"Ari Aster"

2018 · Ari Aster · 127 min · Horror / Drama / Mystery

Hereditary is a deeply unsettling horror film that earns its scares through character and atmosphere rather than cheap tricks. Toni Collette delivers a performance that would be the centerpiece of any prestige drama, and Ari Aster's direction creates a sense of dread so thick it becomes almost physical. The final act's shift into supernatural territory loses some viewers who connected more deeply with the family drama, and the film's pacing demands patience that not all horror audiences are willing to give. But when it works, and for most of its runtime it works extraordinarily well, Hereditary feels like something new in a genre that rarely surprises anymore. It doesn't just scare you. It disturbs you on a level that's hard to shake.

2019 · Ari Aster · 148 min · Folk Horror

Midsommar is one of the most visually distinctive horror films in years, built around Florence Pugh's extraordinary performance and Ari Aster's commitment to staging horror in unrelenting daylight. It's an unnerving film that works as both folk horror and grief drama, though its near-2.5-hour runtime tests patience and the pacing can be punishing. For viewers who can meet it on its own terms, it's unforgettable. For those who aren't, it's a very long afternoon.