Movie Review: Hereditary (2018)

Hereditary has been well hyped and I was worried like Veronica it was going to be a disappointment. I went in not knowing anything about it and I think this is important for the movie and I’ll try not to give any spoilers away.

The movie takes places after Annie’s (played by Toni Collette) mother has passed away. She has two child, Charlie and Peter and is married to Steve. She sneaks out to attend a grief counselling session and it transpires she had a very complicated relationship with her mother, who had mental health issues and a brother, who killed himself after also having mental health issues. This lines up the idea of how much of what Annie is experiencing may be mental health issues due to her family circumstances. The movie is a slow burning one but contains excellent story telling. When the shocks happen, they really get you (I ended up spilling something all over the sofa in shock and there was a shout of Oh My God from both me and the boy). The boy says it’s definitely one of the best horrors we have seen this year. It gives me that 70’s horror vibe, folk horror (my favourite!), I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned one of my favourite movies is The Wicker Man (the proper one not the Nicholas Cage mess!). There is so much symbolism and story telling throughout, you certainly could watch it again as nothing is too obvious. Most horror films these days are dumbed down, and this movie takes it back to llowing us to make our minds up. Looking at some of the reviews, it’s like marmite, you love it or hate it. I loved it, even the dodgy CGI moment near the end. The end really ramps up the pace and shocks come thick and fast. Toni Collette acts her heart out. Some moments really crawl into your brain and stay with you. Charlie makes a funny little click sound throughout and I’ve found myself doing it…creepy.

9/10. One of the best horrors I’ve seen for a long while.