Amongst a sea of modern filmmakers, director Ari Aster continuously hypnotizes audiences with his superlative use of the bizarre macabre. The gifted director is notorious for his incredibly unhinged films which generally garner a massiver reaction, leaving many fans constantly prepared for his next groundbreaking installment. Furthermore, the 35 year-old director firmly believes in taking cinematic risks in an attempt to invoke a more emotional response from his audiences. In order to do so, Aster masterfully includes a certain degree of personal loss and traumatic events when creating the scripts for his projects.
Under partnership with A24, the collaboration has produced several mind-boggling cinematic experiences that keep audiences glued to the edge of their seats. This monumental collaboration began with the psychological tale known as Hereditary, which sparked the feature-film debut of the young director. Most recently, Aster’s Midsommarcreated a memorable stir within the horror genre. Interestingly, Aster himself declared that several horror movies were used as inspiration for the strange tale starring Florence Pugh. Time and time again, Aster has ensured his films register mentally, emotionally, and above all else, eternally. With Aster’s upcoming Disappointment Blvd., starring Joaquin Phoenix, set to release in 2022, here are Ari Aster’s best movies thus far.
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5 Basically
Ari Aster
At the time of its release, Ari Aster was still a young filmmaker with much to prove in the world of cinematic brilliance. Still, the short film perfectly includes his bold risks and highlights his emerging talent. Deemed as a collection in Aster’s “Portrait Series,” which he claims to be a “panoramic portrait of Los Angeles,” Basically follows Shandy Pickles (Rachel Brosnahan), a rich LA socialite aspiring to become an actress. Initially, Shandy appears to viewers as a know-it-all with the perfect life and profound aspirations. Over time, Shandy’s surroundings and ambitions soon begin to crumble. Aster beautifully captures the short film in distinct shots, including specific scenes where the camera hardly budges. Its steady movement and believable tone further help to highlight the movie’s appealing script, easily proving it to be one of Aster’s best.
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4 Munchausen
Heavily relying on stylistic imagery and creative shot elements, Munchausen displays the controversial behavior and psychological patterns of Munchausen syndrome. The plot focuses on a mother (Bonnie Bedelia) who resorts to unimaginable lengths in the prevention of her college-bound son’s imminent departure. The film’s beautiful imagery features a variety of color, along with a warm, vibrant atmosphere that presents the ideal childhood home and perfect family story. On the other hand, the lack of dialogue allows the movie to be completely stripped down to the traumatic events and calculated movements for both mother and son amidst an inevitable separation. As such, the movie focuses firmly on Aster’s common traumatic family trope, resulting in a heartbreaking ending to a silent, yet extremely telling tale.
3 The Strange Thing About the Johnsons
Ari Aster’s first (and longest) short film is arguably the most disturbing out of them all. Furthermore, its traumatic experience and thought-provoking elements later compare to the complexity of films like Midsommar and Hereditary. The plot follows a relatively normal family on the outside, though the inner shell contains a horror much more intense than a string of traditional horror tropes. In the movie, Sidney (Billy Mayo), a successful poet, has long suffered from the traumatizing incestous relationship at the hands of his son, Isaiah. What The Strange Thing About the Johnsons does so well is offer an unexpected twist on an established, yet horrifying family occurrence that often places the child as the victim. Combine that with the stand-out performances delivered by Billy Mayo and Angela Bullock, and the tense short film rightfully ranks near the top.
2 Midsommar
Square Peg; A24
Ari Aster’s widely successful follow-up feature Midsommar has certainly met its fair share of criticism and debate. The unsettling tale follows a group of friends who travel to Sweden to attend a sacred mid-summer festival. However, the psychological madness also includes a significant subplot of family trauma and masked grief. Florence Pugh memorably stars as Dani Ardor, a psychology student suffering from the unexpected murder-suicide of her parents and sister. Along with her aloof boyfriend, Christian, the pair join some friends on a trip to the Hårga, a community in Skanavadiva, after being invited by their Swedish friend, Pelle. From disturbing sacrificial deaths amidst a religious cult to finding peace as an outsider, Aster perfectly executes Midsommar as a human horror experience.
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1 Hereditary
A24
As mentally scarring and emotionally disturbing as it can get, Ari Aster’s feature film debut shocked audiences back in 2018 with Hereditary. The plot follows Annie Graham, a miniatures artist, and her subdued family as their lives are drastically affected after the death of Annie’s discreet mother. What the family fail to realize is that Annie’s mother, Ellen, is involved in a mysterious, supernatural cult which continues to haunt the family in unimaginable ways. Right from the initial jump, Hereditary implements its intentions as a psychological puzzle with clues and hints sprinkled like cinematic breadcrumbs. Additionally, Toni Collette’s Oscar-worthy performance conveys a perfect message of family betrayal and brutal tension which further helps to establish the film’s divine credibility. In a movie so utterly terrifying, which left actor Alex Wolff with lingering PTSD, it currently ranks as Ari Aster’s undisputed best.
