resolution.
The first thing that strikes you about Hereditary, aside from the fact that you need to change your underwear, is how impeccably well crafted it is. From an enthralling opening sequence, moving into a miniature house (one of Annie’s artistic installations) that becomes the real home of the Grahams, you grasp the aesthetic, atmosphere, and movement that helps build Hereditary into something so memorable. A slowly built up mood immerses you in this family and their tragic circumstance. Aster’s camerawork weaving through this house brings to mind Kubrick, eventually turning a family home into a labyrinthine nightmare. Cinematography from Pawel Pogorzelski twists the picturesque backdrop of Utah into something truly ominous. A discordant score from Colin Stetson and throbbing sound design heighten tension, while a sound effect used in the film will undoubtedly go down in horror movie lore. Hereditary is a film where a smile and a wave from a stranger is as chilling as the visage of a ghost in the corner. Where every moment adds to the creeping horror, and while you brace yourself for what is to come, there is little to prepare you for the film’s final act.
This unnerving success comes from how Hereditary remains a horror film even when stripped of its supernatural elements. It’s a disconcerting examination of how a family unit processes death and grief, how a return to normalcy seems an affront to those lost souls we are still grieving, as well as the secrets, fears, and truths that often remain unspoken within a family. Issues are passed on through bloodlines. A daughter’s soured relationship with her mother manifests in the next generation, tainting that bond with her own offspring. Things fester and are compounded by both time and further tragedy. This immersion in such a personal narrative and intense raw grief is what gives Hereditary its edge.
Toni Collette is a mesmerizing tour de force here, bringing to mind the tortured performance of Essie Davis in The Babadook. It’s a performance that in any other genre would garner awards talk. Byrne provides a sturdy constant to the film, although his underwritten role is perhaps the most glaring weak spot. Wolff takes what could be a one note brooding teen and imbues him with true sympathy, while Milly Shapiro, in her feature debut, is an incredible presence. Special mention must go to Ann Dowd though, who continues her streak of adding fascinating characters to incredible projects. Her role as a seemingly kindred spirit to Annie ends up encapsulating the film’s tendency towards presenting an innocuous sheen masking something nefarious and terrifying. Each of these characters help to relate you to and immerse you within the film, and the tangible grief and horror that ultimately engulfs the Grahams.
Beyond its narrative, Hereditary feels such an apt title, born out of inspirations from horror landmarks such as Don’t Look Now, The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and even J-horror films such as Ju-On. Even if you remove the supernatural elements, what remains is equally terrifying. It’s a tragic look at a family, its secrets, long harbored resentments, and conflicts. Familiar disconcerting threads are woven into something remarkably fresh and affecting. Ari Aster has birthed an unforgettable debut feature, and a truly seminal piece of horror.
