From the first shot of this film, it's obvious it wants a piece of the Hereditary pie, and clearly wouldn't have been made without that film shocking the world with its bleak, unpredictable oppressive family drama. However, this film is more like the Omen to Hereditary's Exorcist—a clear descendant that offers an interesting conversation.
Aiden and Mia are kids devastated by their family being torn apart through their parents' separation and their dad's quick plans to marry his new girlfriend. They have reasons to be suspicious of the girlfriend and her dark past, and find themselves stuck in their family winter lodge for Christmas, alone with her while dad goes back for work. Things are frigid interpersonally at first, and then get literal when the power goes out and they find themselves struggling to survive.
While the coloring, set design, cinematography, and narrative have clear nods to the arc and storytelling of Hereditary, many things go in different directions—sometimes in complete opposites. Sure, there's dollhouses, but the purpose for the story is totally different. Sure, there's mourning and mental illness and other aspects in common, but it's unfolding in its own way. Throughout the film, mystery is successfully achieved as we don't know the nature of the threat and what's real. Perception is kept in doubt and guilt and danger are heavily played for Grace, the soon-to-be stepmother, such that it's not clear if she can be trusted, or if she can trust her mind. Nothing in the film feels quite as emotionally destructive as the biggest punches in Hereditary, but things get grim and poetically screwed in a very haunting way, and the premise itself shifts a few times as new ideas about what's happening come in and change the perspective.
This film may not be a master classic in horror, but it is an interesting piece of derivative media taking things in its own distressing and dour direction.
Film Sickening, subversive, and not as familiar as you might think.
From the first shot of this film, it's obvious it wants a piece of the Hereditary pie, and clearly wouldn't have been made without that film shocking the world with its bleak, unpredictable oppressive family drama. However, this film is more like the Omen to Hereditary's Exorcist—a clear descendant that offers an interesting conversation.
Aiden and Mia are kids devastated by their family being torn apart through their parents' separation and their dad's quick plans to marry his new girlfriend. They have reasons to be suspicious of the girlfriend and her dark past, and find themselves stuck in their family winter lodge for Christmas, alone with her while dad goes back for work. Things are frigid interpersonally at first, and then get literal when the power goes out and they find themselves struggling to survive.
While the coloring, set design, cinematography, and narrative have clear nods to the arc and storytelling of Hereditary, many things go in different directions—sometimes in complete opposites. Sure, there's dollhouses, but the purpose for the story is totally different. Sure, there's mourning and mental illness and other aspects in common, but it's unfolding in its own way. Throughout the film, mystery is successfully achieved as we don't know the nature of the threat and what's real. Perception is kept in doubt and guilt and danger are heavily played for Grace, the soon-to-be stepmother, such that it's not clear if she can be trusted, or if she can trust her mind. Nothing in the film feels quite as emotionally destructive as the biggest punches in Hereditary, but things get grim and poetically screwed in a very haunting way, and the premise itself shifts a few times as new ideas about what's happening come in and change the perspective.
This film may not be a master classic in horror, but it is an interesting piece of derivative media taking things in its own distressing and dour direction.