Back in 2018, Ari Aster released his feature directorial debut Hereditary and it was instantly praised as one of the scariest movies ever made. It quickly became indie studio A24’s biggest hit and was named this generation’s answer to The Exorcist by some particularly enthusiastic reviewers. Toni Collette’s lead performance was ignored by the Academy, possibly because it was in a scary movie, but it was definitely Oscar-caliber work.
The genius of Aster’s movie is that it’s not really about the on-screen monsters. Despite the demonic spirits and pagan cultists at play, the true horror in Hereditary is the family tragedy.
Grief Is The Real Terror
Despite Hereditary’s use of common horror movie iconography like evil spirits, the real terror in the story is grief. At the beginning of the movie, the Graham family is reeling from the death of Annie’s mother.
Then, an even worse tragedy besets the family when Charlie is killed. Grieving her child’s death on top of her mother’s leaves Annie hanging by a thread.
The Support Group
When she’s struggling to come to terms with her mother’s death, Annie is recommended a support group for people suffering from grief. There, she’s encouraged to open up.
She launches into a poignant monologue about her complicated relationship with her mother and the fact that the rest of her family all died from mental health-related issues. This is a prime example of Toni Collette’s phenomenal acting in this movie.
Charlie’s Death Tears A Broken Family Apart
The family dynamic of the Grahams isn’t great before Peter accidentally kills his sister, but it sure gets a lot worse after that. Peter is guilt-tripped into taking Charlie to a party, where she unwittingly eats a cake containing nuts while he gets high. As she goes into anaphylactic shock, a stoned Peter frantically tries to drive her to the hospital.
She sticks her head out the window to get some air at a very bad time. Peter swerves away from a deer and Charlie’s head is taken off by a telephone pole. This grisly mistake brings all the Grahams’ hidden dysfunctions bubbling to the surface.
It’s A Straightforward Family Drama Before Becoming A Horror Movie
Ari Aster wanted Hereditary to function as a straightforward family drama before adding in any horror elements. For its first half-hour, although the ominous warning signs are there, Hereditary doesn’t feature anything explicitly horrific.
Charlie’s sudden decapitation is the moment that suddenly turns it into a horror movie, like when Marion Crane takes a fateful shower in Psycho.
Transgenerational Trauma
Ari Aster explored the notion of transgenerational trauma in Hereditary. The family is shown to have a long history of trauma that’s been passed on generationally.
The demon that gets passed on from generation to generation in the Graham family can be seen as a terrifying metaphor for the trauma that’s passed on through their DNA.
Peter’s Visions Of Charlie
Charlie’s death is an accident. It’s a horrifying, gruesome, disturbing accident, but it’s an accident all the same. Of course, Annie has a tough time not blaming Peter for Charlie’s death.
Peter also has a tough time not blaming himself for the tragedy. He starts seeing visions of Charlie everywhere. When he’s trying to get to sleep, he can see her silhouetted figure in the corner — and then her head rolls off her neck.
The Séance
When Annie meets a woman named Joan at the support group, she’s invited back to Joan’s apartment and introduced to the haunting world of séances. Manipulating Annie’s grief, Joan is able to convince her to perform a séance at the house with her husband and son, so they can all contact Charlie from beyond the grave.
If Annie wasn’t mourning the loss of her daughter, Joan wouldn’t have been able to convince her to invite King Paimon into their home, setting the stage for the movie’s shocking finale.
It’s Not Going To Be Okay
In a lot of traditional stories about a family dealing with grief, the message is ultimately an uplifting one as the mourning brings the family together and they realize that if they have each other, everything’s going to be okay.
But grief doesn’t always pan out like that. Sometimes, the scars are irreparable and it’s not going to be okay. With the possession and subsequent death of each family member, it’s pretty clear that Hereditary carries this unsettling message.
Annie Is Partly Responsible For Charlie’s Death
Peter is directly responsible for Charlie’s death because he was driving the car when he swerved off the road and a telephone pole decapitated her. But she wouldn’t have been at the party if Annie wasn’t so overbearing.
In order to get away to attend a party, Peter lies that it’s a school event, so Annie pressures him to bring his sister. Deep down, Annie knows she’s also partly responsible for Charlie’s untimely demise.
The Tragic Ending Is Inevitable
A lot of horror movies revolve around a terrifying situation that the characters can escape. If Laurie Strode plays her cards right, she can outsmart Michael Myers. If Chief Brody can blow up the shark, then Amity Island’s residents will be safe.
But in Hereditary, the family’s tragic fate is inevitable. There’s a sense that these demons are coming for the Grahams, no matter what. It’s not a matter of “if” — it’s a matter of “when.”