HEREDITARY
Of all the contenders for my choice of genre film of the century, one stood out as possessing myriad elements to hoist it clear of the rest, much like Annie’s levitation towards the film’s denouement. And by “possessing myriad elements”, I don’t just mean the demonic possession of the characters in the movie. Although that helps. Boy, does that help.
Ari Aster’s HEREDITARY is a terrifying horror film that features not only a nefarious (aren’t they all?) demon – King Paimon – with a deadly plan, but also a cult that worships and facilitates said demon, ROSEMARY’S BABY-style, in his dastardly misdeeds. Headed up, if you’ll pardon the pun (yeah, there are decapitations in the film) by the chilling Joan, played by THE HANDMAID’S TALE’s brilliant Ann Dowd, who is actually second-in-command to deceased Graham family grandmother and matriarch, ‘Queen’ Leigh (Kathleen Chalfant).
Replete with inspired casting and accordingly exceptional performances from Toni Collette as mum, Annie; Alex Wolff as son, Peter; Gabriel Byrne as dad, Steve; and, of course, the startling Milly Shapiro as daughter, Charlie, the film explores pertinent themes in such a way as to elevate it beyond a basic hellish scarefest, discussing the role of women and mothers in society – and fathers and men, too – to make it a movie worth contemplating deeply. It’s one that keeps on giving. So much so, I’m dedicating an essay to it in my next book.
Astonishingly, HEREDITARY is Ari Aster’s feature debut, and laid the foundations for exceptional follow-up works including the shocking set-piece delivering, daylight-flooded folk-horror gem MIDSOMMAR, and the discomfiting, genre-defying Joaquin Phoenix-starrer BEAU IS AFRAID, securing the director’s place – already – as one of genre cinema’s most exciting and important voices.
Kim Taylor-Foster