Hereditary

A family becomes strained after a terrible accident. As they attempt to navigate their way through the trauma, they are brought together by the one thing that can truly bring a family together- the occult.

This movie is a rollercoaster of a ride. And the ride all kicks off with a piece of chocolate cake. 

I first heard about this movie a little after it had premiered. Everybody in the horror scene was raving about it and how great Ari Aster (the director) had done. I looked into it to see what it was about and didn’t really get much from the preview- besides it having one of the kids from The Naked Brothers Band in it. But a couple months later, I was finally able to watch it- and it was sooooooo gooooood. Huge fan of it, and cannot suggest it enough to people. 

The movie is about a family who, having just lost an estranged grandmother, seem to have a fairly normal dynamic. There’s the mother, who makes model miniature houses, and can be a bit controlling. There’s the father, a psychiatrist who is a bit disconnected from the things going on around him. There’s the son, a teenager struggling to get his independence. And there’s the daughter, an awkward kid looking to do her own thing. The son begs his mom to go to a party, and she eventually agrees- as long as he brings his little sister. While at the party, he ditches his sister to take part in some teenage shenanigans. The sister decides to eat some cake, not knowing it contains nuts, and she quickly goes into anaphylactic shock. As her brother rushes to get her to the hospital, he gets into an accident- and things with the family are never the same. And as the family struggles to find their dynamic, they learn a little more about their family history- and the dark secrets that start creeping their way out.

There are several things going on in the movie that Aster does well- the tension he creates using family dynamics, the strange and the unknown involved in the occult, shock and jump scares, and even chocolate cake. 

Maybe especially chocolate cake. 

Though it starts off a little slow, it’s hard to look away once things start moving. And for me, the story-telling and suspense-building of the movie made me fall in love with it.

Do I have any issues with this movie? The only thing I want more of is information about the cult that is brought up in the movie. This cult seems to have a grasp on the community, highlighted in several scenes in the movie. I wish the movie gave more insight or background on them- at least for my own curiosity. Otherwise, I can’t think of a DAMN thing I would change.

Rating: I give this movie 10 chocolate cake slices (with no nuts) out of 10. It’s a very creepy movie that has plenty of shock value and amazing suspense. Don’t sleep on this shit. 

If you are looking for movies that are similar, start off with Midsommar, Ari Aster’s second movie. A group of friends go to a small village in Sweden to take part in a festival and learn about the culture- only to learn all too soon that coming was a mistake. You can also check out The Ritual. After losing one of their own to a tragic murder, a group of friends take part in a backpacking trip in memory of him. As they get lost on their trip and seek shelter in a cabin, creepy things begin happening- all tying back to a dark cult and the god it worships.

Looking for a good book? Check out Legion by William Peter Blatty, the sequel to The Exorcist. A detective investigates a murder fitting the MO of a serial killer he was investigating- a killer he witnessed die years before. You can also check out The Loney by Andrew Michal Hurley. A group of church members take a pilgrimage to a church in hopes of healing a young boy. As they group makes it to the church, strange locals arrive and throw the whole trip into a spiral. 

Did this movie make you think differently about cakes? Or about your family history? You definitely gotta keep an eye out on both of those. Serio.

Until next time…

-M