Board 8 > I'm watching a horror movie every day this month and writing about them

(+) Yeah! (+)

I fucking love Halloween. I love October in general, actually. Its my favorite month of the year a time when folks who love horror get an excuse to dive deep into their libraries and maybe even get some of their pals to partake in some spooky fun!

Thisll be my third year doing a month-long movie fest like this, and while I consider myself a big fan of horror, there are quite a few heavy hitters that I havent seen. In an attempt to remedy that, this year is mostly dedicated to rounding up a bunch of films Ive really been wanting to get around to, including many that came out in just the last year or two! That said, Ill still be sprinkling in some favorites, so thisll also be a chance for me to gush about those.

This is mostly just to help me get into the spirit of the holiday and organize my thoughts after each movie, but if I can maybe give folks a chance to have some fun following along, so much the better. Obviously were a little more than week into this thing so Ill be blasting through my first pack of movies in short order here.

READER BEWARE, YOURE IN FOR A SCARE!

---

I guess as a heads up, Im going to be marking spoilers as I go through this. I know it might turn the topic into a block of redacted text at times, but if folks want to read this for ideas of movies to watch, I dont want them to have to worry about getting spoiled. Anyway, time to get this rolling!

Our first film is so good it really blew my mind.
---

Day 1: Scanners

Premise: In a world where people known as Scanners have mysteriously developed telekinetic powers, vagabond Cameron Vale is enlisted to track down a powerful Scanner using his abilities to sow terror.

My first time: Yes!

Were starting off really strong! Human mutations and all manner of mental powers are super far up my alley, and this movie is really cool in how it conceptualizes them. As Id expect from David Cronenberg, the imagery of these powers being used can be downright uncomfortable at times, particularly in the final confrontation between Vale and Revok. One of my favorite things about the film is the audio cue that plays when someone is being scanned it really evokes the feeling of something wrong inside your head, like what you hear when you see a blinding light and shut your eyes too tight.

The story is gripping and following Vale as he steadily unravels how this world functions (or doesnt, in many cases) is a thrill. Stephen Lack, who doesnt have too many other credits to his name, turns in a great performance as Vale, with fantastic support from the likes of Michael Ironside and Patrick McGoohan, the latter of whom played my favorite character in the film.

I was already hooked by the tone and steady world-building of the movie, but having a dudes head burst like a fucking watermelon less than 14 minutes into the film was the moment the movie completely grabbed me, and it never once let go after that.

The big reveal that Vale and Revok are both Dr. Ruths sons and powerful Scanner prototypes was a neat twist that cast Ruths character in an even more fascinating light than he already was. This is a guy who honestly believed he could jump start human evolution, but completely ruined everything because he himself wasnt human enough. His scenes with Vale were consistently some of my favorites, and seeing Vale walk away slightly changed from each of them until he was capable of pulling shit like Scanning through a phone and ultimately defeating Revok was a delight.

Next time: A film I wanted to like, but it came up far too short.
---

Day 2: Leprechaun

Premise: One of the Wee Folk gets his pot of gold stolen and sets out to get it back

My first time: Yes!

Ah geez. Things were looking so good on the first day, but then this happened.

This movie is a lot of fun to laugh at but holy cannoli its not good. My first question from the opening scene was how are they ever going to make this little guy threatening? The answer is basically that they never do. The titular leprechaun, played by Warwick Davis - who you might know better as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi gets way more laughs than screams in this picture. The laughs are less oh, how clever and more holy shit this is stupid, though.

I was actually pretty intrigued to see Jennifer Aniston play a final girl, considering what her later roles are like, but this movie didnt deliver. Throughout the entire film, it just feels like the stakes are far too low. None of the main cast die, and when you have your horror villain get the shit beaten out of him in the prologue AND his first major confrontation with the main cast, it just doesnt do much to make him threatening. The leprechaun's goofy antics, one liners and quirks make him fun enough to see on screen especially the wheelchair chase in the hospital, jesus what a ridiculous scene but overall this movie is just written far too poorly for me to ever recommend it to anyone, even as a comedy.

Next time: A whole lot of blood on the dance floor.
---

Very cool, I do this every year too! Minus the writing though.

Scanners is top tier, absolutely classic Cronenberg.

I was never a big fan of Leprechaun, they're all very stupid and not funny for the most part.
---

tagging for movie ideas

gonna watch Human Centipede and Hostel 2 either tonight or tomorrow
---

Day 3: Carrie (1976)

Premise: Social outcast Carrie White gets invited to the high school prom. Things go badly.

My first time: No

Alright, in an attempt to wash out the taste of Day 2s green shit, I popped in one of my favorites!

Carrie is an absolute best-in-class movie when it comes to build-up. Exaggerated personalities of some of the characters aside, nothing too crazy is happening for the majority of the movie, but the story is so well-paced and so peppered with things to get you invested that it works fantastically as it leads up to one of the craziest pay-offs Ive ever seen. Thats all I can say about this without spoilers so seriously, do yourself a favor and watch this if you havent.

Okay, what absolutely makes this movie is how insanely impactful the big moment is. Carries growth is amazing in this movie shes downright pitiable at the start and seeing her slowly blossom, stand up to her abusive mother and have a great time at prom is all incredible.

One of my favorite things about the prom itself before everything goes nuts is the camera work. The insanely long, continuous shot as Carrie walks in for the first time is great, but theres another moment that really blows me away here. Its when Carrie and Tommy are making their way on to the dance floor. As they walk out, you can see a lot of dirty looks and negativity coming from the people around them, but as they move and start to dance, the camera naturally works its way to a lower shot, so that all you can see is Carrie and Tommy having a great time.

Carries walk up to be crowned prom queen is such a powerful moment. The music, the camera work, the acting everything is PERFECTLY showing that this is the best moment of this girls life. Even though you know things are about to go to shit, you wish, you PRAY that they dont, because youve come to care for this girl and she deserves to be happy, damn it. But then everything goes south.

The bucket falling, the shock and awe of it all and the madness that follows is in my opinion THE most explosive moment in cinema history, just for how utterly insane it is compared to everything else in the movie. The whiplash from high school drama to the unceasing whirlwind of death and horror is unbelievable. No matter how many times I watch this movie, it blows me away all over again each time.

Next time: No more clowning around
---

You can feel the tension just THINKING about that scene, it's what pure horror is made of for sure. Despite being the first, there's really only a handful of future King adaptations that can really stand up to Carrie.
---

Oh hey, speaking of King adaptations...

Day 4: IT (2017)

Premise: An evil entity haunts a group of children in the town of Derry

My first time: No

I could throw in a knock against the Carrie remake here, but Ill just say that THIS is how you do a remake. Holy hell.

Much to my surprise, this movie ended up utterly replacing the original 1990 IT for me. Not that the original was particularly incredible or anything, but I didnt expect this to be SO GOOD. Its so smart, so well written, and has such a great understanding of the childlike fear at the heart of ITs first arc. Each of the characters here get their little moments to shine, which not only makes for a good movie, but will be important in setting the stage for Part 2, which hasnt come out yet.

There are a couple of scenes here that I think are some of the best in recent horror history. Im mostly thinking of the projector scene and pretty much everything that happens when the Losers Club enters the house for the first time.

But what REALLY makes this is none other than Pennywise, the Dancing Clown himself. I dont want to bash Tim Currys original performance here I love Tim Curry and some of his scenes in the 1990 version have brought me a ton of joy. But he was just too silly. Bill Skarsgard, on the other hand, is basically perfect. He perfectly balances entertaining and creepy with help from an incredible visual design when this guys on camera, he just oozes fear. Just look at this shit.



The 2017 IT manages to be a rip-roaring summer adventure while also being a legitimately well done horror movie. Im very excited to see what this team can do with the second half of the story it feels like a really tall order, but theyve definitely earned my trust with this film.

Next time: Angels, demons and Keanu Reeves
---

Tag
---

I've seen the 2017 IT twice now and I liked it a lot better the second time around. A lot of the jump scares are very pointless and ineffectual but the movie really shines when Pennywise is just doing his clown schtick or playing psychological games on the kids.

I still prefer the 1990 version because Tim Curry's Pennywise honestly still gives me nightmare till this day. That movie made me absolutely scared of clowns so it's hard for me not to give it the edge. Plus it just has that 90s King charm with the hammy acting and strangely nostalgic, small town atmosphere.
---

Tim Curry's performance does feel a lot closer to what you might expect from a real life clown, so I can totally understand preferring his take if that fear hit you as a kid. I've personally never been afraid of clowns so Skarsgard's much more alien, uncomfortable performance hit me a lot harder.
---

1990 IT has more personality, I guess? It really comes down to Tim Curry. 2017 IT felt more general horror. I agree that 1990 IT is bad and stupid, but it's also weird and fun.

WA HA

WA HA

WA HA

WA HA

WA HA
---

If Chapter Two has any version of KISS ME, FAT BOY I'm going to actually scream in my theater.
---

I really hope it has, "Why is it so MEAN?"
---

Xiahou Shake posted...

If Chapter Two has any version of KISS ME, FAT BOY I'm going to actually scream in my theater.

If they have the scene, it'll be with them as adults.
---

Day 5: Constantine

Premise: Occult detective John Constantine takes on the biggest case of his career

My first time: Yes!

Okay so maybe this isnt STRICTLY a horror movie but its drenched enough in the occult that I felt like it fit the season.

Im a big Keanu Reeves fan. Back when I was a kid, I used to join everyone else in making fun of his acting but two John Wick films and a subscription to /r/KeanuBeingAwesome later, Ive come to actually love the guy. So I was pretty pumped to watch this after hearing some mixed talk about it. It... kind of delivered?

Ive read a bit of the Hellblazer comics and Keanu's portrayal of John Constantine here isnt quite right. The snappy wit and cavalier attitude just isnt there, but Id be quicker to blame the writers than Keanu on this one. I can almost buy it as an alternate reality, super burned-out Constantine at the end of his career, so thats what I pretend this is!

I wont try to say this is a great movie by any kind of objective measurement, but I do think its a lot of fun! The Christian mythos is used to great effect here and provides lots of excuse for cool action and ideas. Holy water in the sprinklers is a particularly cool one. Also Peter Stormare gives a really neat portrayal of Lucifer in his one scene I could almost believe that if the devil existed he might act something like that.

This movies best strength is how rich it manages to make the world feel. Through its visuals and exposition, its able to give you juuuust enough of a glimpse of this bigger world superimposed on our own to make you hungry for more as we see Constantine move, deduce, shoot and brawl his way through it.

Overall this is probably one of the better comic book movies to come out before the MCU established a winning formula for this kind of thing. It was definitely enough to get me interested in reading the rest of Hellblazer!

Next time: A movie that has more to do with Halloween than a movie actually called Halloween.
---

Day 6: Trick r Treat

Premise: A bunch of parallel stories follow different people as weird things happen on Halloween night

My first time: Yes!

This one was really hyped up for me, and it actually lived up to it very well!

Trick r Treat wasnt my first time to the rodeo with writer/director Michael Dougherty that would be his Christmas horror Krampus, which Id say was good but not great. That being the case I wasnt super excited about this, but wow, his heart was really in this one!

As I said in my opening post, I love Halloween, and I havent seen a single other film that so thoroughly understands all the elements that roll together to make the holiday what it is. The urban legends, the historic roots, the frights, getting super drunk and horny, traditions, trick or treating, parties, horror movies its all here!

I was hooked really early on with this one. Starting off with the comedic yet twisted story with the serial killer principal was a great way to ease folks in to the myriad flavors of horror covered by the other stories. Theres honestly so much to like here that Id wager any lover of horror will probably find something here up their alley.

Personally my favorite by far was the home invasion story at the end with Sam and old man Kreeg. The excitement of realizing you were finally at Sams story after he kept popping up in all of the others was great, and this idea of a killer that hunts down people who dishonor the holiday, while nothing special by itself, was super cool when cast against the people showing up in the rest of the film.

If you like or have ever liked the idea of Halloween as a holiday, I can promise you this film is worth your time.

Supposedly Dougherty is looking to get a sequel made after he finishes up work on the new Godzilla movie! Plenty to be excited about now that Ive found how great his work can be.

Next time: One of the hottest horror movies of 2017, and the final straw in my wanting to make this topic!
---

Alright, I'm getting ready to head out for the night, and I want to take my time with the write-up for Day 7, so expect both Day 7 and 8 write-ups tomorrow! After that I'll do my best to keep this updated daily.

My list for the rest of the month is pretty fluid, so if anyone wants to recommend anything after reading my reactions to the movies I post about, please feel free! I'd be really excited to see what some of Board 8's favorite horror flicks are.
---

I basically attempted this 5 years ago but couldn't quite keep up, so good luck to you lol

I agree that the new It crushed it and was a lot of fun, much better than the TV miniseries overall.
---

I dunno if you would count it, but I enjoy Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. Its mostly fun because of the characters Johnny Messner and Eugene Byrd play. I dunno if Id call it a legit good movie, but its a good time to me

Trick r Treat is awesome, the only segment I find kinda weak is the one about the female werewolves.
---

The only thing I remember about Constantine is the ending where Keanu Reeves flips off Satan.
---

Event Horizon is still up there for me when it comes to Horror movies.
---

Snake5555555555 posted...

Trick r Treat is awesome, the only segment I find kinda weak is the one about the female werewolves.

Yes, but it was satisfying to see the tables turn on the principal.

Is there still a sequel happening to that? I hope so.
---

Day 7: Get Out

Premise: Things get weird when a white girl takes her black boyfriend home to meet the parents

My first time: Yes!

And heeeere weeeee go. This was the movie that tipped the scales and made me want to make this topic. I was legitimately exploding with the desire to talk about this as soon as the credits rolled, but none of my IRL friends have seen it and most movie boards have long passed it over by now.

This movie is ridiculously good. I spent years musing how odd it was that between Key and Peele, Key seemed to be going on to be this big success while we hadnt heard much from Peele. But then Peele wrote/directed this and holy cow did the tables turn.

Its definitely best to go into this one blind, so the rest of this will be spoiler marked. Just go see it especially if youre white or black. Theres some incredible social commentary here and the tension is just fantastic.

Okay, so obviously this is a satire. I know on some level its silly to gush so much about a movie that, when you get right down to it, is The Stepford Wives but with racism but its just that well executed!

Theres a lot going on here and Im not going to even attempt to unpack all of it but I will say this movie is great about showing just how racist people who claim to be colorblind can be. Shit like My man, I know Tiger! and I wouldve voted for Obama a third time are all things I can 100% imagine my (very white) family saying if my sister brought a black boyfriend home.

While you can definitely argue that actually being a horror movie isnt really the top priority here compared to the overall message, I think the end result is insanely effective. The tension gets so high here that I was practically wiggling in my chair at times. Scenes like when Chris goes upstairs and everyone else simultaneously stops talking as soon as hes out of earshot and the bingo silent auction are just so good at driving home how fucked up the situation is; and the conversations with Logan, Walter and Georgina are skin-crawlingly disturbing.

Throughout the entire film, you feel like the only actually human connection Chris has is with Rose and then she turns out to be the least human of them all! The you know I cant give you these keys line punches like a freight train and her transformation into full-blown psychopath in the films final act gives off this awful feeling of revulsion at how pure fucking evil she is.

Things actually get so tense towards the end of the second act that I was legitimately thankful for the comic relief side plot with Rod. I cant remember the last time I was so glad to have something to clear the air, and the fact that his scenes were so hilarious helped that even more.

This movie made me feels things that cinema hasnt made me feel in a long time. Im eager to see what Jordan Peele has up his sleeve for future projects with a directorial debut this powerful.

Next time: Another directorial debut, this one for a gent whos in the news today!
---

Day 8: Slither

Premise: Space slugs come to a rural American town and start snatching bodies

My first time: Yes!

I was tickled pink to wake up today and see the James Gunn/Suicide Squad 2 news after just watching his directorial debut the night before!

As a bit of backstory, I used to walk by this movie all the time during the sunset years of video rental stores. The cover/poster image is totally burned into my brain, but Id forgotten the title imagine my delight when I saw Id be finding out what this movie was all about!

Its pretty good! Hard to say theres anything really original at work here, but what sells it are the visuals, the dialogue and that certain Eau Du James Gunn that brings it all together. Seeing the likes of Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker and Elizabeth Banks in a movie like this was a treat, too!

I feel like the movie takes just a smidge too long for things to really get rolling, but the moment when the police walk in to find Brenda pregnant with the worms is a really great scene and everything else from then on picks up significantly. Grants final, fleshy form is especially well-done and is an excellent moment of body horror.

Easily the most interesting thing about this movie for me was that Grants consciousness continued to linger in the slug hive mind. Its not something I was expecting to carry to the end of the movie, and gives the whole thing a symbolic weight when cast against Starlas kind of gross marriage with Grant. (I might be reaching a bit here, but her having the best sex of her life with the slug only to find out its a disgusting monster later on definitely feels like its trying to say something about relationships like the one shes in here.)

Outside of that, theres not much else to say here. Plenty of laughs, some gross-out moments and a fun little romp. You could do a lot worse with an hour and a half!

The best line of the film, by the way: Goddamn Brenda exploding like a water balloon, worms driving my friends around like they're goddamn skin-cars, people are spitting acid at me, turning you into cottage cheese, and now there's no FUCKING, GODDAMN, MR. PIBB!?

Next time: Were doubling down on body horror, this time with a high-brow twist!
---

Yesss the Mayor is so great because that part

I was so surprised that the mayor wasn't one of the first characters to die, but I ended up being glad he wasn't! Dude had some absolute gems after shit hit the fan.
---

Is The Langoliers on the list? I need to know.
---

I hope Jacob's Ladder is on here, as it's an amazing movie (and more or less the inspiration for everything in the first Silent Hill)
---

Shaduln posted...

Is The Langoliers on the list? I need to know.

This is one of the only King adaptations I haven't seen, actually! If you want to recommend it, I'll throw it into the mix. (Can't say for sure when it'll actually pop up, though.)

DeathChicken posted...

I hope Jacob's Ladder is on here, as it's an amazing movie (and more or less the inspiration for everything in the first Silent Hill)

I've seen Jacob's Ladder and it's fantastic. I love it so much that it might make it on to this year's list as a rewatch, but I can't make any promises!
---

I recommend Hereditary being on the list
---

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

I recommend Hereditary being on the list

It is! I'm incredibly intrigued by some of what I've heard, and it was one of the first movies I knew I wanted on this year's list. Odds of it showing up in the next few days are very high.
---

I don't know if "recommend" is the right word, but I think you would enjoy yourself at least somewhat.

(SFX are exactly what you would expect from a 90s tv mini series)
---

The less you know about Hereditary going in, the better I think. It's really something special.
---

Day 9: Society

Premise: High schooler Bill Whitney starts to notice bizarre things happening as he questions whether he really fits in with his wealthy family

My first time: Yes!

Hoo boy, this was a fun one!

This came highly recommended from a horror-loving friend of mine after he heard I was watching Slither. I didnt know anything about it going in besides that body horror somehow factored in, and it was a hell of a ride!

Definitely more of a campy affair than the last few movies Ive seen, but I enjoy that kind of thing and it was a nice change of pace.

Surprisingly, each act of this movie is really strong at something entirely different! I was particularly impressed at how alienated they manage to make both the main character and the audience feel in the first third. A ton of stories have a teenager say that he feels like he doesnt belong, but you can FEEL it in this case. Stuff like the scene where the family are admiring the slug harvest and the creepy incestuous tone that pervades the movie really drive home that Billy is an outsider to whatevers happening behind the curtains here.

As the second act gets rolling, we get some nice tension building and fun mystery as Billy begins to dig in to the conspiracy surrounding him. It was very cool (and understandable) seeing him become more and more unglued as the familiar became increasingly alien to him.

And the finale Christ on roller-skates, Im not even sure what to say. As all the members of society melted into a fleshy, murderous sexfest, I honestly didnt know whether to laugh or be disgusted. There was plenty of both! The visuals were spectacular and honestly by themselves made the whole movie worth it. There was so much to laugh at here, but between how depraved it all was together with the extreme classist tone, I just couldnt help but wish the building caught fire and took all of this nastiness with it.

But we didnt get that! While the main characters do escape, Society is largely free to continue carrying on as they have been, with the last line of the film referencing their involvement in national politics. Our protagonists may have made it out of this scrape, but what will the future hold for them? It isnt so easy to stop Society, just as it isnt easy to fix the class divide in America, I suppose. The ending pretty purposefully left a bad taste in our mouths, and with how crazy this film ending up being, it was one hell of a way to send a message.

Spoilers for both Get Out and Slither: I thought it was kind of funny how this movie had qualities from both of the last two movies Ive watched! Slither definitely took some visual cues from this for its climax, and Get Out had a very similar feeling of isolation like the main character is the only sane person in a crazy world.

I actually ended up liking this one quite a bit! Ive got a soft spot for movies that escalate a perfectly normal fear to absurd levels not fitting in is a very relatable fear, and Id struggle to think of anything more absurd than where this movie ends up going! If youre at all in to body horror, Id give this one a hearty recommend.

Next time: More body and less horror! A fun palate cleanser before getting a bit darker for a while.
---

Day 10: Elvira Mistress of the Dark

Premise: Elvira, the TV horror host with the huge talent, clashes with residents of a morally uptight small town when she inherits a dusty old mansion

My first time: No

This one is purely a nostalgia bomb for me youll probably enjoy this movie if you like boobs, double entendres and cheap laughs. Those three (or four) things are all this movie really has, but it has a whole lot of them!

I guess Ill fill up the rest of this by talking about Elvira herself, because Im honestly not sure if shes at all popular or well-known in the rest of the country!

Id wager most major horror fans in the LA/OC area know the name Elvira. With her punky, gothic vampire get-up and her iconic assets, she rose to fame in the 80s with Elviras Movie Macabre, a show that aired B-grade horror movies on one of the local networks. Sprawled out on her couch, Elvira would provide witty humor and eye candy between commercial breaks and even occasionally interrupt the movie to rib on how bad they were. You could almost think of it as a proto-Mystery Science Theater 3000 exclusively for campy horror flicks.

Her popularity hit its peak when this movie was made, but shes hung around for a surprising time, never really losing her unique charm or sense of fun. From the 80s all the way to just a couple of years ago, her original actress continued doing the annual revue for the Halloween event at a local theme park one just 5 minutes from my childhood home, in fact! I was lucky enough to see one of her last shows in person just a few years ago.

Just recently, she retired the character the fact that she was able to continue pulling off a chesty seductress all the way into her late 60s is nothing short of astounding, Id say! The movie has a I hope I look that good at that age joke that seemed especially funny now in light of how long this character stayed relevant around here.

I couldnt help but feel a small twang of sadness watching this and knowing we wont be getting any more of Elviras brand of humor, but its hard to complain about nearly 40 years of comedy! So long, Elvira, and thanks for the mammories.~

Next time: A movie I know nothing about, but I'm geneuinely excited to see!
---

This topic compelled me to finally watch Carrie. I enjoyed it, and was definitely expecting her date to be in on the sabotage. Shame the nice female friend had such a sad ending.

Day 11: Hereditary

Premise: A family goes through a rough patch after a relative dies

My first time: Yes!

Its difficult for me to overstate how much of a disappointment this movie was for me.

Before you break out the torches and pitchforks, Im not saying this is a bad movie per se just that I personally was incredibly let down by it. It was very well shot, and also well framed, written, directed, scored and so on and yet Ive been in a sour mood ever since I finished it.

Heres my big beef: this is a supernatural horror film that would, in my opinion, be INFINITELY stronger if you just stripped out the supernatural. I cant stop comparing this movie to The Babadook in that sense.

It bears noting that I absolutely ADORED the first half of this film. Exactly one hour in to the story, I was fully prepared for the possibility that this might be one of the best modern horror films Ive seen. The acting was so strong, the scenario so stunning and the atmosphere so thick that I legitimately felt the need to stop and take a breather.

There were so many incredible elements at play here early on. You had Charlie and Annie, both clearly damaged and in different ways mentally poisoned by their relationship with Ellen, the grandma. The way this damage combined with grief to creep out and rot the Graham's familial bonds (and how things compounded with Charlie's death) was really unlike anything I've ever seen.

The first half of this movie was actually kind of shockingly good. Toni Collette just runs away with her performance as Annie some of her scenes here, particularly her introduction to the support group and her explosion at dinner, are so powerful they darn near bowled me over.

Charlies death was absurdly impactful, the tension leading up to it and the sound as her head smacked the pole resulted in probably the loudest exclamation Ive never made while watching a movie.
Just watching the Graham familys relationship disintegrate and its members become increasingly unhinged is incredible but its not long before the movie decides to drop everything thats been making it amazing up to this point.

Once the spirit medium stuff started up, I really began to struggle with this film. I wanted so desperately for all of the supernatural elements to be smart and deceptive representations of the familys descent into madness from their grief and general dysfunction but it wasnt to be.

Im sorry for saying it, but I really think the entire demon plot and cult nonsense utterly destroys this film. The intrigue of this family slowly falling apart and imploding is lost when its all a needlessly elaborate plot by this outside conspiracy to provide a host for a demon. What started as a fascinating lens into what happens when familial bonds crack under pressure ends up being a much more generic (if not well-executed) plot and the movie suffers for it.
---

I just get sad imagining how much better this film would have been if Annie really HAD dug up her moms corpse, and perhaps didnt even realize it. If Joan and the medium stuff were all just delusions or dreams, and Annie was just so broken by the back-to-back deaths in her family that she wanted to kill everyone else and herself. The movie plays with these ideas repeatedly and then swerves into the infinitely less interesting angle when it comes time to lay all the cards on the table.

My head was in my hands for the entire climax. I even laughed at the scene with Annie up in the corner of Peters bedroom, because it was just a ridiculous visual indicator of how far this movie had fallen.

The inner workings of a truly broken family are so, so much more horrifying to me than anything this movie brought to fore in its second half. And its portrayal of the family in the first half was so gripping that the only lasting impact this movie had on me was lamenting how hard it dropped the ball.

If people want to disagree with this and post their own thoughts on this one, Id really love to hear them! Again, I dont think this is objectively a bad film by any measure. I just really hate what it ended up being when it had all the ingredients there to be so much more.

Phew! That was kind of a lot. I feel a bit bad that it all had to be spoiler marked, but I definitely agree that this is a movie best experienced blind. If you haven't seen it, I'd encourage you not to even check the premise! It's certainly a unique experience for whatever else I think of it, so if you're in to modern horror I'd say this is worth your time.

Ive had some social stuff pop up so well be taking a break for a day Ill have a double-header soon to make up for lost time!
---

That's unfortunate

So to me you're making it much more black and white than I think the film is going for. It is still 100% what you said in the beginning, a family failing apart and disintegrating. And it is also a cult trying to bring a demon god into the world. They are both key aspects of this film. I am SO HAPPY it went the direction it did, I feel that if it went the way you wanted it to go it would have felt tired. To me, that's just going "oh it was all in her head in the end and she's crazy". That's not nuanced to me anymore, it's cliched. And sort of offensive depending on how they treated it.

The way the ending plays out, was just SO Lynch-ian to me, and I absolutely love that. It's so surreal. I can't quite explain with how it clicks, but it does.

This movie is 100% a family drama dressed in the guise of a horror movie. And that's what makes it work so well for me. It retains both elements.

Of course, you aren't alone in your reaction. While the movie has done wonders critically, the audience rating is a decent bit lower. It's a bold choice they did. And it worked for me, utterly and completely. But it won't for everyone.
---

Oh also Hereditary to me is absolutely one of those movies that the more you think about it, the better it gets. Which is such a treasure of a feeling to have.
---

Just watched Society. WTF was that final half hour? Pure nonsense. It had so much more potential...