This film is just beautiful. How in the hell did a first time director pull this off is beyond me. The film is confident as shit in presentation and execution. It takes its time, pacing you along this narrative thread slowly and calmy. This isn't a horror film, but a family drama. A family dealing with death, despair, depression, guilt, and blame. That is where this film exclusively shines. There is moments of extreme guilt, that not only are performed brilliantly but are shot to perfection.

  Ari Aster's cinematic eye is golden. One scene of extreme stress is shot gorgeously tight and so close you feel breathless with the character. The shots leave space for you to imagine and fill in blanks, whether it's with its extreme close ups, or slow tracking wide shots. The editing is even infused in the creeping growth of drama. Transitions fade in with silence and at other times snap with a reminiscent flick of a light.

  The cast does amazing, each one selling their part brilliantly, the mother especially handles crazy well. The son and daughter really have time to shine and show a very thoughtful performance. The casting is perfect with the daughter, and I hope to see more of her.

  The cinematography here is also something to admire, the deep dark hallways, the general warmth of the color pallet, and way it handles the darkness in general. The music is precisely used, not for stupid jump scares but for a swelling sense of dread. The ending moments are especially divine with the score taking center stage.

So, in ending,

 --- 9.5/10 - Phenomenonal-

  Ari Aster has made a gem of a horror flick, focusing in on the family dynamic has created something unique in a genre so cliché. The best parts are his own, the shot designs and the way the film is pieced together and executed. It is truly a beautiful watch. Just go in and let this film breathe and exhale at its pace, and maybe you'll feel that unnerving shudder.