Hereditary- The disruptive nature of Tragedy

Hereditary is an unsettling film about a family that has recently experienced a death of a close family member, the grandmother. This death, at first, doesn't seem too tragic until details about the grandmother's private life begin to unfold before this family in the most sadistic and disturbing way possible where they have no control over anything that happens. That is about all I will give away in terms of plot. Ari Aster, the director, shows his incredible skills and knowledge in his work through this film. The cinematography alone is one reason to watch this film. Each shot has a purpose in some aspect of the movie whether it be character development, plot, or establishing setting. The opening shot is this beautiful sequence that goes from wide shot to mid shot to close up, only to reveal that the close up shot is actually another wide shot. This abstract shot zooms into a room of a doll house, where the family "lives", suggesting that the family is just "dolls" that have no control over what is happening to them. The cinematography plays perfectly into the horror aspect of the movie. There are multiple shots where there's something lurking in the corner but it isn't the focus of the shot. This is what makes it so chilling; the shot doesn't acknowledge what's in the corner but when you do, you feel like it's going to jump out. However, this is not your generic cheap, jump scare filled horror flick. There are barely any jump scares which cleverly builds upon the increasing tension throughout the film. Toni Collette, the mother, gives a brilliant performance that embodies a physiological breakdown. She hits her breaking point by the end of the first act and for the rest of the movie, we are all on edge with her. Collette finds that perfect balance between coming just short and going over the top to show the raw form of fear and agony. The score for this movie is perfectly unsettling and perfectly incorporated at just the right scenes. In the final scene (no spoilers), the score includes high chimes which contradicts what we are seeing on the screen. This mismatched score and scenery is the perfect recipe for an unsettling and disturbing ending that leaves the audience paralyzed.

From beginning to end, this movie floored me. It is unlike any other horror film I have ever seen and my favorite one. While there is a supernatural aspect to this film, the biggest fear from this movie is what can actually happen. The thought of a tragedy happening to you and your family is provoked many times throughout this movie. This thought is provoked so effectively to the audience through the direction of Ari Aster and the performances of Toni Collette and Alex Wolff, the son. Their performances capture the raw reactions to such freak accidents and tragedies that occurs throughout the film. As mentioned earlier, the different shots that include shadows and unsettling figures in the background sent shivers down my spine. There is one shot towards the end where Peter, the son, wakes up in the middle of the night. The scene cuts to a wide of him getting up and you can sort of see something in the corner of the ceiling. The shot goes on for what feels like forever and the longer the shot goes on, the more chills you get. You start to shape out what exactly is lurking in that corner and once you figure out what it is, you can't help but to hide behind the covers just waiting for it to jump out. These are the types of the shots that make this movie such an unsettling experience. The tension is masterly built up throughout the movie and the audience is not allowed any breathing time after the first act. This is not a movie. This is not a film. This is a nightmare, a nightmare that sends the audience through a riveting, unsettling, and raw experience.