![]() ![]() ![]() Photos in Ellen’s album show her as joyful and vibrant, surrounded by love, and revered by her adopted cult family. In reality, Ellen rejected her family in favour of her matriarchal position within the cult. Ellen implies that, just as generations of parents have made personal sacrifices for the sake of their children, Ellen has suffered personal losses so that the next generation of her family will inherit wealth and riches. In a note to her daughter, Ellen assures Annie that the sacrifices and pain that she endures will be worth it in the end. Ellen sacrificed her daughter’s future to Paimon in exchange for earthly riches: Annie’s fate is already sealed. Although they were estranged before Ellen died, Annie cannot escape the dual legacy that her mother left her: the family’s dysfunction, and the terms of the bargain that her mother made with Paimon. With the passing of her mother, Annie has inherited her matriarchal role. Just as Paimon remains an invisible but powerful presence throughout Hereditary, Ellen exerts her influence over Annie even after death. Annie reveals that her mother was secretive, and had ‘her own private rituals’, creating a distance between the two women, and putting a strain on their relationship. Members of his unholy congregation attend Ellen’s funeral, listening as Annie admits they are part of a world that her mother kept hidden from her. This is an early clue to Paimon’s influence it could also be seen as a nod to the audience from Aster himself, as the creator (and manipulator) of the film’s universe and its inhabitants.Īlthough Paimon’s identity and purpose is only revealed later, his influence is evident from the start. An unseen being is controlling the Graham family, just as Annie manipulates the figures in her miniature dioramas. With this ‘Russian Doll’-like visual effect, Aster introduces the first hint that this is not Annie’s world. This is the first of many clues of what is to come Peter is depicted as a passive figurine, completely under the control of an unknown entity, only animated by the appearance of his father in the doorway. As the camera pans out, a sleeping figure is revealed to be the ‘real’ Peter. The opening sequence shows a series of Annie’s masterpieces. Sadly, Annie cannot control the effect that these past traumas have had upon her and on her family, or the effect they will have on their future. In her intricate set pieces, each depicting a harrowing landmark in her life, Annie manipulates and diminishes the figures and their environment, attempting to distance herself from the pain associated with their memory. Her actions inevitably lead to the destruction of her family, because although Annie’s mother has made the bargain with Paimon, Annie pays the ultimate price.Īnnie’s vocation as a miniaturist is a possible attempt to control the impact of her past traumas. Annie's attempts to make sense of her past trauma, to break the cycle and to take control of her own life are futile. The fate of Annie's family is predetermined. Through this lens, Paimon represents the psychological demons, the inescapable legacy that Annie’s mother Ellen leaves to her daughter and inevitably, to her grandchildren. Seen in this context, this is the theory that in a dysfunctional family, it is impossible to avoid repeating the same harmful patterns learned from our parents. The theme of free will versus fate is clear in Hereditary. I examined the different roles played by the female and male members of the three generations in the Graham family in relation to the perpetuating recurrence of the wounds and damaging behaviours of the preceding generation. One of the many possible interpretations that resonates with me is the idea of determinism in the context of familial dysfunction particularly in relation to the female inter-generational dynamics. The wide array of articles, with an equally diverse range of theories about the meanings behind the story and its associated lore, is a reflection not only of this division, but also of the impact the film has continued to have since its release in 2018.Īs I processed my own extraordinary reaction, I appreciated the ambiguity of Ari Aster’s masterpiece. The global reception to Hereditary has been remarkably divided. ![]() I left the cinema reeling I felt as though I had shared the Graham family’s trauma, and although I had survived the ordeal, the shock stayed with me for weeks afterwards. My first experience of watching Hereditary had a profound effect upon me. *Warning, this editorial contains spoilers for Hereditary* ![]()
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