Horror never goes out of style, and neither does Toni Collette, which makes their pairing in Hereditary so tantalizing.
This was true even before the film broke out at Sundance, earning rave reviews and some hyperbolic statements that make it sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread (or at least The Exorcist as one pull quote compares it to). And from this trailer, the movie very well could be that great. It seems to be mining the endless topic of family, sports some excellent set designs, and overall strikes a chilling tone.
Still, that’s a lot of expectation to put a debut feature. Writer/director Ari Aster has only done shorts previously, and the trailer indicates that he took a lot of stylistic risks with this project. Can he hold it all together and live up to the now sky-high expectations? He attracted a great cast to back him up, which in addition to Collette boasts Ann Dowd and Gabriel Byrne, and while the key members of the crew are mostly unfamiliar names, almost all have promising filmographies when you dig into them.
So maybe Hereditary is the amazing film people are saying it is. Or maybe it’s just great or good or promising. None of that would be a bad outcome, as fresh, distinctive blood is always welcome.
Hereditary is directed by Ari Aster and stars Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, and Alex Wolff. It will be released in the U.S. on June 8th, 2018. Further release dates are not currently known.
Are you excited about Hereditary? Let us know in the comments!
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.