Bounding Into Halloween, Night 21: ‘Hereditary’ And ‘The Shining’ Sever The Family Ties That Bind
I bet we’ve been together for a million years, and I bet we’ll be together for a million more, but I’ll stop before the older readers come after me for planting that theme song in their heads for a whole week.
The theme for tonight’s double is isolation and familial disintegration. They’re both slow-burning thrillers with a layer of supernatural, and they both serve as an example to some out there of just how much their own family unit could suck more than they already do.
Hereditary (2018)
Speaking of deep-seated domestic issues, Ari Aster (Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid) made his directorial debut with this eerie psychological family outing, which tells the story of the Grahams, of whom the matriarch, Annie (Toni Collette), has buried her estranged mother.
Their relationship was forever steeped in toxicity, and she wasn’t very sad to see the old bat keel over, nor was her husband (Gabriel Byrne), their son (Alex Wolff), or their daughter, Cluck-Cluck Charlie (Milly Shapiro).
They went back to their lives, but tragedy would soon strike when Charlie picked the absolute worst time to stick her head out of the car window. While her brother was driving, it was ripped from her shoulders by the only light post within miles.
This horrific accident splashes a coat of acid across the relationships of the three remaining Grahams, and it starts to become obvious that it’s all by some sinister design.
This movie polarized horror fans when it was released, with people considering it to be either good or overrated rot, and I am of the former opinion. It’s a well-made, well-acted (especially from Collette), and I’m also a sucker for unhappy endings.
However, the film might have some viewers clucking to themselves for several days afterwards. Hereditary is available on HBO Max, and here’s the obligatory trailer:
RELATED: Stephen King Apologizes For Sharing Fake Charlie Kirk Quote – But Not Before Dooming ‘The Long Walk’
The Shining (1980)
Once again, we meet that lunkhead, Jordy Verrill, and this is the adaptation of his classic 1977 novel by legendary director Stanley Kubrick (Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange).
Jack Nicholson gives an iconic performance as a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic (as if there’s any other kind), Jack Torrance. He takes a job as winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains, and he’s bringing plenty of baggage with him!
Jack’s wife (Shelley Duvall) and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), join him for the long winter break, but the sins of his former life have barely begun to heal in their hearts. Additionally, Danny possesses innate clairvoyance abilities that give him visions of the hotel’s haunted past, and apparitions start to manifest until the place itself becomes a malevolent entity.
To make things even worse, this energy drives Jack into a homicidal rage, and he falls off the wagon big time. This film can be seen as a masterpiece of atmospheric dread, or an over-bloated sequence of images, creepy music, and scenes that go on for way too long. Both are valid.
It lacks the emotional depth of the novel, and the ending is completely different, but there’s also no way that Kubrick could have made hedge animals scary. However, the horror stories about him during the film’s production are a nightmare all on their own.
The Shining is over on HBO Max, but “heeeeere’s” the trailer:
NEXT: ‘Doctor Sleep’ Director Mike Flanagan And Stephen King Team Up Again For Amazon’s ‘Carrie’ Series
