How scary is ‘Hereditary?’

Back in 2018, Ari Aster burst onto the horror scene with his directorial debut Hereditary, making waves in a genre that’s known for its obsessive fans. The movie was a big success for indie hit factory A24, and has continued to be considered a modern great by many aficionados.

The popular film, which became known for an early twist that belied its trailer, stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Gabriel Byrne, Ann Dowd, and Milly Shapiro, follows the trials of a family following the death of their elusive – and frankly creepy – grandmother. As they try to deal with their grief, they soon realize that some of grandma’s secrets were supernatural in nature.

If you’re looking for a spooky season watch, then Hereditary could fit the bill. However, you might be wondering if it’s fit for your family, or if it might be a little too jumpy to watch. Read on to find out how scary Hereditary is.

What is Hereditary about?

Hereditary begins with miniature artist Annie Graham (horror hero Collette) attending her mother’s funeral with her family: husband Steve (Byrne), teen son Peter (Wolff), and 13-year old daughter Charlie (Shapiro). A few days later, Peter heads to a party and brings Charlie with him. After a medical emergency, Peter tries to speed to the hospital with Charlie, while she sticks her head out of the window for air. As he swerves to avoid an animal carcass, he accidentally decapitates his sister. In shock, he drives home, leaving the headless body in the drive for his mother to find the next morning.

Peter becomes a shell of his former self, and in an attempt to get over her grief, Annie holds a seance to speak to her daughter. However, this leads to vengeful and demonic forces entering their home. These evil spirits begin attacking the family, leading Annie to search through her mother’s old things. There, she discovers evidence showing that her mother was into the occult. However, before she can warn her son he’s in danger, she becomes possessed. The film ends with a terrified Peter trying to escape the demons, only to discover a cultish group has surrounded their home, and wants to crown him as a demon king.

How scary is Hereditary?

On a scale of one to hide-behind-the-couch, Hereditary is pretty freaky, especially if you’re not a scary movie fan in general. There’s a great combination of tension from unseen horrors, as well as jump scares, and a healthy dose of demons to hit all the horror high notes. This all means it’s definitely not family friendly, nor for the faint-hearted.

While some believe the final act takes away from the overall impact, if you’re easily scared, we’d still say to stay away.