Being the scariest film of the year, Hereditary has a lot to live up to. This makes the success of it even greater. To watch the film is to understand why horror films have remained so popular over the ages. While other genres have had their popularity go up and down, horror has remained a staple for a very long time. Hereditary is proof of the genre’s ability to produce genuinely scary moments wrapped inside an emotional story. Other films may go for the jump scare to induce fear but here, all you need to do is look closely at the frame to be spooked. A lot has already been said about the film but I would like to focus on one of the biggest reasons for the success of Hereditary as a film and as an experience. I’ll give you a hint, its The Sixth Sense.
One of the problems I have with horror films is that the performances seem too over the top. I’m not able to buy the emotion that these people are trying to sell. This film has a lot of moments that may feel that way but there is a key difference. The emotions are allowed to build, so whenever they come bursting out, it feels justified. It didn’t hit me when I first saw the movie but the more I thought about it, I realised that this was an insanely (no pun intended) good performance from Toni Collette. We get to see what is happening to her and understand why she behaves the way she does. Though it is very likely that her work will be ignored during the awards seasons, the Academy must consider her as a candidate. It is difficult to express the emotional horror a person is going through but she is able to do it in such a way that leaves an impact. A particular highlight is the dinner scene with her husband and her son. The sadness and rage come together in a startling way that is truly terrifying and touching, much like the rest of the film.
Until next time, bye.
Films & Frames 