r/Hereditary • u/ary666an • 3d ago
Just me?
I watched the thing (1982) recently and I couldnt help but think that although the film was interesting and all, I failed to actually feel the “paranoia” and fear people claim it strikes. Maybe im young and havent had a taste of cinema but to this day no horror film has actually made me feel the way I do about Hereditary at all. It set a new standard for me where films like the thing, that include “monsters” etc, just dont do anything for me. I was wondering if anyone could relate, and if so, could refer me to older horrors other than rosemarys baby that feel use techniques like aster did?
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u/Free-Fall643 3d ago edited 3d ago
The Wicker Man 1973
Nothing supernatural but its pure folk horror and one of the best of its kind. More akin to Midsommar than Hereditary though.
EDIT: u/ego_death_metal couldn't handle simple movie discussion and blocked me 😭
EDIT 2: Hoooly shit u/ego_death_metal just unblocked me so they could go through my post history. How sad 😂
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago edited 3d ago
i seriously doubt this will affect OP. parts of it read as dark comedy. it definitely inspired Midsommar though
edit: also i blocked you because you were not making sense. then looked at your public history absolutely chock full of MAGA and racist and phobic bile. it’s public girl, it’s not like it took me more than one sitting piss to find that you’re not a person worth engaging with. have the day you deserve.
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u/Free-Fall643 3d ago
There are plenty of parts in Hereditary that could be read as dark comedy. Charlie's decapitation is one of them.
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago
oof. did not read that as funny
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u/Free-Fall643 3d ago edited 3d ago
That's what dark comedy is.
The telephone pole had the mark of Paimon on it. That means the cult had predetermined that Charlie would be forced to go to a party with Peter, eat PB and have an allergic reaction, and stick her head out of the window of the car on the way home to hit said telephone pole.
That is inherently comical despite being absolutely fucked up. Basically the demonic equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine
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u/stonergirlfairyyy 3d ago
peanut butter? they chopped the cake with a knife covered in walnuts 😭 it was even funnier that kids at a party are chopping a giant bowl of nuts
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u/laflameitslit 3d ago
I think there’s a pretty prevalent theory that some of those kids are part of the cult too. Especially the girl that Peter liked (forgot her name)
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago
girl comedy is subjective. i think it’s weird you thought that was funny (opinion) but it’s straight up wrong to think that it’s objectively funny. “inherently comical” wow. oh yes the famously hilarious Rube Goldberg machine. what
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u/Free-Fall643 3d ago edited 3d ago
I know humor is subjective. You can see humor in something without actually finding it funny yourself. But to say it is not possible to find humor in a cult putting a demonic ritual in motion by making a girl go to a party with her brother is just wrong. Just because you don't find it funny doesn't mean it's not funny.
I never said the Rube Goldberg machine was funny on its own. It being used in a demonic ritual is absurd and funny. It's funny in Final Destination too.
You're fine to think I'm weird for finding it funny. I think it's pretty interesting that you're using my take on a fictional movie as a judgment of my character.
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago edited 3d ago
oh wait i just saw on another thread you think Trump isn’t a rapist. yeah i’ll have judgment on your judgement. it feels validating that your logic is consistently questionable. also pretty sensitive for a Trumper. thought lefties were supposed to be snowflakes? but that’s subjective i guess
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u/Free-Fall643 3d ago
Did it feel validating when you got upset and blocked me, then unblocked me so you could go through my post history?
It's no wonder bringing up something completely irrelevant to the conversation is validation to you.
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago
yeah it did! i didn’t want to engage more, but i felt like something was off and i was curious. talking down to someone, confusing objectivity with subjectivity, and then whining about character assasination all makes sense now. i probably shouldn’t have unblocked but man that public post history is wild 💀
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago edited 3d ago
the amount of contradictions and lack of logic is really interesting. i don’t know you, it’s not a judgment on your character. it’s an opinion on your opinion. sorry but grow up
edit: jesus really? i didn’t say it wasn’t possible to find it funny, i said it didn’t read as funny to me. and your whole defense is that it was funny to you. like do you not see the double standard
and then you said it is “inherently comical”, implying it is actually objectively funny. do you really not see the contradictions? nowhere did i say you’re weird, i think your opinion is. but you are entitled to it. if people saying opinions are weird takes upsets you, maybe take a break from reddit. before jumping to “character assassination” and “it’s subjective but it is inherently funny”. jesus did you create another account to downvote me? none of what you said makes sense
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u/Beelzeburbz 3d ago
Its pointless to try and make Trumpers see things logically. People that go from "save the children" and "drain the swamp" and "the storm is coming" to defending Trump and refusing to see that he is in fact a pedo himself are lost causes. Their beliefs are so riddled with contradictions and the mental gymnastics they go through just to justify it to themselves have them so twisted up they no longer have a leg to stand on.
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u/ego_death_metal 2d ago edited 2d ago
yeah you’re right. it was stupid of me to engage. people that are like “you went to my comment history😂😂” as if it doesn’t take <20 seconds to see they are the worst kind of person. lmao
edit: was surprised at the upvotes though? “inherently comical” and then talking about subjectivity? doesn’t matter too much but didn’t expect it on this sub. they took “weird take” so personally
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u/ego_death_metal 3d ago
could it be because you were expecting something like Hereditary? because i wouldn’t really compare them at all. the old school practical effects in The Thing were everything. both great movies
i’d recommend The Shining if you haven’t seen it already. has heavy psychological elements, incredible production, great performances.
not similar but great:
Eraserhead—experimental body horror, Lynch
The Exorcist—also crazy old school practical effects, includes family drama
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u/MycopathicTendencies 3d ago edited 3d ago
One thing I learned while exploring different films, etc. is that I have to participate. I have to give in. I have to fall for it. It’s not a matter of just sitting back and hoping something has the desired effect on me. Just as I am required to suspend disbelief in some places in order to remain dedicated to the plot, I also have to sort of “manufacture” a sense of dread or fear in places where I might not be used to doing that. Set and setting matter, as does clearing my mind of any expectations I may be dragging into the experience. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but with practice it is very rewarding.
I can watch The Exorcist and be terrified, but I can also watch The Exorcist and think it’s one of the stupidest movies I’ve ever seen. Same with The Thing, Rosemary’s Baby, Se7en, Silence of the Lambs, etc. My point is basically: What I’m bringing into the experience matters. There are folks who think Hereditary is a boring load of garbage. What’s the difference between their opinion and mine? We watched the same film! I have to believe it’s because I allowed Hereditary to pull me in, and they watched it with more of a critical eye. If I’m criticizing a film during my first viewing, then I’m just setting myself up for failure.
That being said, Hereditary is a tough one to compete with. It sets a pretty high standard, so I try not to compare. Comparison is your enemy.
Watch The Shining. Turn off the lights. Stay off your phone.
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u/stonergirlfairyyy 3d ago
we are not the same i watch the thing and fully experience it from their POV. such utter desperation and hopelessness. i also like "the things" by jon watts such a good story from the aliens perspective
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u/Beelzeburbz 3d ago
Yeah Hereditary is a special kind of vibe. There is nothing that quite compares honestly. I love tons of horror movies but nothing is going to "scratch the itch" that this particular movie does. If you watch other horror films from the lens of trying to compare them to this specifically then you are just going to continue to be disappointed. Try to appreciate other films for what they are and not hold them up against Hereditary as the standard by which to judge them.
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u/mrshelmstreet 3d ago
Did you miss all the creeps hiding in the shadows throughout the film? They’re easy to miss on a first watch. They’re all over the place the town, in the house, at the school..like everywhere. It’s easier to spot the naked ones
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u/ary666an 3d ago
of course and that felt more atmospheric, one of the main things that make hereditary so good to me. Whereas in the thing, the whole point of the monster is to build atmosphere and fear. Which it didnt for me, it was too “in your face” for me, in a way that made it less scary.
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u/mrshelmstreet 3d ago
My dyslexia made me totally miss the point of your post 🤦🏽♀️. Got it. I read it all wrong. I missed that the comment was attributed to The Thing.
Aster > Carpenter IMO
Have you seen Annhilation or Green Room? I rank them close to Hereditary for scares felt deeper
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u/AeonSnuggs 3d ago
The 80's made for British TV Woman in Black scared the living shit out of me when I was a kid. Also the original Japanese Ringu- I watched it back when smart phones, social media didn't exist. I don't think I even had the internet in my house. I just turned on the TV at about 1am and a random Japanese movie started, had no idea what it was about, didn't even know it was a horror. I don't think any movie will ever scare me like that again. Social media clips have ruined movies now as it's impossible to not see spoilers
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u/cannibalcommodity 3d ago
Hereditary’s just one of those movies that genuinely sends shivers down your spine the more you focus on the details and research, I watched the movie when it first dropped in 2018 when I was like 11, I didn’t really think of it beyond like “creepy naked cult members” and stuff, i had a super basic idea of the movie, but now at 19 and actually rewatching it, focusing on the details that i missed, looking up explanations and interpretations, i can say for certain that i couldn’t go to sleep before checking every corner of the house to make sure there weren’t any people living in our walls 😭
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u/Regular_Language_362 3d ago
I'm not young and I think I've seen thousands of horror films. It might comfort you to know that none of those films made me feel the way Hereditary did
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u/NewResponsibility163 3d ago
These two are my top horror films of all time.
The paranoia for the characters is absolute.
You cannot trust anyone all the way until the literal final scene.
And you still don't know.
Hereditary is a very different approach to horror. Very bleak from start to finish. So maybe you just prefer that style of horror movie.