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With ‘Hereditary,’ A24 Continues Its Reign in the Post-Horror Market

The highly anticipated feature debut of Ari Aster, whose only other credit includes the odd, eerily funny short The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, is about to hit the theaters next Thursday, June 7. So far, a terrifying trailer has been released, highlighting the film’s masterful visual style that is reminiscent of The Witch; both films produced with the help of Lars Knudsen, and terrifying lead child star, Milly Shapiro.

The film is distributed by A24, by now a firmly established production and distribution studio that had a very recent start in 2012 with the release of Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, the quality of which the indie-production giant has since overpassed extensively. Hereditary marks the studio’s eighth effort in the horror genre. Previously, A24 has either released or produced some of the most memorable and original horror films of the recent years – It Follows, Green Room and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, along with the previously mentioned The Witch (a masterpiece of Puritan horror from Robert Eggers.)

All of A24 horror films have one thing in common: instead of focusing on grotesqueness, vulgarity or repeating jump-scares, the films maintain great interest in character study and unique, high-concept storytelling. The horror elements are naturally integrated into the narratives of the films, yet they often do not sway the audience’s main attention on the evolution and development of the films’ characters. This, however, does not prevent the films from being absolutely horrifyingly scary. While covering a wide range of time periods, narratives and concepts, A24 horror films maintain the quality of terror they bring by focusing on modern fears that exist in today’s public: STDs, isolation, forces greater than the powers of an otherwise “civilized” society, etc.

While Aster is a newcomer, his skills are already presented in his short, and the trailer for Hereditary alludes to a strong vision behind the picture. If you are someone who enjoys the thrill of a good horror story, I’d mark your calendar and get your tickets for Hereditary.

Check out the trailer for Hereditary below.

A24Ari AsterHereditaryMilly Shapiro
Michael Adonts: Hi, my name is Michael! I am a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, currently living in the SF/Bay Area, where I attend UC Berkeley as an undergrad, majoring in Psychology. Beyond my studies, I also work as a freelance producer, videographer and editor, having worked with a variety of clients, ranging from local musicians to up-and-coming start ups, making videos, commercials and trailers. My interest in film began in middle school when my family and I immigrated to LA, having previously lived in Russia and Armenia (my homeland.) Having limited experience in American culture and language, I took to watching platitudes of classical American films of the 70s, 80s and 90s, from which, while seeking to simply become educated in a foreign culture, I discovered my love for cinema and its different forms, like directing, writing, and editing. I started making my own films in high school, where I also began collaborating with friends on projects of various nature. Learning the craft myself, I continue to do so now as I start to dive into bigger projects, with the goal of writing and directing for film and TV! While early on I was mostly exposed to New Hollywood directors and 90s filmmakers like David Fincher, the Coen Brothers and Spike Jonze, I eventually began venturing to foreign cinema of the likes of Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, as well as Old Hollywood masters like Hitchcock, David Lean, and Billy Wilder. In films I primarily seek two things: passion and innovation. I love observing confident filmmakers masterfully submerge the audience into unique worlds and stories, utilizing all of cinema’s many possibilities like visuals, sound, music, and editing. Film has developed a universal language that is becoming more and more available to wider varieties of artists, which makes me excited to observe and engage in the future of both Hollywood and the world cinema!
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