Under Paimon's Yoke: El legado del diablo, Horror's New Sensation.

By: Mario Valencia

More and more American productions have been shaking up critics and horror fans alike. The key detail is their setting in everyday environments—generating fear from situations grounded in reality yet wrapped in paranormal mysticism. Such is the case of Hereditary (or El Legado del Diablo, as it will be titled in Mexico), the feature debut of filmmaker Ari Aster, which has already won over critics worldwide and been hailed in advance as "the horror film of the year." A title it has, so far, thoroughly earned.

It would be impossible to go deeper into the plot beyond this, since the surprises come almost immediately. Annie Graham (Toni Colette) is an artist who builds miniatures and lives with her husband (Gabriel Byrne), their teenage son (Alex Wolff), and their daughter Charlie, a girl who has always shown erratic behavior through her sinister drawings and a stress tic… which will become synonymous with fear. After the death of Annie's mother, a mystery about the Graham family's true origins slowly unfolds.

As mentioned at the outset, the key to fully immersing yourself in this film is understanding the space where the story unfolds. This distortion of the American suburban setting is the perfect analogy for exploring the true dark side that exists within a society marked by prejudice. There will always be secrets, and Hereditary plays with its characters' psyches until it reveals their roots. On the technical side, there's a play of lighting that invites viewers to pay close attention to every detail, since each one is crucial, full of clues leading to the uncomfortable, unsettling climax.

It's a genuinely terrifying experience, a supernatural ode that's part of the poetic trend in genre cinema that films like The Witch and It Follows have carried forward in recent years. But the smartest move Hereditary makes is the Hitchcock-worthy twist that completely transforms the plot — the same twist its marketing has fully leveraged.

Perhaps the only weak point is Colette's performance, which at times is pitched too high, with over-the-top results or little variation in her reactions. The rest of the film is a bundle of strengths: excellent sound design, standout performances from the young duo, and an emotional progression built through the relationships among each member of the Graham family that will make them truly question their own malice.

This film is being brought to Mexican theaters this June 8 by Diamond Films. Don't miss the chance to experience one of the best directorial debuts of recent years with this journey into the depths of a macabre family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_eJ-568tJw (abre en nueva pestaña)