Thursday, October 18, 2018

The Paranormal Drama: Hereditary (Be Reel Blog)

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          Ari Aster (screenplay writer) made his debut in film with his horror masterpiece Hereditary. The story follows a family who undergoes massive tragedy, while also experiencing supernatural phenomenon. Aster brilliantly uses low key lighting, as well as non-diegetic audio, to create horrific suspense. The audience never knows for sure if that object in the corner of the screen is just a soccer ball, or a bloody decapitated head.  Aster also uses subsidiary features to create stomach-turning suspense. In the very beginning of the movie, the camera opens to the wake of the family's grandmother. Although it is very sad for the family, the strangers at the wake can't help but smile, creeping out not only the characters in the film but also in the audience. However, Hereditary is not just a horror flick. Toni Collette (Annie Graham) performs stunningly, playing a mom struggling with schizophrenia as well as trying cope with family tragedy. Throughout the entire movie, the audience sees how Annie deals with the tragedy healthily, but mostly deals with it in radically obscene ways. Her inability to cope properly also gives her the inability to sleep properly, leading to her experiencing disturbed visions and dreams, which also makes the audience question if what they are seeing is real or just a nightmare. In conclusion, Aster's film Hereditary beautifully combines family drama with the paranormal.

        I have never been into horror/paranormal movies. I always hated the jump scares and the gut-wrenching suspense. Movies like Chernobyl Diaries and Paranormal Activity scared me to sleeping with the lights on as a child. Hereditary, however, will forever be one of my favorite movies. I loved the subtle clues and meanings spread throughout the whole movie. I have seen it three times since it came out this summer, and each time I discover something different. Hereditary is a perfect movie for those who love to find deeper meanings and decipher clues. Although the story itself is fictional, the lore the movie is based around is very true, making some of the movie very realistic. The demon Aster chooses is a demon used in religious text, as well as the ideas of spiritualism and seances. I give Ari Aster's debut film Hereditary a Good / Good, for not only providing great technical camera work and story arches, but also giving a scarily enjoyable film for any audience, whether they are adrenaline addicts or drama druggies.  

1 comment:

  1. So I was almost mad (for like a SECOND) because I had just FINALLY stopped hearing that awful clicking noise from this film and now it's back. Fortunately, this review is excellent, so I'll forgive the impending nightmares. That objective paragraph is entirely about the film itself and yet you throw so much evaluative flavor into that paragraph. Great work! That's been the hardest part for students with this first BRB so far, and you've clearly got a great handle on staying objective without slipping into neutrality. The subjective stuff provides great context to your argument and helps to keep your voice present in this blog. Well done! (Next step would be to add more flavor in the title, but now I'm seriously just picking nits).

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