Not your typical horror film, Hereditary stays with you long after the credits end, a testament to a truly horrific film.
“When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. Making his feature debut, writer-director Ari Aster unleashes a nightmare vision of a domestic breakdown that exhibits the craft and precision of a nascent auteur, transforming a family tragedy into something ominous and deeply disquieting, and pushing the horror movie into chilling new terrain with its shattering portrait of heritage gone to hell.”
The film opens with Ellen Leigh’s obituary, having just passed and leaving her family to deal with the aftermath of her death. Her daughter, Annie (Toni Collette) is hit the hardest thanks to a tumultuous relationship they have had her entire life. Annie’s daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is also affected, as she had a deep connection with her grandmother that no one in the family realizes. Annie throws herself into her work, still working through her emotions day to day, attending a grief support group to try and find solace. After a tragedy takes place that rocks the family yet again, strange things start to take place that the family cannot explain.
I hesitate to talk about anything past the first act because a very horrific event takes place that propels the story into an entirely different direction, and that is one of those moments that leaves you stunned for several minutes. What I will say about the rest of the acts is that this is definitely a slow burn type of film. Other than that one event early on in the film, nothing really happens until the third act. Depending on your tastes this could be a good or bad thing. I felt that it built up a sense of dread throughout most of the film, with effective music to accompany the scenes where the characters discover pieces of what’s going on. I do feel that this could have been cut short a bit, allowing the craziness of the third act to happen a bit slower as to be more effective in general. But in the grand scheme of things, this is very much like The Witch, which is from the same producers and has a very similar feel to it all around.
I think what makes Hereditary so frightening is that it involves a secret culture that could very well exist in our society, and the udder powerlessness we have to do something to protect ourselves from it. Regardless of having to do with demons, curses, or whatnot, this film explore much more than that: a toxic family environment in which things aren’t discussed but swept under the rug and buried, which many people can probably relate to. The film also doesn’t rely on cheap scare tactics in any way. It’s all about what you see in the background but is out in the open and not hiding away. The film doesn’t shy away from showing you exactly what’s happening, whether it is a gruesome death or some kind of otherworldly force. These factors culminate in something that seems more real and altogether more frightening because of that fact.
The acting in the film is what puts it over the top in my eyes. Toni Collette is absolutely fantastic, and is the one who shoulders everything that happens to this family. She flawlessly delves right in to her character, a very troubled woman who has all kinds of issues to deal with. She portrays Annie in all the different states of emotion, good or bad. I’ve always been a fan of Gabriel Byrne, especially in the horror genre. He plays Annie’s husband Steve as the voice of reason and concern throughout, only wanting to protect his family while having to deal with the emotional stresses of Annie and her family issues.
Hereditary can be a bit slow at times, but the buildup is definitely worth the time invested. There are so many small nuances in the film that I didn’t pick up on until a second viewing, allowing a much deeper appreciation and understanding.
Video
Hereditary is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.00:1 with Dolby Vision. This transfer looks absolutely gorgeous in the Dolby Vision, utilizing the meta data that allows for the levels of each scene to be changed to best suit what’s happening on screen. In a film like Hereditary, this can be utilized extensively because of the many scenes that take place at night and in the dark, and contrastly the daytime sequences that are very bright. In each, color balance is beautifully done, with deep colors juxtaposed with the brilliant brights and deep darks. If given the choice, getting this in 4k is a must in my eyes, and is further evidence of the quality that Dolby Vision can produce.
The Blu-Ray disc included presents the film in 1080p High Definition Widescreen.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I was more than disappointed in seeing no DTS:X or Dolby Atmos track. With the consideration going into the video transfer, it seems the audio could have been shown the same. Although there is nothing wrong with the 5.1 track, having a more immersive sound only pulls us deeper into the film, and I know gives me a better appreciation for it. My one gripe with the audio is that for the majority of the film the levels seem low, but when something startling happens, it skyrockets, causing you to constantly have your remote ready to turn down.
What I do like about this audio track is the lack of music of any kind. Instead, a haunting sound emanates during some of the more tense scenes. This is very effective at building dread and tension, and was something I enjoyed immensely.
Special Features
Few extras on this disc, but worth checking out if you’re a fan of the film. These include:
- Cursed: The True Nature of Hereditary
- Deleted Scenes
- Evil in Miniature: Photo Gallery
If you’re looking for a horror film that is genuinely horrific, you will definitely want to check out Hereditary. With some very horrific scenes, and a slow burn that continually intensifies to a ghastly ending, you’ll be thinking about the film long after you turn it off.
