Hereditary

HEREDITARY

Director : Ari Aster

Year : 2018

Genre : Psychological Horror

Rating : ***

With films as diverse as 'Under The Skin', 'Tusk', 'Ex Machina', 'Green Room' and even Academy Award winners like 'Room', 'The Disaster Artist' and 'Moonlight' already under their belt, the American-based independent production company A24 has, over a relatively short space of time, developed a critical reputation that rivals (and in some cases exceeds) those of the biggest production studios in the world - with many directors, actors and actresses going on to win big at some of the industries most prestigious award ceremonies. 

However, while many of these films score well with critics, a number of them fail to succeed where it matters most - the box office. Movies such as 'The VVitch' and 'It Comes At Night' have now become synonymous with the undeniable schism between audiences and critics and it is a schism that is only going to be widened by Ari Aster's eagerly anticipated debut 'Hereditary'. Starring Toni Collette, Alex Woolf, Gabriel Bryne and Milly Shapiro, 'Hereditary' has been named by many of the reviewers of the world as one of the scariest movies ever made, with comparisons to 'The Shining' 'Psycho' and most notably 'The Exorcist' being thrown around like hyperbolic confetti. Unfortunately, the truth is that while it looks wonderful and boasts one of the best performances seen in the horror genre for years, 'Hereditary' is a surprisingly tepid affair that promises so much but ultimately delivers so little.

Collette dazzles as Annie, a deeply suppressed artist whose world is rocked by the sudden death of her estranged mother. Unable to emotionally connect with her grief, Annie shuts herself away from her dysfunctional family, instead dedicating her time to the miniature models which eerily resemble the many rooms and corridors of her beautiful yet undeniably unnerving home  - much to the chagrin of husband Steve (Gabriel Bryne) who is left to deal with their two disconnected children Charlie and Peter (Milly Shapiro and Alex Woolf  respectively). However when unspeakable tragedy once again strikes the family, Annie becomes the host to a whole new set of horrors as the fragile boundaries between life and death and even sanity and insanity begin to shatter.

Having already produced the two highly acclaimed shorts 'Munchausen' and 'The Strange Thing About The Johnsons', director Aster is no stranger behind the camera and his technical prowess is evident throughout the overlong running time of 'Hereditary'. With consistently inventive camera work and with the aid of impressive cinematography courtesy of Pawel Pogorzelski, Aster proves himself to be a filmmaker of terrific restraint and subtlety, emphasising the unknown and unsaid without resorting to the usual bang-boo! scare tactics of lesser horror films - well at least for the first two thirds of the film, with one shot that easily ranks as one of the most disturbing and deeply upsetting I have ever seen in the cinema.

The production design by Grace Yun is also incredibly impressive, with each palacial room of the focal house being as intricately and immaculately designed as the tiny dolls-house-like miniatures Annie spends hours obsessing over and which have their own creeping sense of claustrophobic unease. It is a shame then that as the film goes on and story shows it's hand, the perfectly crafted subtlety and implied terror is substituted for sub-standard supernatural antics and CG-heavy ridiculousness. Incidentally, while the trailers and posters proudly yet erroneously boast that the film is "this generations 'The Exorcist''', 'Hereditary', with its numerous shots of crawling insects, bears more of a visual resemblance to John Boorman's dreadful horror sequel 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' than it does to William Friedkin's seminal 1973 masterpiece.

Much has already been written about Toni  Collette's work here and it is indeed true that she delivers the best horror performance since 'The Babadook's Essie Davis, a film whose heartbreaking narrative of loss and parental rage is a clear influence. It is a performance of splendid psychopathy  that only gets better the more deranged and delusional the character becomes - a standout scene set at the family dinner table is a particularly unhinged highlight. The rest of the cast are great too with Gabriel Byrne, Alex Woolf and rising star Milly Shapiro delivering fine performances, particularly the latter who is sympathetic yet undeniably creepy as the troubled daughter Charlie. However, 'Hereditary' is without a doubt Toni Collette's film and she shines every second she is on screen. I just hope the Academy doesn't treat her the same way they treated the aforementioned Davis when it comes to the Oscar nominations next year.

While it is very easy to admire a film as ambitious and as beautifully crafted as 'Hereditary', it's not so easy to like. Despite it's promises of being one of the scariest movies in years, there's little to truly frighten horror veterans, especially those who are well versed in the now well-trod conventions and tropes of the genre. What begins as a genuinely creepy and highly effective study about loss and grief soon devolves into psycho-kinetic daftness and over the top histrionics, complete with one of the most unintentionally funny endings in recent horror cinema. In terms of direction and it's performances, 'Hereditary' is first rate. The story and the execution on the other hand fall disappointingly short.