[News Figures] Director Ari Aster of 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar'

Earned the Nickname 'Modern Horror Master' with Just Two Films
Official Premiere of New Work 'Boys Afraid'

Director Ari Aster, who earned the nickname "Modern Horror Master" through just two films, 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar,' visited Korea for the first time on June 27 with his new work 'Disappointment Blvd.'

At the press conference held after the official media screening at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, he said, "This is my first visit to Korea," and added, "I have been a long-time fan of Korean cinema, so I wanted to come. I want to explore more during the remaining time." He also expressed his honor that director Bong Joon-ho enjoyed his latest film.

Director Ari Aster, famous for "Hereditary" and "Midsommar"
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to American movie information aggregation site 'IMDB' and others, Ari Aster was born in 1986 in New York, USA. He comes from a Jewish family; his mother is a poet, and his father is a musician.

There is also an interesting episode from when Aster was four years old. At that time, he watched the 1990 film 'Dick Tracy,' but got so scared that he jumped up from his seat and ran out of the theater, and his mother searched for the missing Aster.

Fascinated by movies, Ari Aster wrote horror movie scripts and entered Santa Fe University in Santa Fe, New Mexico, majoring in film. After graduating in 2008, he earned a master's degree from the non-profit film institution 'American Film Institute (AFI).'

Movie poster for 'Boys Afraid'

Both 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar' deal with mysteries occurring within families. Film critic Lee Dong-jin named 'Hereditary' as one of the best films of 2018, commenting, "On the 50th anniversary of 'The Exorcist,' another representative occult movie has been added to the list."

Ari Aster, who combines family and horror to create extreme fear, confessed that his own family history is reflected in this background. Through various interviews, he revealed that there was a traumatic family-related incident in the past, which he incorporated into his works. His new film 'Disappointment Blvd.' depicts a bizarre journey of 'Bo,' who must visit his mother and experiences horror where memory, hallucination, and reality are intertwined.