After a number of acclaimed short films, writer-director Ari Aster bursts onto the feature film scene with one hell of a debut. The buzz surrounding Hereditary has been steadily intensifying since its Sundance premiere in early 2018—and with very, very good reason. This assured piece of filmmaking is designed to unnerve, and it does so almost relentlessly across its two-plus-hour runtime.

Toni Collette delivers what may well be her finest performance to date as Annie Graham, a mother faced with one shocking development after another. Her children—peculiar young Charlie (Milly Shapiro) and teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff)—as well as her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), aren’t about to fare any better. We meet the Graham family shortly after the death of the family’s matriarch. It’s quickly made clear that this woman was not the easiest to live with, yet her absence lingers heavily—especially for Annie and Charlie, the latter having shared a particularly close bond with her grandmother.

From there, things take a sharp and increasingly eerie turn. There are dark forces at play, and the film creeps forward at a measured pace that may surprise those expecting a barrage of jump scares. Much of Hereditary unfolds like a grim family drama, steeped in grief and tension, but Aster constantly teases the sinister undercurrent with unsettling visuals and clues. Is it scary? Absolutely—though not in the conventional sense. It’s the kind of horror that seeps under your skin, relying on disturbing tone and nightmarish imagery rather than overt shocks. The dread builds steadily before culminating in a harrowing crescendo of events that are likely to stay with you long after the credits roll.

Aster’s screenplay succeeds in avoiding monotony by staying deeply character-focused. The emotional turmoil is as front and centre as the narrative twists, and the cast is uniformly excellent. Byrne is compelling as a man trying to hold things together amid increasing chaos, and Shapiro makes a strong impression as the enigmatic Charlie. Wolff, meanwhile, turns in a devastating performance as Peter, utterly convincing in his slow descent into panic and guilt. But it’s Collette who towers above all—her emotionally raw, utterly exhausting turn is genuinely Oscar-worthy.

Aster is backed by a strong creative team that ensures the film remains tonally consistent. Colin Stetson’s (Blue Caprice) haunting score subtly ramps up the tension, peaking at just the right moments without ever becoming overbearing. Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski contributes with carefully composed shots rich in detail, often inviting you to scour the frame for things you might have missed—an approach that only deepens the unease.

That said, a few minor drawbacks do emerge. The film’s deliberate pacing is generally effective, but it does feel slightly overstretched in the first half. There’s also an exposition-heavy reveal towards the end that comes across as a bit too blatant following so much prior subtlety. And while Hereditary is more about disturbing execution than originality, seasoned horror fans may find some of its final-act turns a little familiar. Still, these are small quibbles in an otherwise powerful experience.

Hereditary grabs hold like a vice and doesn’t loosen its grip until you’re wincing, chuckling nervously, and finally exhaling as the credits begin. And then—hours, maybe days later—you’ll catch your mind returning to certain scenes, the film’s most chilling images still flickering in the corners of your memory.