Review: Hereditary

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All in the family.

After Annie's (Toni Collette) mother passes away. Strange things begin to happen to her family, particularly with her children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie. (Milly Shapiro)

It's hard to escape the "scariest film of all time!" hype there is out there right now. While nothing will ever take that title away from The Exorcist for me personally, let's be real; Hereditary is seriously fucked up.

A24 got tricky with their trailers again. Without giving away spoilers something I expected to be a huge plot point in the film wasn't at all, and it was better for it. Hereditary doesn't rely on jump scares like it could have. Instead it's just plain unsettling all around. It plays with shadows and sound. 

If I had one complaint, it's the film's pacing, which was incredibly slow at times. I'm a patient person but I was getting to the point where I felt like we were taking a beat too long to get from point A to point B. And it wasn't just to build tension, I think it almost took away from some of it because it was going on so long. There are also a few illogical decisions that are forced in for plot purposes, but this is a horror movie. We're all used to that by now. 

Toni Collette is wonderful in this, and I hope all the talk about A24 getting behind her for an Oscar campaign is true because she'd deserve it. The biggest surprise for me was Alex Wolff. I tend to get him confused with his brother Nat, which is unfortunate because Alex is the one with the talent and he really shows it here. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "You tried to kill me." - Peter (Alex Wolff)

Comments

  1. Courtney YoungJune 12, 2018 at 8:52 AM

    Great review, and I completely agree with everything you've said. I still haven't reviewed this one yet, because I just don't know what to say. I agree with what you said about pacing. It needed to be edited down a bit. I'm not sure if I was shocked by the "twist" because they alluded to it so much in the beginning, you know? I was just kind of like, "Oh, okay. This makes sense."

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 12, 2018 at 11:36 AM

      They really heavily foreshadowed it. I actually appreciate the film a lot for the detail they went into. If it caught you off guard, all you have to do is think about what you saw and you'll realize that they subtly spelled it out for you.

      Delete
  2. Often Off TopicJune 12, 2018 at 2:11 PM

    I'm so hyped for this movie now! I'm trying to skim read as many reviews as I can because I'm excited but also want to go in as blind as possible!

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 12, 2018 at 10:16 PM

      Do that! I did the same, I didn't read any reviews prior and I'm glad I did.

      Delete
  3. thevoid99June 12, 2018 at 3:56 PM

    If it comes out on DVD in October, I might check it out. I heard it's divided audiences which I think is a good thing.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 12, 2018 at 10:16 PM

      I'm sure it'll be on DVD by then. I can see why it would divide audiences. These type of films always do, but I think you'd dig it.

      Delete
  4. s.June 13, 2018 at 4:15 AM

    I remember being shocked when I found out about THAT plot point. The script for this was great but I will wait for home release it is just too much for me to watch on big screen

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    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 13, 2018 at 6:31 AM

      Yeah I didn't see that coming at all so bravo to the marketing team. lol

      Delete
  5. DanielJune 14, 2018 at 9:01 AM

    This was so well-done that the ending, which is INCREDIBLY SILLY on the face of it, is somehow absolutely bone-chilling in spite of itself. Of course, it gets a lot of that from Toni Collette's performance which is just out of this world great. I also love the extremely dark humor running through it.

    **SPOILERS**
    And yeah, it's kind of amazing when a "big twist" happens in like the first fifteen minutes and it's a complete and utter shock.

    Also, FUCKING ANN DOWD. The second she showed up I was just like... this is NOT going to go well, is it? LOL.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 18, 2018 at 3:35 PM

      Ann Dowd is killing it lately playing completely unlikable characters. lol

      Delete
  6. Alex WithrowJune 15, 2018 at 10:20 AM

    Great review! The hyperbole that follows some horror films is so funny to me. I don't think this is the "scariest film of all time!" but I did enjoy it. I heard one of the director's biggest influences was Ingmar Bergman, which, to me, helps explain the slow pacing in the beginning.

    And I really hope A24 pushes Collette for some serious Oscar buzz. She and Wolff were so damn good.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 18, 2018 at 3:34 PM

      I hadn't heard that Bergman comment before. You're right, it does make sense.

      Delete
  7. GetterJune 17, 2018 at 10:29 AM

    Over the years I have started to love and enjoy the horror genre, and it's pulling me into its grip with each movie I see. I think this will be no exception. Really looking forward to seeing this!

    ReplyDelete

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