Hereditary (2018) - Overrated!

★★☆☆☆

Since I’m kind of immune to horror films or stuff, films that I consider truly scary are very rare. I can’t even remember when was the last time I checked out a real good one! Plus, I always feel like men are a whole lot scarier than ghosts or spirits or any kind in terms of perverted behaviors and perceptions. And as a Buddhist, I don’t believe that ghosts some claim they see sometimes are those from the Hungry Ghost Realm in Buddhism. What they actually see is merely the reflections of their distorted views or thinking. So, what they should really be scared of, or beware of, are not ghosts they see out there, but their own mind inside!

The film is highly praised by most critics saying it’s the scariest film of the year! Is it visually scary or gross like most of the horror films out there tend to be? No, I don’t think so! Atmospherically? A little bit! To be honest, I don’t quite get what’s really going on there, but I don’t really care either! It tries to sound scary right from the very beginning with eerie score but it’s not quite despite the efforts, until about 30 minutes into the film, where the accident happens to shock me in a sense. But that’s also when I started to lose my patience and interest as to what’s behind pushing it! The ending’s absolutely a turnoff or even a joke, since I don’t believe in things like God of Heaven or Kings of Hell, at least not the Heaven and Hell they perceive! ‘Hereditary’ is just overrated! The preposterous story aside, the acting also appears to be a bit too exaggerated and hysterical. The only thing left to appreciate is probably its score that is sort of spooky yet way too showy!

The film reminds me of the wrong end of obsessions. If you’re obsessed, you’re possessed! You lose control! You’re no longer your own master. Truth is, we’re never free from obsessions or habits if you will, because we’re of habits. All we can do is develop a new one to replace the old, or a so-called good one to replace the bad. Yea, it’s sad but that’s life. That’s the true suffering of Samsara!