Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your…: I review “Hereditary”

(and beat up a bit on The Babadook)

There are deaths that liberate a family. In an interview with radio host Marc Maron, John Darnielle of the indie band The Mountain Goats says that he was only able to write the autobiographical album “The Sunset Tree” after his abusive stepfather had died. And since he sang about his experiences of abuse, other survivors would come up to him at shows and talk to him about it. Darnielle told Maron that when this happens, “I’ll say, ‘Has your abuser died yet?’ They’ll say, you know, ‘No,’ and I’ll say, ‘I want you to be ready. ‘Cause it is, I mean I hate to say this, because you don’t wish death on anybody—it’s wonderful when your abuser dies. It’s wonderful. It’s like nothing in the world. It’s like you are free.’”

But “Hereditary” asks, What if death isn’t enough?

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