19^thmoviepass = Hereditary. A film that left me scared, disturbed, and deeply affected, has suddenly leapt into my top 3 of 2018. Proving that effective horror filmmaking is as much about the way of telling the story as the story itself (if not more so, it rides a line between real terror (the aftermath of loss, obsessive behavior) and the fantastical kind, it drags us through a dreary haze, frightening in how familiar it feels. It confuses, disorients, and finally turns into an all out assault. It might even go a tad too far, leaving less to mull on than if it were to pull out before  its mind shattering conclusion. But rollercoasters are not praised for giving us something to contemplate.  There is so much morbid acid-laced imagery that sears itself upon the brain, but the masterful performances of Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne as parents pushed to the brink of sanity that make the most significant impression. A shock to the system cutting through the notion of movie going as a slight diversion.