The final scenes in “Hereditary” may be the worst ending to any movie I have ever watched, and its a shame. It’s as though filmmaker Ari Aster went out of his way to ruin an otherwise solid scary story.
The film blends elements of “The Shining” (a movie I loved), with “Rosemary’s Baby” (a movie I hated) in a unique sort of style but the infusion of overly graphic and stomach turning images diminishes the great acting of stage veteran Toni Collette and newcomer Alex Wolff.
“Hereditary” was released in the beginning of 2018 and quickly gained notoriety as a must see horror movie. The indie film marks the feature directorial debut from Aster, and going forward, I think he has what it takes to create some gems in the horror genre.
The movie opens with the obituary column of Ellen Taper Leigh, and through that we are introduced to her family; daughter Annie Graham (Collette), and grandchildren Peter (Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro).
Right away, you’ll be impressed with the performance of Toni Collette as the Graham family matriarch. Annie holds a bitter resentment towards her mother, which is revealed throughout the story but won’t be hinted at here. The strained relationship is evidenced by a phenomenal scene where the character is at a support group, and her less than flattering eulogy at the films onset.
Collette was nominated for an Academy Award after her performance in “The Sixth Sense” and has since been in plenty of movies including “Krampus” and the coming of age great “The Way Way Back.” Her performance in “Hereditary” is a show-stealer as we get the true feelings of love and devotion Annie Graham has for her family amidst the unspeakable tragedies that are about to occur. We can appreciate the tight bond of her children and husband (Gabriel Byrne) as they slowly unravel amidst the supernatural element of ghosts and hauntings.
Milly Shapiro has garnered a strong deal of acclaim for her role as Charlie, and rightfully so. She demonstrates an uncanny demeanor playing a very unusual kid – with a certain unique look that only adds to the character. Charlie is a freak by all common standards; hiding beneath overly large hoodies like a turtle in its shell and sketching cryptic drawings in her notebook. She chooses to sleep on the cold floor of the attic rather than the warmth of her bed, and an early scene involving a dead bird makes her quite memorable indeed.
I felt that the true star of the movie was Alex Wolff as grandson Peter. He’s just a typical stoner teenager at first, nervous about a cute girl in his class and seemingly ancillary in the scope of the story. But as the movie progresses, we quickly discover that he is an integral part of the entire plot. Wolff is involved in most of the best scenes in the film, and has a certain look that delivers in all the right ways during the scary parts. The most notorious being the car scene, where its a minute of near silence that Wolff owns like a pro. His eyes and demeanor make for one of the most gripping and suspenseful moments you’ll ever find in a movie.
I appreciate the artsy way Ari Aster tells the story. He includes symbolism, colors, and foreshadowing of the impending doom in a perfectly pretentious and airish kind of way. I believe great horror leaves the viewer in suspense of what has happened or may happen – allowing one’s mind to scare them more than their eyes. Too often in “Hereditary” the thought of fear is replaced by actually showing something that not only dampens the terror but leaves you sick to your stomach (watch and you’ll understand)
The movie opens with a great dreamlike suspense, before ultimately coming down to a standard ghost/haunting type tale. By the end, its completely off the rails with the cult/demonic element. Gone are the great acting performances and the chilling way the film opens. Gone are the original elements that make something scary.
The trailer for “Hereditary” makes it look much better than the finished product but its overall scope fails to live up to what it could have been. I do believe that Ari Aster has what it takes to make great horror. This was his feature film debut, and I definitely want to see more from him in the future.
by – Matt DeCristo
