No. 22: TIE
Hereditary (2018)
Points: 114 | Lists: Dracula (#12); Vaeran (#17); Adrenaline (#23); Dr. Nerd (#5); Shakewell (#14)
“I never wanted to be your mother.”
Hereditary is a 2018 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ari Aster, in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as a family haunted by a mysterious presence after the death of their secretive grandmother.
Drac’s Notes: I’m still completely floored that Hereditary is somehow Ari Aster’s directorial debut, and I hope he keeps making movies for decades to come, because this one is a masterpiece. It deals with two distinct, intertwined horrors: the dissolution of a family, and a secret demonic cult. Depending on who you are, these horrors may carry different weights for you. For me, a person who grew up in an evangelical household wherein I was reminded often that demons were very real, the demon angle carries plenty of weight.
Anyway, this movie is a master’s class of mounting dread. The slow, lingering long shots of forests and rooms always feel like they’re hiding something unspeakable. Scenes play out in ways that always manage to shock, even to me, a person who’s seen dozens of horror movies. This movie drilled its way right into the sensitive parts of my brain, and it terrified me from start to end. I loved it, but it’s not one I’d return to lightly. If you appreciate horror film at all, you absolutely must see this one.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Points: 114 | Lists: Dracula (#1); Patrick (#24); Issun (#8); Kirin (#25); Bulgakov (#18); Adrenaline (#3)
“Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.”
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris' 1988 novel. It stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer, "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer.
Drac’s Notes: Let’s get the hard part out of the way first. The Silence of the Lambs contains a depiction of a transgender person which is harmful to the transgender community. The film contains dialogue which is intended to distance Buffalo Bill’s murderous tendencies from his gender identity, and I believe director Jonathan Demme did not intend harm by this portrayal, but harm was caused nevertheless. There’s a good discussion of this issue
in this video, starting at around 47:25 if it doesn’t go straight to it.
I bring this up partly because this is a high-profile movie and it bears discussion, but also because Silence of the Lambs, most of the time, is my very favorite movie, landing at my own #1 for this list and usually landing at #1 for me in general. The reasons for this are many: I love Demme’s spellbinding direction; I love Hopkins’ scene-stealing performance as Hannibal Lecter; I love Howard Shore’s brooding score; but most of all I love Clarice Starling. Jodie Foster plays a talented agent in a field dominated by men, and the movie never lets us forget how the patriarchy constantly seeks to undermine her talent. Her boss mansplains her. Her contacts try to hit on her. Lecter analyzes her. Men stare, men invade, men kill. Her victory at the end of this film is the reason I keep on coming back to it. It’s just so, so satisfying to see Clarice vindicated as the credits roll. I’ve never participated in any other Hannibal-related media, mostly because I don’t find the cannibalistic killer as interesting as beleaguered Clarice.
As a final bit of trivia, there’s some debate as to whether the “psychological thriller” is the same thing as a “horror film.” Here’s something to keep in mind: Silence of the Lambs was marketed as a horror film. But I have heard it said that the Academy came up with the psychological thriller label as a way to evade the label of “horror,” because the Academy has always been allergic to horror film.