Hey guys so I finally watched Hereditary, let me preface by saying that I have a problem with horror movies because I watched so many growing up that they all feel the same to me, so I can’t watch any of the Paranormal Activities or Annabelles or any of those pop horror movies.
That said there were some horror movies that I enjoyed, Get Out, Bird Box and Midsommar and Cabin in the Woods (for different reasons) come to mind.
After hearing so much praise over the years I finally decided to watch Hereditary and let me tell you it was a big disappointment, at 1 hour runtime I found myself playing with my phone because it was soooooo slow and it didn’t get better from there, the plot was very basic, cult tricks someone into summoning a demon (a tale as old as time) and the payoff was very mid.
The ambiance and overall look were very cool, but that’s all. What is your opinion on this movie I need to know if I’m crazy?
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Man guess I’m in the minority for this on this forum but Hereditary is the pinnacle horror movie for me, I’ve seen it like 6 times and love it every single time. Doesn’t resort to jump scares, acting is incredible and the movie is just a batshit thrillride the entire time. I think I’m different when I watch movies as I don’t really care if something has done a similar concept before because usually the execution is different enough which it is here. Also this movie introduced the head banging possession scene thing, at least 3 movies this year and last have all had a similar scene.
I agree. Hereditary is the best horror movie of all time, so far, for me.
I forgot to mention that, I really hate the jumpscare trope as well, and I appreciate that it didn’t use it.
It’s always low frequency hum then high pitch noise and the first one is always the fake scare then the “monster” after the tension was semi defused. Also I swear to god the fucking half closed pill cabinet mirrors that are then closed to reveal something give me eye cancer.
Nah, I have the same issue with horror movies. The paranormal activities and exorcist type movies are not scary at all for me. I enjoy slasher movies more. Not that they scare me, I just find them hilarious.
I felt the same. The movie didn’t speak to me, not even 2 % of all the impact that Midsommar or Get Out had on me.
But I don’t blame Hereditary itself. I have watched really really bad horror movies, forced by friends and family, and Hereditary has at least good acting… It’s probably that we simply enjoy other things.
I blame it on the fact that these paranormal horror movies tend to be relatively pointless, or their point isn’t really portrayed as well as they think it does. You can’t reflect on a deep philosophical thought if you know you are going to get jumpscared in a few seconds.
Having said all this, I must say the movie “Talk To Me” (2022) is one of the few instances of me enjoying a paranormal movie. Still has deep messages throughout the movie, IMO. Hopefully you’ll like it too.
I forgot that one, I loved Talk to Me! It’s probably on my top 5
I agree wity you on Hireditary and your recommendations. Got any other recommendations?
Not sure of you’ll like it but Witch (stylised as VVitch) is pretty good. Not sure if its technically horror though.
Honestly not really anything other than what I already talked about, I saw Witch when it came out, I liked it even if some people don’t, same with The Village, have you seen the Taiwanese movie Incantation (2022) ?
Edit: I just remembered, Last night at Soho is pretty great too
I think maybe you have too strong of a focus on plot. It’s there to give structure to the breakdown of a family that is passing down mental, emotional, and supernatural problems like they’re hereditary. It’s a showcase of how a family raised to be tools can devolve when they’re finally being used.
!Personally my favourite part is the massive tone shift at the very end when Peter is finally possessed and receives his revelation. It’s a beautifully crafted scene that balances being celebratory and morbid. A fantastically unique payoff to an entire movie’s worth of buildup.!<
Like most genres there’s going to be some films that connect with some people more than others. The music, setting, characters, story, etc can all weigh in on how effective the scares or laughs or whatever emotional reaction you’re going for are with different audiences. If heredity was too slow of a suspense builder you might want to avoid other similar slow building suspense for awhile and look for more faster paced action horror, comedy horror, etc other sub-genres of horror.
A lot of what makes Hereditary so good is the references to earlier films like Rosemary’s Baby. Horror is a genre that is in a constant dialogue with itself, and often horror films either subvert or adhere to what has come before.
Personally the first hour of the movie when it was super slow was my favorite part. I fucking LOVED every second of the first hour. As soon as act 3 started and people started actually being possessed and such I stopped caring as much.
The ambiance was great and the acting was as well.
Then again… All my favorite movies are basically just a small group of people talking in a room for 90 minutes so it makes sense that my favorite parts were when a small group of people talked in a room for 90 minutes.
Toni Collette deserved an Oscar for this movie
Hereditary had standout scenes for me - the car ride surprise, the dinner scene monologue - but had gone so far off the rails by the end it lost me. I don’t think you’re crazy. It was well shot, well acted, but told a run of the mill story.
