So it has got a high score on Rotten Tomatoes, and some filmgoers are not shying away from calling it a masterpiece. Does Ari Aster’s drama horror Hereditary deserve the accolades it seems to be getting? We see why Hereditary despite not being a classic is an impressive debut movie in the Hereditary film review.
A24’s Hereditary
Although the movie touches upon loss and grieving, it isn’t exactly that. Overtly it may appear to be so, but even then, we never really buy that the characters in the movie care for each other. On the contrary, the family members interact in such a manner as to convince the viewer that the family is more than a little dysfunctional. Without a doubt, Hereditary begins with a family trying to deal with the loss of a loved one but soon morphs into something entirely different.
Before talking about other aspects of the film, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Toni Collette’s acting is the best part of Hereditary. However, horror films are never as much about acting as the genuinely terrifying moments consistently peppered through their running time. By and large, it is always a case where more of the latter is better, although not in the cheap jump scares way. Here’s where the film is a bit of a letdown. In spite of a standout performance by Toni Collette, accompanied by Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro’s credible acting, Hereditary never really manages to conjure up the kind of terror that it ought to have.
While taking time to build up the story is acceptable, it isn’t such a great idea to test the audience’s patience. Halfway through the film, you will be hoping that it gets more intense in a horrifying way. However, apart from some impactful scenes towards the end, there isn’t anything here that will give you nightmares.
Ordinary people having to deal with ominous situations, not of their own doing, somehow becomes more compelling and menacing. Over here though, the family at the center of the story comes with a bagful of problems. Whatever happens during the latter half of the movie doesn’t come as a huge surprise if you have been attentive in the first hour or so.
Now, if you think that Hereditary should have done more to scare you, you might not be entirely wrong. Although you will appreciate the efforts gone into creating an eerie atmosphere throughout the movie that is due mainly to a haunting soundtrack by Colin Stetson and astute cinematography by Pawel Pogorzelski.
While Hereditary imbibes elements of several “horror classics,” it is most notably inspired by Rosemary’s Baby. However, since Roman Polanski’s psycho-thriller/horror, many films have managed to raise the bar with innovative and at times more efficient scare tactics. With an explosion in media portraying atrocities from around the globe, viewers of this generation have significantly elevated resistance to what is dished out, and something that might have worked in the 70s might not necessarily invoke the same audience reaction today.
Of course, fear is highly subjective, and any horror film will uniquely affect each moviegoer. And who knows, if you have a predisposition towards the horror tropes employed in Hereditary, you might find yourself entertained more by it than some others.
Hereditary Film Review rates Hereditary 
(3.5 / 5)
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