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​Prepare To Need A New Pair Of Pants If You Watch ‘Hereditary’

​Prepare To Need A New Pair Of Pants If You Watch ‘Hereditary’

We'll definitely watch this. Critics are calling this latest horror flick the scariest in history and that means it is seriously frightening

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

It's pretty obvious that films are getting scarier. Not just because the censors let more and more fly than they used to, but also because, by definition, once you've seen something you've seen it.

The people making horror movies now are well aware of the horror movies that have come before them and know exactly what they need to do to push the envelope even further.

It makes sense, then, that the title of "scariest movie ever made" is one that is continually up for grabs.

While the truly scary films rarely make the mainstream - most people want a nice night out rather than having the willies put up them - there is an undercurrent of super scary contenders every year, floating below in the realms of genre cinema.

The likes of Get Out and the Babadook have managed to poke their nose into the awards conversations in recent years and their successes came from strong reviews from film festivals, where the critics, the folk who really know what they're on about, recommend them to the rest of us plebs.

One would think that the critics would be immune to scary films by now, but if the reaction to Hereditary is anything to go by, they're not at all. In fact, they're calling it the scariest film ever.

"This isn't a scary movie. It's pure emotional terrorism, gripping you with real horror, the unspeakable kind, and then imbuing the supernatural stuff with those feelings," wrote AV Club of the film, which charts a women's journey through her family history.

"Hereditary seeks to confound by swinging between moments of controlled Kubrick-ian terror and unhinged emotional hysteria," wrote Thrillist.

"There were walkouts. There were people complaining when they marched through the snow to the bus. Even Aster (the director) appeared uncomfortable answering questions about the film, which so clearly comes from a place of real pain."

"Hereditary is so disquieting, you'll be gasping for air in the theatre. Utterly believable supernatural horror. There will be no scarier movie this year. If there is, it means we're in a new golden age," wrote Joshua Rothkopf, film critic at Variety.

We don't want to spoil it for you, so you'll just have to go out and see it for yourself.

Unfortunately, it doesn't currently have a UK release date, but with reviews like these, we can't imagine that it'll be long until it gets one. We can't wait.

Featured Image Credit: Hereditary