2018’s Hereditary is one of the most traumatizing movies I’ve ever seen and to be honest it’s one of my favorite movies of all time. But rewatching I realized it posed a question
Does free will exist? This question is very interesting to me and as it turns out it’s a philosophical discussion that can get quite heated.
There is an argument that free will can not exist neurologically speaking and of course there are compelling arguments for this stance.
Are we just going through the motions over and over are we truly making any choices or are we simply reacting
But going a bit further and the topic of this video the question is now
can free will exist Cosmically or metaphysically
hereditary has an answer to that and the answer is no.
Spoilers btw.
Growing up I was very religious and during that time I heard the words Pre ordained spoken over the pulpit over and over preordained or predestined meant one thing It is your FATE to serve God.
God is in control he has given you everything, therefore, it is your obligation to serve him
Romans 14:8
Verse Concepts
for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
God is in control he has given you everything, therefore, it is your obligation to serve him
I was taught this for the better part of 18 years.
I was also taught that God will protect you as you obey his will and his spirit or influence will be with as long as you keep yourself clean and associate with others that have your same values.
But if you do the opposite his spirit will withdraw from you and you will be under the power of Satan,
Growing up in the religion I did I was taught that Satan was powerful and was very real
Therefore, what I say unto one I say unto all: Watch, for the adversary spreadeth his dominions, and darkness reigneth;
And the anger of God kindleth against the inhabitants of the earth; and none doeth good, for all have gone out of the way.
I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.
The idea that an all loving all knowing all powerful God is for lack of a better word fickle and is willing to throw his children away into the dark dominions of satan if you don’t do what he says make it seem like you are expendable to him.
Why would an all loving all knowing all powerful God allow this to happen? He is in control of all things so why would he allow bad things to happen and why do we mortals think we have any say in the matter.
This is what we call cosmic Irony.
The expression cosmic irony or "irony of fate"The term comes from ancient Greece and stems from the notion that the gods (or the Fates) are amusing themselves by toying with the minds of mortals with deliberate ironic intent.
This Idea is explored beautifully in hereditary. And I believe this notion makes the movie even scarier.
If the gods have full control over the outcomes of your life free will cannot exist.
At least that is what the movie asserts.
The film wastes no time illustrating this point
The opening shot slowly zooming into a dollhouse impressing on your mind that the people in this home have as much control over the following events as dolls in a dollhouse.
I could go on about the visual symbolism.
But I will say this all of the important things that happen in this movie happen without the consent of the family.
From the death of the grandmother
her weird friends turning up.
The family religion
Charlie’s nut allergy
Her going to the party.
Her death
This family is stuck in the middle of a satanic ritual without their knowledge and without and against their will
While what they are going through is extremely dramatic to the family to the extent it tares them apart and drives them into madness. We can watch as the fates rip this family into pieces subjecting them to all kinds of horrors
The events are essentially meaningless to the cult members and most definitely meaningless to the cosmic entity
While I don’t know what we can take away from Hereditary that might make our lives better or would even be applicable to the real world
It does do one thing
The film paints a bleak and horrific example of cosmic irony.
Why would an all loving all knowing all powerful God allow this to happen?
The films answer? Because he can.
