This movie has mature content such as drug usage, nudity, swearing, and gore. Viewer discretion is advised.

Lately, horror movies have been boring, they’re almost too predictable to get scared anymore. But if there is one production company that I believe makes good horror movies, it is A24.

Their selection of movies is small, and though I have yet to watch all of their films, I became hooked when I first saw Midsommar, which is about a woman who loses her parents and sister to homicide and suicide and tags along with her unwilling boyfriend to Sweden for a Midsommar Festival. After watching with wide eyes and a horrified gaze, I immediately fell in love with the movie and was eager for more.

I had always been curious about the A24 film Hereditary, and when I finally got my hands on it, I was ready. This will definitely fill your need to get scared. Although a slow-paced movie, the film is not one to waste time. Each scene plays an important role in discovering more about the family, and the film particularly digs into the family’s history on the mother, Annie’s, side. If you are like me and find it hard to get freaked out, there is definitely something in store for you. Hereditary does not treat its audience with easy answers. Instead, they give you glimpses of context, so by the end of the movie when it’s all too late, you can say “Oh, so that is why!” 

Another impressive element was the film’s score. Unlike most horror movies where there is a mighty crescendo that warns the audience of a jump scare, they make you sit in silence, letting the anxiety build. Before you know it, you see something in the background that the character just can’t seem to realize is there, or you know that something terrible is about to happen. Movies that present scares like such have a special place in my heart, simply because they do not spoil the horror element. 

The whole ambiance of the film was unsettling with very dull colors, dusty rooms, and a lack of light in the family’s house. The contrast between the outside and the house gives the audience a false belief that the house is the problem, which is not the case. Characters are attacked even outside of the house without warning, which makes the movie even better. You know that there is no way to avoid the danger, making it feel inevitable.

Hereditary is definitely not a film that is predictable, and though it has a slow start, I do not find it boring in any way. This film definitely earns 5/5 stars. If you’re looking for a unique and interesting horror movie, I highly recommend this film.