S1 E7: Hereditary (dir. Aster, 2018)

Crow Talk: Film Squawk

As a mother of two struggles to grieve the death of a loved one, dark secrets emerge that suggest her family may be at the center of a disturbing destiny.

Written and directed by Ari Aster // Upcoming A24 project Midsommer

The riveting Toni Collette has 72 film credits to her name, including The Sixth Sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), not to mention this years’ Hearts Beat Loud with Kiersey Clemons (Flatliners) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec).

Gabriel Byrne—man of depth and intrigue--has 89 film credits to his name, including The Usual Suspects (1995) and (hello!) Little Women (1994), not to mention this years’ An L.A. Minute ALSO starring Kiersey Clemons.

Milly Shapiro won a Tony in 2013 for Matilda the Musical; Hereditary is her film debut.

Alex Wolff killed it in 2017 by releasing four feature films: Jumanji: Return to the Jungle, My Friend Dahmer, The House of Tomorrow, and Thoroughbreds (which is possibly Rochelle’s #1 blindspot of last year).

Aunt Lydia—err, Ann Dowd—gets an IMDb link because lady is WORKING the miniseries game. Her ability to manipulate Annie in Hereditary is lovely, yes. Her complete domination (under male rule, of course) on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is epic character goodness. Her representation in film is nothing to dismiss, either, with 44 film credits to her name, including Stacy and Rochelle’s big time 2016 love Captain Fantastic (filmed right in our own PNW backyard) and this years’ American Animals.

Articles/References:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16924782/sundance-2018-horror-hit-hereditary-review-toni-collette-ari-aster-gabriel-byrne

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hereditary-sundance-2018-1078212

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/06/18/hereditary-delivers-a-new-kind-of-horror

Body Genre: (e.g., film theory) A genre of film (horror, weepies, porn) that has an effect—sensational or emotional—on the viewer’s body, forcing a physical reaction.

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