After its debut at the Sundance Film Festival this year, critics were falling all over themselves to declare Hereditary the scariest horror movie ever made.
This isn’t the first time this has happened, either — Hereditary‘s predecessor, 2016’s The Witch, also received that distinction after its premiere. That movie still ranks at 91 per cent for critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience rating is 57 per cent. The disparity between the two factions is huge and crystal clear, and it will most likely repeat with Hereditary this time around.
It’s not to say that Hereditary isn’t a good horror movie. It is creepy, it is haunting, and it manages to provide a jump here and there. But it is an artsy horror movie, not a mainstream one.
What do you mean?
There’s mainstream horror (Saw, The Conjuring, Insidious, etc.) and then there’s independent or arthouse horror (The Witch, Hereditary). The former is full of your typical horror tropes, like jump-scares, shallower characters and not much thought put into metaphor or the “greater” meaning. In the latter category, you’ll find a lot of cryptic storylines, artsy long shots and takes, and more creepiness rather than outright gore. In other words, the film provides a feeling and expects you to put the pieces together.
Most mainstream horror movies follow the traditional formula of “kills”; starting off with a large group, eventually, they’re killed off one by one by the evil murderer, in whatever form he or she takes. Hereditary does not follow any formula whatsoever and at some points, the plot can be hard to track.
What about the movie is scary, then?
Visually, the movie is a feast of unsettling, dark imagery. It’s creepy, and the protagonist family we’re following is anything but normal. Hereditary starts off with the family mourning their grandmother, who recently passed away. As the movie unfolds, we find out that ol’ granny had a lot of things going on that her relatives knew nothing about.
The music is effective, and is some of the scariest in recent cinematic history, and the majority of the movie’s deaths (there aren’t very many) are shocking and disgusting. But in between those visceral moments, there’s a lot of talking and a lot of staring. The horror momentum here is psychological, not physical.
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How is the main cast?
They’re all very good. From Toni Collette as mother Annie to Milly Shapiro as daughter Charlie, they’re entirely convincing as a messed-up-beyond-words family. Alex Wolff as son Peter is a standout, as is Ann Dowd (Handmaid’s Tale)’s creepy Joan — is there anything this woman can’t do?
Will I enjoy it?
It’s tough to predict. It depends on what kind of horror fan you are. Fans of arthouse horror (especially critics) will endlessly praise this movie, and it will be reflected in reviews you read. Whatever you do, don’t rely on the trailer; the feeling of Hereditary isn’t accurately depicted in it, and even the director himself (Ari Aster) said not to pay attention to it at a Toronto screening.
But those of you out there who have fond memories of Nightmare on Elm Street or modern horror gems like The Visit and Get Out may leave the theatre disappointed. Understand that movie marketers have a job, and that’s to get you to go. So by saying it’s the “scariest” movie ever made, it’s going to get bums in seats. They’re not responsible for what happens after the lights go down and the curtains go up.
So what’s the bottom line?
Horror fans, this is a precaution for those of you looking for your standard scare fare. Hereditary falls outside the lines, and is more of an experimental, arthouse movie, as are many that emerge from film festivals. Hereditary isn’t traditionally scary but features some grotesque imagery. Overall, it’s a haunting movie with some frightening moments, but it’s never going to beat classics like The Exorcist when it comes to making you sleep with the lights on.
‘Hereditary’ opens in theatres across Canada on June 8.
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