A horror classic for the books! - by Moataz Al Mousawi - 9/10

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Hereditary is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Ari Aster in his feature directorial debut, having only done short films in the past. It follows the story of the Graham family who experience a series of tragic and haunting events after the death of their reclusive grandmother. I'm a huge fan of the horror genre, and I can honestly tell you that Hereditary is more than just a fresh and welcome addition to it. Throw any of the worn out tropes of modern-day horror movies, like a predictable plot or relying solely on jump scares to frighten you, out of the window. Yes, believe it or not, Hereditary never once needed to use a jump scare to get a reaction from the audience, and yet it was still very much creepy. Ari Aster proves himself from the very start to be a master at his craft. He manages to put you into this state of continuous unease and horror even when there isn't really anything particularly scary in front of you. Two of the things that he did that stood out for me the most were: Whenever he would seamlessly transition from one room to another making the scene more unsettling; and when he would add things or shapes in the corners of the frame or in the shadows, and you can't help but notice them and getting creeped out. They stay there for a very long time, and it just manages to send shivers down your whole body. I must give praise to the actors as well. After all, this is a movie essentially about a family, and thus, the actors will play a major role in getting us to care about them. Toni Colette gives a phenomenal performance playing the mother Annie Graham. She was intense when she needed to be, she was crazy and demented when she needed to be, and she was definitely unsettling when she needed to be. Her two children, Peter and Charlie Graham, have a strong presence in the movie as well thanks to great acting by Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro. If I had to complain about anything, it's that the opening act can feel a bit slow to some. It's a shame that we will never be able to see the original 3 hour cut of the movie. I would have definitely loved to see Ari's vision in all its glory. Regardless, I highly recommend Hereditary, as it is one of my top movies of the year, and definitely one of the best horror movies I've seen in a long time.

By Moataz Al Mousawi