Hereditary will release in India on June 22.
Called The Exorcist of this generation, Hereditary comes from A24, a small studio that is known for indie, arthouse sort of films like Room, Ex Machina and The Witch. The film is said to have scared audiences around the world. It stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd and Gabriel Byrne. Ari Aster helms Hereditary.
Hereditary is about the Graham family. Toni Collette plays the female head of the family, Anni Graham. She is dealing with the loss of her mother, who she herself describes as difficult and is surprised that so many people turned up at her funeral. Soon enough another tragedy strikes the family and weird things begin to happen. The plot of the film may seem cliched and maybe it is, but the execution is anything but. The film has been praised for upending horror tropes and eschewing jump scares. Instead the film relies on a slow burn horror and builds up to a whammy of a finale.
The film is releasing on June 22 in India and here are five reasons why you should watch it.
Critical reception: Hereditary has received extremely positive reviews. The film has received a 91% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and the consensus reads, “Hereditary uses its classic setup as the framework for a harrowing, uncommonly unsettling horror film whose cold touch lingers long beyond the closing credits.”
A still from Hereditary.
Cast: Hereditary may not have many well-known names, but they all are very talented and seem to have done great work in Hereditary.
Slow burn: We all love fast-paced movies with lots of jump scares. Most popular horror films like The Conjuring and Insidious are like that. But there is a unique appeal in movies that build up gradually and refuse to reveal much. Usually, there is a big revelation in the end. Hereditary is like that.
The horror factor: Naturally, the reasons most people go to watch horror films is because of the horror factor. In Hereditary, the horror is of a creepy, slithering kind. As though a serpent was glissading under your skin. The film unsettles you. Makes you uncomfortable. Since it is also an extended allegory for mental illness, it is extra scary for depression and PTSD survivors. The horror in Hereditary, thus, really does strike home.
The Graham family in Hereditary.
Twisty plot: Hereditary has a lot of twists. These twists are not cheap or shallow, written into the story just for a momentary shock. They will affect you deeply and before you recover from the shock, the next one will have arrived.