Hereditary (2018)
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A grieving miniature artist uncovers disturbing secrets about her late mother while being tormented by sinister paranormal occurrences.
The story
Annie Graham, a miniature artist, is grieving the loss of her mother and dealing with the fallout of a tragic accident involving her daughter, Charlie. As the family struggles with their collective grief, Annie begins to uncover disturbing secrets about her mother's past. These revelations are accompanied by unsettling paranormal occurrences that begin to haunt her, her husband Steve, and their son Peter. The family must navigate a mounting sense of dread as the line between reality and supernatural interference blurs, forcing them to confront a dark legacy that threatens to consume them all.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the death of her estranged mother, Annie Graham discovers that her mother was part of a coven. Following a tragic accident that leaves her daughter Charlie dead, the family's grief is compounded by supernatural occurrences. Annie befriends a woman named Joan who performs a séance to contact Charlie's spirit. During the ritual, Annie begins to exhibit disturbing behavior. Annie later discovers her mother's true identity as 'Queen Leigh' and finds occult items in the attic. As the family is haunted by a demonic force seeking to host the spirit of Paimon, the truth of the coven's rituals is revealed. In the climax, the coven members gather to perform a ritual. Peter is eventually chosen as the new host for Paimon, while the others are consumed by the ritual's demands.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ari Aster
- Writers
- Ari Aster · writer
- Cast and characters
- Toni Collette · Annie Graham; Gabriel Byrne · Steve Graham; Alex Wolff · Peter Graham; Milly Shapiro · Charlie Graham; Ann Dowd · Joan; Mallory Bechtel · Bridget
- Genres
- supernatural; psychological horror
- Themes
- family dynamics; trauma; grief
- Tone and mood
- unsettling; harrowing
- Setting
- Northern Utah
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; horror; drama
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, particularly for Toni Collette's performance, and was a commercial success.
- Production trivia
- The film is frequently listed as one of the scariest movies ever made.; The score incorporates trumpets during the film's climax in reference to the mythology of Paimon.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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