How Hereditary composer Colin Stetson made the movie ‘feel evil’
Ari Aster’s debut feature Hereditary is one of the scariest movies in recent memory. That’s due in large part to Aster’s meticulous direction and Toni Collette’s unrestrained lead performance. But another crucial element is Colin Stetson’s unnerving score. An avant-garde saxophonist who’s worked with everyone from Arcade Fire to Tom Waits, Stetson is also known for his innovative solo records, which caught Aster’s attention before he’d even written the film’s script.
Over the last few years, Stetson has also been moving into film composing, working in everything from Westerns to thrillers. But his score for Hereditary is particularly notable, full of droning menace and discordant bursts. A few weeks before the movie’s release, I jumped...