Hereditary Review: 6 Ups And 3 Downs

4. Audience Fear Is Earned, Not Forced

Although Hereditary's slow-burn approach may be a bit too much (as discussed previously), it does have its perks. All of the build-up and effort put into establishing a tone and atmosphere makes the audience ready to be scared at all times (whether they know it or not).

The film begins with an immense sense of dread and never loses it. Audience's imaginations are constantly put to work as you're constantly wondering what horrors lie ahead. There is also, again, a very minimal usage of jump scares. Instead of any cheap tactics, the film instead offers up haunting imagery in moments of quiet, then let the audience react however they'd like. All in all, it's extremely effective.

That gradual-but-meaningful pace and story structure that Hereditary has throughout is what makes the whole experience come together. All of the film's important elements, from character relationships to tone, are established through a constructed plot that moves at a carefully-considered speed. Does it get to be a bit too slow at times? Perhaps. Would the film have worked as well without it? Probably not.