This image released by A24 shows Milly Shapiro, left, and Toni Collette in a scene from "Hereditary." (A24 via AP)

“Hereditary” completely went against all of the expectations I had. With its intriguing trailer and critical praise, I thought I was going to love this so-called “horror masterpiece.” What I got instead was not the film that I was looking forward to. Though Ari Aster’s directorial debut is mechanically astounding, the film itself didn’t amaze me.

After the grandmother of the Graham family passes away, Annie (Toni Collette) discovers that there were many sinister secrets about her mother. The unfolding events result in the terror of the whole Graham family as they try to escape their inherited fate.

It pains me to say that I did not really care for this movie. I was so excited for a horror movie that might actually scare me. In reality, it was a slow-paced family drama with some disturbing, thrilling elements dispersed throughout. There was only one single thing in this movie that unsettled me: Toni Collette’s hauntingly emotional scream. I was shocked to see that she was this good; I never knew what caliber of an actress she was as she has mostly had minor roles. The same goes for Alex Wolff with his first serious performance. The talent in front of the camera matches the greatness of the director behind it.

Ari Aster. This man has a promising future in front of him. I’m having a hard time believing that this was his first movie. He masterfully directed every single part of the movie. Right from the opening shot I was impressed with what Aster is capable of. The cinematography and the sound editing created a surreal experience. There were times that an odd noise made me do a double take and spin in my seat to make sure it was not coming from behind me. The movie was so visually pleasing to watch it was a true piece of art.

Although most of the film’s problems come from its story I have to give credit where credit is due. “Hereditary” is completely a one-of-a-kind movie. Kudos to Aster once again for writing an original story. I only wish it was executed differently. The movie’s two-hour haul left me bored at times. By the time the movie was half-way through I thought it was finally going to pick up. Disappointedly, the majority of the movie was a slow burn. I feel that a reduced running time would have been beneficial. The film’s final minutes just throw a bunch of information at the viewer at once that leads to an undesirable ending.

I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with “Hereditary.” I love how perfect the movie is technically; I hate how the movie itself left me feeling less than satisfied. This is the perfect case of how excess hype for a film can lead to unreachable expectations. It is so close to being fantastic picture, the movie just is missing a few puzzle pieces.