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Just Watched Hereditary. <WTF did I watch>?

Peek-a-boo!

Peek-a-boo!

Member
Oct 30, 2017
4,219
Woodbridge
Acinixys said:
The only good part was when the daughter got decapitated. My wife and I were rolling with laughter.
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I can understand chuckling at the occasional tongue clicking noise, or laughing to relieve the tension... but actually laughing at that part?!

What a completely bizarre sense of humour you and your wife have...

Thank goodness I had a decent audience at my showing.

Dalek said:
I swear when it comes to horror movies I always see this:

"I heard this movie was good."
*crosses arms*
"Challenge accepted!"
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Yep.

I even have an annoying friend like this, and the consequence of his ways is that I no longer go to the cinema with him.
 
Jhey Cyphre

Jhey Cyphre

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,113
Great movie. Good for at least one rewatch.

Obviously they cultist plan had to go off without a hitch for the ending to work. But I noticed on my rewatch that the seance thing was mentioned way before it's introduction into the story (they get a flyer about it the mail). Nice little touch.

My GF did not like the movie at all... mostly the ending I think. It does seem to come off out of left field, but on my rewatch the pieces are there.
 

Deleted member 2595

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,475
Joeku said:
I fucking love Ann Dowd but I really did not need that off-screen exposition speech right at the end. It was so unnecessary.
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Dalek said:
I feel that was added after the fact. The only negative I have towards the movie.

The creepiest part was when the son wakes up and you see his mom crawl away in the air.
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No, the speech at the end is the ultimate manifestation of the theme of "generational dictatorship" that pervades the movie.

From the start to the end almost every plot point and event in the movie is a character being told what to do or what is right or wrongwro a parent, or their heritage. This is what doess every plot point from Charlot going to the party to thingy trying the seance.

That final monologue is the ultimate satanic incarnation of this.
 
Atraveller

Atraveller

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,308
99Luffy said:
The morning after was the craziest part for me. Just hearing the mom in the background finishing her morning breakfast and getting ready to go work like shes gonna have the most normal day.

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I saw this movie in theaters and it was one of the most intense and visceral cinema experience I've ever had.

fuck watching this movie ever again lol
 
Carnby

Carnby

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,252
I also want to mention that I just happened to watch The House with a Clock in the Wall the same afternoon before watching Hereditary.


Edit: why isn't my spoiler tagged text showing? I'm on mobile.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Rewatched the movie. In hindsight, the first classroom scene basically establishes the drama and horror of the movie
...It's more tragic because if all is inevitable, then that means the characters have no hope. They never had hope because they are all like...hopeless. They are like pawns on this horrible hopelss machine."
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In many ways, the movie follows the structure of a more traditional supernatural horror movie - occult forces, possession, demonic evil - but where another family in another movie would eventually find a way to understand and defeat evil, Hereditary laughs at such notions. The tragedy and horror of the film is that this family is completely hopeless, doomed from the start, from before the start. The only thing they can do is suffer, be emotionally and psychologically manipulated with no hope or ability to fight back. The drama becomes horrifying when it's all engineered, all deliberate manipulation forced upon them.

The stranglehold is so tight and unrelenting that they're subconsciously trying to escape its grip (not bringing the Epipen, the mother trying to kill the son in her sleep, etc) but they can't. That existential doom almost feels Lovecraftian, in the sense of being trapped by something so beyond their comprehension, pawns for forces that they can't fight or even grasp, and peeking behind that veil, trying to understand and fight back, just leads to madness and despair.
 
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Z-Beat

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,912
I think the movie was longer than it needed to be. When it started I was intrigued to see where it was going (but when the mom pulled out the grandma's book I kinda guess that a cult was involved), it got really intense when the daughter got decapitated, but then the intensity from that scene just kinda slowly drains off and doesn't pick back up until the last 10 minutes, which I was also onboard with until the very end where the mom's decapitated body literally floated out of the attic and into the treehouse. It looked silly as hell and by that point I was just glad the movie was wrapping up.
 
Wispmetas

Wispmetas

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
6,546
Great movie, best horror movie experience I have ever had. So many scenes that got stuck with me after watching it, the imagery is crazy.
 

Snack12367

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,191
Joeku said:
I fucking love Ann Dowd but I really did not need that off-screen exposition speech right at the end. It was so unnecessary.
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I think I read somewhere that when this was put past testing audiences they complained that the lack of context as to what happened. The ending was there to try and resolve that. Ultimately a bad choice in my mind and the only real issue I have with the film.
 
Creamium

Creamium

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,712
Belgium
RPTGB said:
I thought Hereditary was great when it was this dark, family-based psychological drama for the first two thirds of the film but that last third undid all that and just played out another satanic cult storyline, the last few scenes just made me think of bad performance art.
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Sums up my feelings pretty well. I was so disappointed that the movie turned into a cliché cult plot after that unsettling and fantastic first half. I was completely enthralled at first because it focused on the family unraveling, but when the Ouija board and cult got introduced the movie started to fizzle out for me.
 

Snack12367

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,191
Admiral Woofington said:
If you're asking what was the ending in general then:

- The mom realizes that the friend she made who taught her to do the seance/ouija thing knew her mom

- She realized the mom and this friend alongside who knows who else was part of a cult for the Demon. And that the demon needs a male host.

- Don't know if she herself realizes it, but she knew her mom was REALLY attached to her daughter and that she wished she had been a boy. That's because the daughter was the vessel/host as far as the soul goes for the demon, or the reincarnation or some shit, but they needed the son's body.

- At the end she is possessed. If you're asking how she went from scaling around the house to the attic and decapitated herself, she must have climbed in through the open window. She was already moving at ungodly speeds, who is to say she wasnt able to speed around through the outside and get inside the attic from the window.

- The naked people around the house were part of the cult.

If you want more of an explanation, honestly the wikipedia summary was fine enough.
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I understood it that the demon prefers male hosts, but it doesn't have to. Charlie and the Gran being close, to me that meant the Gran not having enough time, had to start the ritual with Charlie. The stuff with the bird isn't foreshadowing, it's the demon attempting to take over. However everything goes horribly wrong when Charlie dies. That's why the cult doesn't immediately pursue the son. They're probably trying to reorganize and figure out the next step. The supernatural stuff doesn't really take off again until after the ritual.

However, I fully recognize I could be wrong, one thing that doesn't fit perfectly and screws my interpretation up is the pole that kills Charlie. The pole has the cult's symbol on it.
 

Objektivity

Banned
Nov 18, 2017
1,058
Creamium said:
Sums up my feelings pretty well. I was so disappointed that the movie turned into a cliché cult plot after that unsettling and fantastic first half. I was completely enthralled at first because it focused on the family unraveling, but when the Ouija board and cult got introduced the movie started to fizzle out for me.
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Just out of curiosity, what kind of ending would have satisfied you? Mom defeating the demon or?
 

Objektivity

Banned
Nov 18, 2017
1,058
You realize the whole premise is that of a horror film right? So what ending would you give it? Or just basically grandma died, daughter gets decapitated, oh well life goes on till it doesn't.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Creamium said:
I would've preferred that it was kept more close-knit to the family instead of introducing that entire cult and all the overdone tropes that came along with it.
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The ending didn't introduce the cult. It was there from the start. At the funeral, the message in the box, the mother's room, the figure watching the house, the people watching the kids from a distance, Joan, etc. They were always here, from the people at the funeral to the mom meeting Joan at the support group. It was never a close-knit family story. The family just never realized they were being manipulated the whole time, just unwitting "pawns on this horrible hopelss machine" with no hope of escape
 
Creamium

Creamium

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,712
Belgium
Objektivity said:
You realize the whole premise is that of a horror film right? So what ending would you give it? Or just basically grandma died, daughter gets decapitated, oh well life goes on till it doesn't.
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More_Badass said:
The ending didn't introduce the cult. It was there from the start. At the funeral, the message in the box, the mother's room, the figure watching the house, the people watching the kids from a distance, Joan, etc. They were always here, from the people at the funeral to the mom meeting Joan at the support group. It was never a close-knit family story. The family just never realized they were being manipulated the whole time
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Oh I know, there were hints from the start, it was the tonal shift that kinda bugged me. I love the more slow burn psychological stories and I didn't expect it to turn into something that I've seen done before (Rosemary's Baby, Kill List, House of the Devil). The first half felt unique, second half less so. As for an ending I thought the demon would start affecting the entire family and they'd torment/kill each other til only one was left. The daughter's early death was such a hard-hitting, surprising and powerful moment for me that's so hard to follow up on. Also because her performance was just fantastic and I truly didn't think they'd get rid of her that early. For me the movie peaked then and there. This might be a movie I appreciate more when I rewatch it down the line, know what's coming and look beyond what I was expecting or hoping for.
 
Dalek

Dalek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
39,073
Carnby said:
Lol. Well said.

I"ll repeat it. Scariest movie ever, my ass. It's a fine movie. But this "of all time" and "actors got PTSD" bullshit needs to stop.
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But the director of the movie isn't making this claim. You're judging a movie based on your own expectations. You need to assess a movie on its own merits.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Dalek said:
But the director of the movie isn't making this claim. You're judging a movie based on your own expectations. You need to assess a movie on its own merits.
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I really have to question if someone sees a trailer or TV spot proclaiming something "the scariest movie ever", are they actually expecting it to be the scariest thing they've ever seen? And then get disappointed when it's not the scariest movie they ever saw?

Because that's the impression I get from comments like that
 
Dalek

Dalek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
39,073
More_Badass said:
I really have to question if someone sees a trailer or TV spot proclaiming something "the scariest movie ever", are they actually expecting it to be the scariest thing they've ever seen? And then get disappointed when it's not the scariest movie they ever saw?

Because that's the impression I get from comments like that
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I love horror movies-I love the setting and circumstances, but I rarely have been scared by one. I usually feel uneasy or maybe disturbed-but a movie doesn't actually "Scare" me and that's not a negative. I can love a horror movie without being "scared" by it.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Dalek said:
I love horror movies-I love the setting and circumstances, but I rarely have been scared by one. I usually feel uneasy or maybe disturbed-but a move doesn't actually "Scare" me and that's not a negative. I can love a horror movie without being "scared" by it.
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Oh definitely, I'm the same way. The best most effective horror movies are the ones that disturb and unsettle me, make me feel uneasy and tense. My top five horror movies are The Shining, Hereditary, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Witch, Halloween, and The Thing

It's easy to "scare" someone; you just need a loud noise and something suddenly appearing on the screen. It's hard for a movie to disturb and unsettle.

I get the sense that people expect "scary" to only either be jumpscares or require you to feel like you did as a kid and be nervous to turn off the lights when you go to sleep. Like once you're old enough to understand that movies are just cinematic smoke and mirrors, they shouldn't be scaring you like that anymore because you know that it's all movie magic and effects. Thus horror can unsettle, disturb, and unease but rarely truly scare as you get older. At least that's my take on it
 
Carnby

Carnby

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,252
Dalek said:
So this is very apparent to be a "you" problem and not a problem with the product.
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Sorry fella, this movie average at best.The plot was "bin there done that" and the ending was "it was me Austin."

You don't need to attack me personally to defend this movie. It's not necessary and I'm not offended.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Carnby said:
Sorry fella, this movie average at best.The plot was "bin there done that" and the ending was "it was me Austin."

You don't need to attack me personally to defend this movie. It's not necessary and I'm not offended.
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He's not offending you. He's saying your issues with the movie are a matter of your own subjective tastes and expectations coloring how you see the movie. That it's "you" and your tastes and your perspective of the movie, and not inherently the movie itself.
 
Carnby

Carnby

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,252
Staying on top of this incredibly average movie, those burning books scenes we're so fucking corny. And for it to be the cause of death for the husband was such a half ass thought and concept. This is where the movies many flaws become apparent.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Carnby said:
Staying on top of this incredibly average movie, those burning books scenes we're so fucking corny. And for it to be the cause of death for the husband was such a half ass thought and concept. This is where the movies many flaws become apparent.
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How was that a flaw or half-assed? It ties into the themes and plot of the movie perfectly. She thought she had figured out the rules, that she had a way to gain control over the situation and save her family. But she didn't, and she never did. It was all just psychological and emotional manipulation

I think this sums up the movie best
"a story about a long-lived possession ritual told from the perspective of the sacrificial lamb"
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They're completely blind and unaware and unable to comprehend the forces at work. Like in another movie, that would be the scene where she figured out how to defeat the demon and stop what was happening.
 
Carnby

Carnby

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,252
More_Badass said:
How was that a flaw or half-assed? It ties into the themes and plot of the movie perfectly. She thought she had figured out the rules, that she had a way to gain control over the situation and save her family. But she didn't, and she never did. It was all just psychological and emotional manipulation

I think this sums up the movie best

They're completely blind and unaware and unable to comprehend the forces at work. Like in another movie, that would be the scene where she figured out how to defeat the demon and stop what was happening.
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A lack of originality, mostly.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

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Oct 25, 2017
23,644
Carnby said:
A lack of originality, mostly.
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In what way? You were expecting that to happen to the husband?

And originality is overrated. Execution is what matters; the most original concept ever doesn't mean anything if the movie isn't executed well. Many of the best horror, action, thriller movies are well-worn premises executed masterfully

Although I'd say it's quite rare for horror movies to have evil win so thoroughly. I can only think of a few, mainly the aforementioned Rosemary's Baby and Kill List. In most demonic/occult movies, the family at least eventually figures out what's happening and tries to fight back. That never happens in Hereditary

Or it turns out to be ambiguous and the hauntings was just manifestations of trauma. Which also doesn't happen in Hereditary
 
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Carnby

Carnby

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,252
More_Badass said:
In what way? You were expecting that to happen to the husband?

And originality is overrated. Execution is what matters. Although I'd say it's quite rare for horror movies to have evil win so thoroughly. I can only think of a few, mainly the aforementioned Rosemary's Baby and Kill List. In most demonic/occult movies, the family at least eventually figures out what's happening and tries to fight back. That never happens in Hereditary
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Yes. Very much so.
 
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