I knew Kermode was going to be disappointed, from his earlier video, in which he complained that Hereditary was being compared to The Exorcist. I went into this movie with absolutely no expectations, and I was completely floored by it. It's been six days since I've seen Hereditary, and it still haunts me.

I feel like Kermode would have liked this a lot more if it hadn't been so overhyped for him

Some of the best scenes- the dinner table for one, the sleep-walking for another, the seance for a third, and the most beautiful bits of original score- take place AFTER the central incident.

Mark Kermode: I hate it when people compare films to The Exorcist because comparisons are lazy and nothing can ever be The Exorcist Also Mark Kermode: "It's a lot like Rosemary's Baby"

Last night i went to see Hereditary with no expectations , which is the only way to see a film but not an easy thing to do these days, this film scared me witless like no other , a runnerway juggernaut i was willing it to end from about 30mins in couldnt look couldnt look away admittedly i do not watch many horror films but have seen most of the classics this is no cheap noise in the night eerie music crap, it has a real feeling of dread from the first frame with a very sinister storyline great acting screenplay and soundtrack a must -see but not for me anytime soon. 10/10

"Sporadically scary" - That's going straight on the poster.

You're clearly mad about The Exorcist comparison 🤣

Everyone ready to play the Mark Kermode Exorcist drinking game for this review? 🍻

Just a trend I've noticed; the most lauded horror movies these last couple of years really polarize audiences - The Babadook, Oculus, It Follows, The Witch, Get Out, A Quiet Place, etc. Horror is a largely polarizing genre to begin with, and all of these (+ Hereditary) seems to be the kind of movies people either love or hate.

I couldn't disagree more. It takes a lot for a horror movie to scare me and this one legitimately scared me.

This in not a film for people who need every little thing explained to them. It's a film where multiple watches reveal more & more. It will leave you thinking for days, maybe even weeks, and piecing it together in your own head. This film is an absolute masterclass in film making. Everything about it is perfection. Again, if u haven't seen it, go into it blind. Do not read about it, as the less you know to start off with, the better. You won't see any of it coming, and it is truly breathtaking.

This is why I like Mark. I still loved the film, but I can see and understand his point of review. Explains himself well. Good review.

Comparing films to The Exorcist is just lazy constructive criticism. The same when someone says "the best film in 10 or 20 years".

Seen a lot of polarizing audience opinions on this. I think much like with The Badadook, certain factions of modernized horror audiences are not gonna appreciate this sort of old-school, atmospheric & psychologically driven horror in the same way as others might. I happen to find this sort of horror, that was very prevalent in the 70's in particular, to be the most effective kind but it doesn't seem to have the same impact on everyone.

It's not like The Exorcist, it's very reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby. It's almost like an indirect, spiritual remake of it.

Huh, interesting. I watch a LOT of horror films, and I haven’t been this uncomfortable watching a horror film since maybe Martyrs. A lot of that is on the strength of the brilliant sequence alluded to in this review, but I think a lot of it has to do with the slow-build pacing and sense of nightmarish inevitability to the whole thing. Where a lot of lesser films would have gone for easy jump scares, this one is content to linger for uncomfortably long periods on a single shot. That said, I expect a lot of mainstream theater audiences will hate it precisely because it doesn’t have that James Wan “jump scare every X minutes” formula.

I like that it's causing such a divide in opinions from so many respected people in the industry. That means it will be talked about for a long time and won't fall by the waste side like so many other horror movies from recent memory. People don't seem to talk about Get Out as much as it was loved and yet people are still having conversations about The Witch and The Babadook and so on.

I went into this film having not even seen the trailer or heard the hype. As someone immersed in horror Its now my all time favourite ever. Toni Colette and Alex wolffe are astounding.

I got a Rosemary's Baby vibe from it

Have to agree with Mark. The first 40 minutes or or so were great, after that - although I did enjoy it - it all felt a bit disjointed and lacking in focus. I think I expected, and possibly wanted, something a bit more allegorical or ambiguous, and it felt like a bit of a copout when the medium element was introduced (I think because of movies like Insidious and The Conjuring, I've now got seance fatigue, although Hereditary was unquestionably far superior than those efforts). Also, as Mark pointed out, some of the exposition was very on the nose (the sleepwalking stuff in particular). I also thought the pacing was a bit off - it started to feel slightly sluggish in the middle, then went straight to crazy town the moment the medium was introduced. Having said all that, I loved the score and sound design; Toni Collette was superb and I thought it was extremely well shot and very atmospheric. It had some great moments and did a good job at sustaining a sense of unease, but I can't say I ever found it particularly scary.

My thoughts exactly. Started off so well then the second half of the film completely lost me. Such a shame.

I think Mark's dissapointment comes mostly because the movie goes somewhere a bit more Hollywood with its exposition in the last 30 minutes. While I agree that the movie "explained" more than I would've liked, I still found it incredible.

Kind of sick of seeing comments saying Mark is wrong. He has his opinion, and you have yours. Deal with it

I kinda wished i saw it at home on my own to be honest. People in the audience laughed in certain places, making it look a bit lame. If i had seen it without that atmosphere in the theater i would have witnessed the over the top creepiness as horror and not just laughably silly. Seems there's a very fine line with this one. I still think it was brilliant though. One of those movies you're thinking about hours after watching it. Connecting bits and seeing how cleverly, parts were ironed out in the writing, ect.

I’ve got to agree - there was a lot of exposition in parts of this movie in order for it to make sense - the film should’ve definitely taken a more obscure / implied route or focused on mental health / grief a lot more in that final act

I knew as soon as it was compared to *The Exorcist* that this was going to be a hard one for Mark.

Loved the film and disagree with some points Mark makes, but he explained them well, and that's why I respect his opinions.

My wife is a massive horror film junkie and I am also into the genre, we both loved it and can’t stop talking about it, although fair play to Mark for acknowledging the big happening in the first act and giving it the praise it deserved, as that moment and its immediate aftermath were genuinely breathtaking and mindblowing

I don't scare easily, but Hereditary really shook me. I loved it.

Pro tip : if you think you may be having dinner in a psycho-social horror story, turn some lights on. Why is everybody having dinner in the dark?

Love that he closed with a reference to it being somewhat reminiscent of Exorcist 3, aka one of the best slow creep, art horror flicks ever made.

It was brilliant. One of my favorite films of 2018.

Spot on, Mark.

The problem is expecting it to be like something else. In today's era where I've seen everything in horror, of course Hereditary was going to cover downtrodden path but I praise it for going places deeply disturbing.

The Exorcist is sporadically scary to be fair. There’s a lot of hospital visiting and crisis of a priest’s faith before the birdnoise gets real.

It's very well crafted, and genuinely scary, but Don't look now, and The Exorcist are on a totally different level.They have a psychological paranoia about them that are just masterpieces in the genre

I really loved this one. All the psych thrillers/ horrors A24 has had their names on in the past few years are absolutely phenomenal

Agree with this review. The script needed some tweaking and serious editing around the middle of the film. The first and final acts were incredible though.

I really love the movie and whilst I do think it does perhaps lean towards a much more conventional plot in the 2nd half, I think it's the execution that makes it absolutely terrifying. I would say in terms of how scared I was by it, it is more scary than The Shining, is it as good as The Shining? No. But, it's a masterfully directed film. I love the slow lingering the shots, the incredible sense of dread it creates and the exploration of grief and guilt is really well done as well. It's horrifying and I do think it is more comparable, stylistically, to things like The Witch and It Comes At Night, than The Exorcist, although in terms of scares, it's more like The Exorcist. I like it more than The Witch, but not as much as It Comes At Night, which is one of my favorite films ever. Hereditary is fantastic and probably the best movie of the year so far for me.

The setup, character development was superb, all the threads that were being pulled ultimately lead to a very anti-climatic borderline comedic final act. The acting is top class though. This movie may not be The Exorcist but Toni Collette is this season's Frances McDormand. Pros - character development & family arc, lack of jump scares. I feel like this movie would have worked better if the final act turned into a dark comedy, that way the laugh everyone made during the final attic scene would have been intentional.

This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The story is so layered that it must be rewatched multiple times to fully appreciate its message. It’s like a puzzle piecing all the information together. Truly brilliant cinema. I came to the conclusion that the ultimate message, is basically what it says on the tin... it’s hereditary. But for the Graham’s, what they have inherited from generations that came before them is hell on earth. Unbeknownst to the Graham family, they are the next generation of a long-standing demonic bloodline. (Only the cult are aware of this fact and orchestrate every scenario to help the demon king Paimon get a male host) Annie, Peter and Charlie each have their personal “self”, but also in them they have a demon soul bursting to break free and take full control of the host. This excludes the father, who is somewhat a literal and metaphorical saint throughout the movie. We are watching a war of Good vs Evil taking place within each of the main characters. Each one from the mother’s bloodline is tainted with this Demon who ultimately wants to be a male and be the sole ruler / king Paimon, and will kill even its own family members to get there. Annie sleep walking is actually Paimon taking control. This is why she attempts to burn them while they sleep. It’s Paimon trying to destroy the competition. Even subconsciously, Annie has resentment towards Peter as he is ultimately a better host for Paimon and Annie knows this, subconsciously. You can see they each have basically a split personality. Their individual self, and also their inherited Demonic bloodline. We witnessed the Demon successfully erase peters soul and take control of him, a male host, with the help of the cult. This had been the plan all along. The family never had any hope. It makes you question your own family history and how little we know of where we originally come from, what runs through our own bloodline? What have we actually descended from? This is ultimately what cut to the core of me after studying this film. Absolute masterful piece of art from Ari Aster. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 way more stuff happens that ties in with this theory but you need to see it for yourself to fully appreciate it. I highly recommend you watch this movie multiple times, it will change you. Thanks for stopping by 💋

I feel horror should be reviewed like a comedy. It’s subjective. You might not find a film funny but you can respect that it is a masterpiece in film and that it might be scary to others. I nearly pooped my whole pants watching this and I certainly couldn’t sleep. But also with hereditary this is more about the family drama and the horror is an aid to keep you feeling the dread of a dysfunctional family

If I'd seen it on The Horror Channel at 2am it would have been quite impressive but it just wasn't the film is was built up to be.

3:01 'psychogeography' was coined by Guy Debord, essentially, drifting through spaces for amusement - what we know today as urban exploration. He wrote: "the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals" - so nothing to do with the linked psychological states of a family. I get what Kermode means but he shouldn't use this pre-existing and widely known term to express it as it is not used in this way.

I'm really looking forward to it!

YES, all of this. Started out promising, but on the second half I was like "oh..this plotline again?" I totally thought it would be something completely different. It was ok, had the potential to be great.

I didn’t mind the standard horror tropes at the end. The first two acts of the movie were powerful enough to ease me into them. The acting was outstanding and the themes were apparent but not overbearing. I agree that the comparisons to other horror movies didn’t do it any favours, but it is a more complete film than the Babadook and It Comes At Night. 9/10 for me

This is why I love Mark Kermode! No matter how much I disagree with him (and I definitely disagree with him on Hereditary), he brings out enough charisma and detail to how he feels about the films he has watched, rather than just saying “it’s great” or “it sucks”. It helps me understand his thoughts and criticisms. Great review Mr. Kermode, despite disagreeing with you; Hereditary is the best film I’ve seen this year next to Isle of Dogs!

I consider myself well versed in horror and I enjoyed the film overall. I enjoyed the acting and admired the tone and atmosphere they set up and there were (as Mark says) some very well done moments in the first act. And I did at times find it very unsettling. That said the film is not ground breaking in terms of plot and because of the references to certain other horror movies it's very easy to predict where it's going. And yes the crowd were laughing wildly about it on the way out.

Seen it today thought it was brilliant. Reminded me of films like Mother, The Ritual and Wicker Man

saw it without knowig a thing and it was amazing! Watch it for yourself reader

Would you (i'm talking about anyone here) recommend I see Hereditary or Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom tomorrow? I'm really stuck with what to decide as i've heard mixed reviews from both films - and i'd sort of like someone to compare the two for me. Thanks

Great review as ever from Kermode, even if I disagree. Hereditary grabbed me from the word go and didn't let me relax, I'm still thinking about it 2 days later. I fully understand what he's saying, but it's a film that challenges us, encourages dialogue and discussion, and it has some sensational performances and camerawork. I'm a huge fan.

I thought the same thing when First Reformed and You Were Never Really Here, were advertised as the new Taxi Driver (my favorite film and what I think is the best film of all time) but they both ended up being quite amazing. I did have a sense of dread going in to them though because they had been compared to the incomparable.

I disagree with this review completely. It’s spectacular through and through. The only thing I agree with is his comparison to The Witch and It Comes at Night.

I think the “Don’t Look Now” comparison I keep hearing is pretty apt. I really enjoyed Hereditary.

Quite shocked was expecting a glowing review from Mr Kermode still going to watch this at the cinema though hope am not disappointed.......

Russ Wilson I know what you mean, I saw Hereditary last night and while I wasn't freaked out at the time I now find myself unable to get the film out of my mind and not wanting to look in the dark corners of my home.

In the theater I saw it in (The Colonial, original shooting location for The Blob! when the teens run from the cinema) two people left because they found the film two scary. I regret that I did not ask the usher who told me this when exactly that was since I did not find it particularly affecting, save for that one moment you mentioned. I really want to talk to someone who had this terror-ride experience of the film because I agree with you that, most likely, they are not big horror fans. While watching I kept thinking, "Is this good, do I like this?" which is probably not a good sign. Here's hoping the director learned the lessons he needed to learn for his next one.

I loved this film a great deal. That’s the beautiful thing about the enjoyment of film. It’s so darn subjective. For me this film really stayed with me long after the credits but I totally get that it’s not everyone’s cuppa

I felt nothing from this film, but I wanted to like it after everything I heard before going in

I thought it was good, even the ending. It must be hard to marry a grim family drama with witchcraft/devil worship which is a kind of kooky subject. I enjoyed it, as I came out though I thought of Ti West's 'House of The Devil' which I prefer. I think once the movie had turned to delirious madness it really should have pulled out all the stops and gone completely nuts. There's a very good film breakdown/discussion on the Screen Junkies KZfaq channel.

Wow a barracuda jacket. I used to have one in 1977. lining looks the same but I think the cuffs are made different. Now I want one again. About the movie anyway. I loved the movie. I had no expectations. I enjoyed that they did not spoon feed you what was going on. I like hearing everyone's take on it.

I thought it was decent but not amazing or anything. The last 20 minutes or so were enjoyably batshit, but it took too long to get there. And I think The Witch did the whole 'watch a family fall apart horribly' thing a lot better. On a side note, how is Alex Wolff supposed to be the child of Toni Colette and Gabriel Byrne?

This movie was the most terrifying film I’ve ever seen. It’s not the VISUALS or the “scares” that make it terrifying. It’s the disturbing core of this film that feels unsettling and it only becomes more unsettling the more I think about it. None of those other horror movies this one is compared to had that same effect on me. Mark, you’re entirely wrong.

I felt unnerved from beginning to end and as never sure what was real and what wasn't. It was visually stunning and the actors brought their characters to life very effectively. Also, I would love to study a course in Psycho-geography.

Haven't seen the film but, wow, 0:50 this little scene clip is really familiar and believable to me.

I don't know if the Good Doctor has ever paralleled my own opinion so exactly

Just watched this movie again for the umpteenth time. I still think this is one of the best horror movies (or any kind of movie) of our generation. I think the only thing I would change about it is cutting the last 60 seconds of dialogue. I would end it when Charlie/Paimon/Peter has the crown placed on his/her/its head. Nothing needed explaining after that.

I guess Mark Kermode does not have an unstable family

Its very rare I disagree with Mark but, on this occasion, I think he's judging this one too harshly. I went into this film cold (unaware of comparisons and with no expectations) and found myself completely immersed in the unpredictability of it all. The final act perhaps can be accused of being familiar, but I still enjoyed it. There were at least 5 genuine scares for me and for a modern horror, that's almost unheard of in my horror experiences. Toni Collette is incredible, by the way.

Hereditary is brilliant. Kermode doesn't appreciate Aster's radical approach. As far as film form goes -Aster walks a fine line. but more importantly he successfully places the viewer inside this woman's dreadfully traumatized mind. at the end you wake out of one nightmare only to find that reality has turned into another. Merciless and truly ghastly - this film brought my psyche to its knees.

All the classics you mentioned had endings that divided at the time, which we easily forget. The Shining was up for Razzies, not Oscars. This film is truly original, and told with great skill. It offers some of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen in a horror film. Criticizing a film for swinging for the fences, even if you questioned a few decisions, when it is this well made is disappointing. Prediction: You will reverse your position on this film and frankly, in 10 years you'll use it as a basis for criticizing another original film.

I saw this movie here in Brazil more than a year after its release. Like most people, I'm an horror movie fan, saw all the classics, lots of crappy ones too, and so on. My point is: "Hereditary" blew my mind away. Can't remember exactly the last horror movie that led me to this kind of feeling. Maybe "The Shinning". If someone still haven't seen it, forget expectations. They will probably ruin the experience. Watch it like nothing is happening, and just wait...

I went in fresh and was absolutely floored by this flick. I haven't seen pacing this good in years. It ratcheted up to an amazing crescendo that was so creepy to me.

“What a shame.” You nailed it Mark! The comparison to The Exorcist is totally baffling. It wasn’t very scary. And anyone who says that they made sense of the plot connections without googling or YouTubing is being dishonest. Poor storytelling but with moments of brilliance.

Just watched this for the second time since first release, and it scared me 10 times more for some reason

I watched it on my own at night in the dark, for full terrifying effect! I had no problem sleeping but it was still more scary than The Babadook overall. I pretty much agree with his opinion. It's not a total waste of time, I'm glad I gave it a go.

I thought it was brilliant, saw this 2 days ago and haven't been able to get it out of my head since, so unsettling, it'll be interesting to see it again knowing how it all works out in the end with all the clues in the film. It was bound to polarize as most horror does, especially horror that has had great praise, it's not going to work for everyone, just like The Witch.

Just watched this and I kinda agree with this though I was absolutely floored by the movie. I did really think it was gonna be more of a psychological horror and a look at how grief affects us (like The Babadook) but then the whole spiritism thing just took off..

I liked The Exorcist 3 except the end. Just like Hereditary it had an atmospheric and suspenseful build up to an anticlimactic ending. With The Exorcist 3, the studio interfered and demanded that ending. I wonder if something similar happened with this film.

I really enjoyed the movie, wierd and creepy buildup, then head smashed, more creepy buildup and ending that felt like a mental sucker punch that leaves you reeling.... 9 out of 10.... Oh I nearly forgot.... Hail Paimon!!!!

I love horror, like, LOVE it. Whenever the endless parade of bad horror movies, which is to say most of them, get reviewed, people remorselessly pick apart their cliches, tropes, etc. as well they should. Whenever one comes along that is clearly TRYING to be better, different, patient, ACTUALLY SCARY, people....do the exact same thing. Honestly, we're never going to tip the scales in favor of more and better genre films if we can't be more generous to those brave directors/producers/writers risking their necks to be different and move things along for the better. I loved Hereditary. Is it perfect? No. But I'd put it up to be remembered in 35 years.

Did anyone else have a problem with that cluck? It was probably eerie in a quiet auditorium, but I saw it with a rowdy audience who kept copying it - and because it was easy to copy, I wasn’t always sure if it was a scare from the movie or just some audience member who thought they were funny. Messed the suspense right up. A weird noise is a good idea, but another time, I hope the director realises that audiences aren’t always well-behaved and goes with something that isn’t so easy to imitate! Other than that, totally agree with Mark. Strong opening, great aesthetic, spoiled by a plot that lost its focus after the first act.

I didn't know anything about the movie, I just randomly watched it. It was good up to the young girl's death. The mother's acting is really good! After a while into the movie, I was waiting for it to be over, I started to think it was some kind of weird parody. Glad to find out I wasn't the only one seeing the weird comedic scenes.

A friend suggested a movie. THE HAUNTING 1963. No thanks its old and black & white. However i watched it last night on my own . IT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME !! Tonight I'm sleeping with the lights on...

Wish I'd seen this review before going to watch it. Had seen all the "scariest movie of the year" claims and came away thoroughly underwhelmed. Didn't really deliver on any front for me. A few good moments but very much a curate's egg.

I’m kinda still trying to figure out what I think of the movie. Many in cinema laughed at the end when I watched, which was not the intention I guess. It’s stuck with me though and I have no doubt that Toni Collette has made one of the great performances. I may need to watch again for forth time.

New studio?

Kermode seems to be a victim of overhype. I feel this film will stand the test of time more so then The Witch, and It comes at night. He just may make a video in the coming years discussing how Hereditary is a cult classic and has grown on him. It’s a perfect combo of art house and popcorn horror.

Hereditary is a very good horror film in quite a low point for the genre. It was refreshing and at times somewhat unsettling. Unlike Kermode I didn't go into this expecting The Exorcist and pre decided that anything that fell short of that will not suffice, however, having seen Friedkin's masterpiece at the cinema when it first came out still to this day is an experience which no other horror film has ever been able to even come close to.

"So far so babadook"...that will stick

this film was great om its own regardless of any comparison and don't forget that this was a debut...got to disagree with the good doctor...was engaged for the whole film. 9/10 more like this please

Just watched it, didn't know much about it and hadn't seen any reviews. Absolutely shat myself.

as a horror fan i find it great honestly. i don't see the 'generic' plot Mark is referring to. yes there are some cliches in the framework, but their execution is rather unique and nuanced, as compared to you typical similar films. i have a feeling it's one of those films where the naysayers will retract some of their negative remarks as time goes on.

I would consider myself "immersed in horror", and I really liked the film. I have to say that I'm a little puzzled by Mark's review here; I usually really like his takes, even if I don't 100% agree with them myself, but I have no idea where he's coming from on this one to be honest.

Saw Hereditary yesterday and it blew me away. I'm not a massive horror junkie so perhaps it seemed more original to me than it would do to someone who is very familiar with horror tropes etc. But I enjoyed every second, even the comparatively goofy ending. I really enjoyed the Babadook but feel that Hereditary is a much better film

Just watched it for the first time. Wow this was fantastic. I'd consider it more "suspense" than horror, but it's brilliantly original. It works as a captivating drama as much as horror. It's scary too, but regardless of what genre you classify it, I'd consider it nomination caliber cinema. Collette is sensational, and there's an epically crazy ending. For people who like it, I think they might like Red State, and vice versa.

It maybe because of the hype surrounding the film but I just didn't find it scary at all. The scene where it peaks for me is just after when the brother drives the sister towards the hospital and swerves. It was exhilarating. After Toni attends the support group , nothing the movie threw at me was on that level of tension or horror. They get Toni to do a few gruesome things like saw her own neck of while hanging from the ceiling but nothing is as effective. I don't understand the Oscar buzz that surrounded her performance. Despite that, Alex Wolff puts in a solid performance throughout the movie. I absolutely am fascinated by the concept. It's clearly a very well thought of idea and it is clear a lot of thought was put into it. I really like the eeriness surrounding the plot than how it played out. I understand many people praise Hereditary for breaking the tropes of generic horror movies with one example being Toni crawling on the ceiling in the background but O don't think it's enough to justify the rest of the movie. As I said, I probably didn't like the movie due to the unescapable hype surrounding it but I tried my best to avoid it.

I want to have the option to replace all swearing in movies with bird noises. Crows and Ravens is a great option.