Hereditary: Horror 101 revisited

A movie which sent chills down my spine after a long, long time.

Ankith Menon
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read

It’s a ritual in the Menon household to watch every horror movie playing in the theaters. A tradition( probably the only one), I aspire to carry forward. So naturally, when Hereditary came out, we decided to give it a watch. Let me tell you that that we are that part of the crowd which thoroughly enjoys horror. We cheer for the “ghost” as if it’s a superstar and eagerly wait for its “Rajni” moment( the first appearance, of course).

So obviously, we were waiting for such a scene, a usual jump scare, as our experience in this genre tells us. A predictable camera movement, from left to right and left again. Then, BAM! You see the ghost. That’s how it’s done, right ? Boy, was I wrong.

Within the first twenty minutes I knew that this isn’t your typical James Wan- Conjuring scare. Nor it’s a slasher gore fest like Saw.

It was something else. Something I was waiting for, my entire horror movie- obsessed life.

Yes, you heard it right.

I enjoy horror, but lately the movies in this genre have become quite predictable. I can’t differentiate between two horror movies. I scream and laugh , and it’s all good fun. But they don’t do what a good horror movie is supposed to do. Leave you disturbed.

Hereditary did exactly that. It was an eerie reminder of another movie, a cult classic, which had the same effect. The Exorcist. Of course, when one what watches it now, they would probably laugh at it. The concepts of possession and exorcism have become a cliche in this genre. But for the people of 1973, it was something they had never seen before. There were instances of people passing out and puking during the initial screenings. Most of them didn’t even make it through the entire movie. Those who did, couldn’t put it into words what they had experienced.

Now that’s an experience every horror freak hopes for. A stomach churning cinematic ride. You don’t just leave the cinema hall. You take the movie with you and play it over and over in your head.

That is what Hereditary did for me. It left me disturbed and asking for more at the same time. Everything, from the cinematography to the performances just added to the beauty of the movie. A shout-out to Toni Collette for an Oscar worthy performance (not overstating). An unexplored talent in this genre, I must say.

I hope movie makers take a note or two on how it’s done from the creaters of this movie. Until then, I’d have to satisfy myself with cheap jumpscares and shaky camera movement ( The Nun releases on September 7th !)

Cheers!

Written by

MBA Student. Specializing in HRM. Lover of rock, movies and football.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade