Ari Aster's Hereditary taps into our deepest familial fears by dissecting grief and loss under the microscope to harrowingly unsettling degrees
A traumatic undercurrent of tragedy underscores every scene of Ar Aster's Hereditary. Remaining a constant threat throughout the film is the somewhat sickening feeling felt at the pit of your stomach that follows each gut-wrenching revelation.
It's a newly unfamiliar yet nausea-inducing form of horror that slowly permeates the psyche in alarmingly unsettling ways. Meanwhile, Ari Aster's nerve-shredding use of mood and atmosphere paints the upsetting picture of a dysfunctional family, brought to emotional distress following the death of their youngest.
A story concept elevated significantly by Toni Collette's exceptional performance as a deeply traumatized parent experiencing unimaginable grief on behalf of every mother's worst nightmare.
As the film continues, however, Toni Collette's increasingly unhinged demeanor and paranoid sense of urgency scale the tension to dramatic heights to the point where her anguish becomes frighteningly palpable.
Administering torturously slow-burning suspense, a mood-altering atmosphere smothered in dread, spookily unnerving occultist revelations of the supernatural, and an unnervingly relatable tension rarely experienced in horror, Ar Aster's first feature film Hereditary harrowingly haunts long after the credits scroll.
Thankfully, it's also not short on slickly produced spine-chilling scares, which thrill-seeking horror fans should find more than satisfying.
That concluded our horror movie review of Hereditary. In the mood for more Ari Aster horror movies? Then check out our grizzly autopsy of Midsommar or Jordan Peele's chillingly provocative Get Out.
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