Will “Hereditary” Be 2018’s Next Big Horror Hit?

First we had Netflix’s Veronica, then A Quiet Place hit theaters, and now Hereditary is poised to be released and it’s generating a lot of buzz. Will it top the other two to claim the title: Scariest Horror Movie of 2018? (At least so far. We’ve got some other contenders releasing late summer/early fall.)

I don’t know, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

Here’s why…

Reservations

I thought Veronica was over-hyped. It was okay, but it certainly wasn’t as terrifying as some headlines reported. (Many went for the sensational “Too scary for some viewers to watch all the way through” play. Eh. Save the drama for your mama. It wasn’t even close to being that scary.)

Even though I gave A Quiet Place four skulls, I wasn’t smitten with it as much as I’d hoped either. (And now that I’ve had more time to reflect on it, I’m thinking I would’ve liked it more — a lot more– if it had been sold as a Cloverfield movie.)

But Lesia summed it up best in her “One Rule: Never Make a Sound” post why even though I wasn’t enamored with it, I did appreciate it on its merits and it did deserve four skulls. (As opposed to the three or three-and-a-half I would’ve given it just based on my feelings alone about it. But I did recognize the cinematography, setting, acting and directing were excellent. Couldn’t fault the good just because I had issues with the story line.)

Bring on Hereditary’s Hype

So now we’ve got Hereditary causing waves with coverage like this:

• The New Hereditary Trailer Is Here—and It Focuses on the Kid and Her Creepy Dolls. – Prepare yourself for a deeply unsettling experience. – Source: The Lineup

• Children flee cinema after seeing trailer for ‘year’s scariest film’ – ‘Parents were yelling at the projectionist to stop,’ says audience member as teaser for horror film Hereditary is mistakenly aired before Peter Rabbit screening – Source: The Guardian

• Watch the Deeply Disturbing New Trailer for ‘Hereditary’ – The film that traumatized Sundance and SXSW. – Source: Vice

More Reservations

Do you remember 2015’s The Witch?

That was another one that was hyped to the max as being intensely scary. Critics loved it. Audiences were less than impressed. 

However, just because critics like it doesn’t mean audiences won’t. Critics and audiences were in close agreement on A Quiet Place. 95% Critic Score, 85% Audience Score.

But not so much for The Witch. Critics adored it. 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience Score was 57%. That’s a significant disparity.

The Witch seemed to be an either you liked it or you didn’t movie. No in between. Some thought the acting was good. Most didn’t feel it was scary and many felt it was boring.

I have to admit, I haven’t seen it yet myself. Many of my horror movie watching friends with similar tastes who did assured me I would not like it.

So I’m admitting that I’m saying this next part based on that, but…The Witch and Hereditary share the same director. That gives me pause.

That and the fact that, much like The Witch, critics are so far loving Hereditary. #Leery

One More Thing

As Lesia also pointed out in her “One Rule: Never Make a Sound,” A Quiet Place made $80 million opening weekend alone. That was just in the U.S.

The Witch grossed just over $40 million total worldwide.

I’m no movie critic. I’m a movie goer. I’m in it to be entertained. Good movies sell for a reason. The Witch‘s box office speaks volumes to me.

Trying not to judge a new project just because someone was involved in one that wasn’t so successful,  but, yes, I do take many things into consideration when anticipating a movie.

The Trailers

However, if nothing else, the trailers are entertaining.

The second trailer shows many of the same snippets as the first one but focuses a bit more intensely on Charlie, the youngest member of the family.

My interest is definitely piqued. I’m cautiously optimistic this will prove a scary summer treat even for all my reservations.

What about you? Have you seen the trailers yet?

If not, check them out and let me know what you think. (Or even if you already have. Let me know your thoughts.)