Alright, I know the title is high praise, but hear me out. Hereditary, directed by Ari Aster, debuted in theaters in 2018. Since then, people are still talking about it and dissecting it. As someone who considers myself an avid horror movie watcher, I typically don’t scare easily. But this movie had me curled up in my seat and covered my eyes like a little kid. And honestly, even after watching it at least five times since then, it still manages to scare me every time. But enough about my fear. Let’s get into why it’s the best movie that’s been released in the past twenty years.
The 2010s was a pretty bleak time for horror as a genre. Scary movies tended to rely on gore and jump scares to scare their audience. That’s fine for a sleepover or a fun watch with a significant other, but there weren’t many deep horror films that you could really dive into or dissect. There were a few interesting ones that stood out, such as the Babadook, but they didn’t really hit like a truly terrifying film does.
Enter Hereditary.
The film itself has a pretty basic concept. A woman’s grandmother dies and the family is sent into a complete spiral because of it. However, underlying the entire movie is this extremely dark subplot of cultism and how the grandmother was a part of something much bigger than she appeared. As opposed to relying on cheap jump scares, the film uses disturbing scenes and tension to set the viewer on edge. For example, there’s a scene of the mother standing in her study. She turns around and turns off the light. As soon as the light is turned off, the grandmother can be seen standing in the corner. The mother jumps and turns the light on — and when she does, she’s gone. There was no jumpscare, no loud music. But just the image itself was enough to frighten.
Additionally, the film does something completely unexpected for any movie: it kills off one of the main characters halfway through. The daughter, Charlie, is accidentally beheaded by a lamppost as she’s going into anaphylactic shock. The script is extremely tight, mentioning nut allergies earlier in the film and even showing the cult symbol on the same lamppost scenes before Charlie meets her fate there. Not only is it a shock to the audience, but upon further viewing, it becomes apparent that it was actually the cult that set up the “accident.” It’s like watching two completely different movies: the first time watch makes it seem like a tragic accident to further the plot, the second watch makes it clear that it was part of the cult’s plan all along.
The last thing I want to praise Hereditary for is its climax. It has one of the most shocking and well-shot climaxes in a horror movie that I’ve ever seen. There is quite a bit of gore in it but the tension in the film leading up to it is what really sets it apart. It’s so refreshing when a plot has a perfect build and then everything comes together (or in this case, falls apart) at the end of the story.
Although Hereditary and cult-style films in general are not everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt that the film has made its mark on the horror community. It was unique, refreshing, and jarring all at once. So if you’re looking for a film that may not only keep you up at night but also scar you for life, I highly recommend the horror-classic Hereditary.
Spoiler Alert is an Opinion culture column used to give reviews for movies, television shows, or other related media.
Be First to Comment