With a D+ Cinemascore, I was unsure about Hereditary going in despite the praise it was getting from critics. General audiences were never going to like a film like this. Hereditary is high-brow horror that explores some divisive themes. Lacking in jump scares too, mainstream audiences do not deserve Hereditary; they are incapable of appreciating layered, dark and unusual horror films. The first and final acts are terrific but the middle act is a bit of a slump. Ari Aster's creative directing and mostly compelling writing has resulted in an impressive modern horror that is twisted and shocking.

Hereditary is a well-crafted horror film. It may run for over two hours but the characters and plot are engaging enough to keep the audience invested. The film definitely feels like it is split into thirds. The first third sees Charlie (Shapiro) deal with the death of her grandmother and be faced with threatening scenarios. The second third is about how Annie (Collette) deals with grief and the final third is the most supernatural of the three and centres on Peter (Wolff). Other than the father, each member of the family has a third of the film that focuses on them. Although the film does feel split, it does not feel disjointed. The conclusion of each third triggers the beginning of the next. For example, the death of Charlie leads to Annie searching for ways to deal with her grief which then results in the possession and haunting of Peter. Hereditary is Aster's first feature-length script and he has done a pretty incredible job. Aster could have pumped some more energy into the middle act which is the closest the film comes to slow and boring. However, this may have lessened the effect of the other acts.

Many have compared Hereditary to the likes of The Witch, The Babadook and It Follows. Films that were not packed with jump scares but had themes and threats that terrified audiences. Hereditary is scarier than any of those films. Aster never tells the audience when they should feel scared which makes the spooky surprises even more effective. Throughout the film, Aster subtly inserts a figure into the back of a scene and the audience is left to discover it (and each time I did, it really creeped me out!). This was a unique spin on the jump scare as these moments packed a punch without the loud and sudden noises. Charlie makes a certain sound with her mouth throughout the film and once all is said and done, audiences will not be able to hear it again without sensing terror. In comparison to mainstream horrors such as The Conjuring franchise or It, Hereditary is light on generic scares, but Hereditary's unusual scares are still very effective. Hereditary is chilling.

The film does not just focus on supernatural horrors, it explores the unavoidable horrors of everyday life. There is a line early on in the film that addresses a tabu fear that everyone must have - who will be there for you when both of your parents are dead? This was not only thought-provoking but also created a stronger feeling of sympathy for Charlie. Charlie's allergic reaction and death were both horrifying to watch. If the characters were not as irresponsible, many of their problems could have been avoided. However, this is a horror film and things have to go wrong for there to be a story. I'm sure there are plenty of metaphorical undertones (commentary on grief, parenting etc) throughout Hereditary which suggests that Aster had something deeper on his mind than just creating a horror film. 

Let's talk about the final act. I sensed that things were going to get crazier and Hereditary's final act certainly delivered. I would make a comparison to the second half of last year's mother! but Aster does not go quite as far as Aronofsky. The twist is in-line with most horror films: it is twisted, supernatural and unbelievable. What makes Hereditary different though is that it does not stop at the reveal of the twist. The audience witnesses everything play-out. In short, Tyler's body becomes a host for Charlie who then becomes one of the kings of hell. Alongside this, there are naked elderly people, graphic suicides and floating bodies. Aster's Hereditary is actually a film about religion and the final act is where this becomes very clear. There are countless WTF moments but weirdly, Hereditary never feels dumb or stupid, Aster builds enough trust with the audience to keep them on board (other than the two boys who walked out of the cinema at this point). The final act is also highly entertaining purely because it is intriguing to know where Aster's vision is going to go next.

Not only has Aster created a horror film that is scary, well-written and has a distinct atmosphere, the acting is also impressive. Hereditary has some cracking performances. Toni Collette and Alex Wolff deserve endless amounts of praise and recognition. I hope their performances are remembered come awards season. Collette's performance as Annie is easily one of the strongest I have seen so far this year. In just one role, Collette showcases her talent. Her performance is multi-dimensional; Collette shows so many emotions and even convincingly acts like a child. I knew prior to watching that I was about to be impressed by Collette but I was blown away. This is the best I have ever seen her. I do not want to praise Alex Wolff at his brother's expense but WHY HASN'T ALEX HAD THE SAME SUCCESS?. This is star-turn for Alex Wolff and I hope his acting career thrives after Hereditary. Milly Shapiro is a child actor with a lot of talent and Gabriel Byrne may make the smallest impression but he manages to hold his own. I am so pleased Hereditary found Collette, Wolff, Shapiro, and Byrne because a group of less talented actors could have easily turned this into a laughable and absurd horror.

Following in the foot-steps of other divisive horror films, Hereditary is layered, well-crafted, well-acted and has plenty of genuine frights. I cannot guarantee that you will enjoy the film but to me, this is one of the strongest releases of 2018 so far. Toni Collette and Alex Wolff's performances are undeniably fantastic. Aster is an auteur; from his script to unique visuals, it is clear that Hereditary is his vision. This is what a horror film looks like when the studio lets the creator fully realise their vision. Chilling and a tad crazy, Hereditary has some cracking performances and a divisve yet riveting third act. I can't wait to see what Aster does next.