Hereditary
Movie, 2018, The 2010s, Set in The Graham family
Hereditary is #14 of 37 in release order and #14 of 37 in chronological order in the A24.
The story
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
Hereditary recap
Hereditary (2018) follows the Graham family after the death of their secretive grandmother, as a run of horrors suggests she left something behind. Ari Aster writes and directs his first feature. Annie Graham (Toni Collette), a miniatures artist, lives in Utah with her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff) and odd 13-year-old daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro). Forced to take Charlie to a party, Peter leaves her alone; she eats cake with nuts, goes into anaphylactic shock, and as Peter speeds to the hospital she leans out of the window and is decapitated by a pole. Grief turns the family on itself. Joan (Ann Dowd), a woman from Annie's support group, teaches her a seance, and Annie discovers her mother led a cult devoted to the demon king Paimon. The film stands alone.
Hereditary ending explained
Hereditary ends with the cult's plan complete: Paimon gets a male body in Peter. When Annie throws Charlie's sketchbook into the fire, Steve burns to death instead. A possessed Annie chases Peter into the attic and saws off her own head with piano wire while naked cult members watch. Peter jumps out of the window, and a light enters his body. He climbs into the treehouse, where Joan and the cult kneel before Charlie's crowned head on a mannequin and the headless bodies of Annie and her mother. Joan crowns Peter and hails him as King Paimon.
Post-credits scenes
No. Hereditary has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Hereditary
Hereditary is streaming on Prime Video, Hulu, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free, and YouTube (free) in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 90%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Lady Bird, before Eighth Grade.
- Chronological order: after Lady Bird, before Eighth Grade.
Cast
- Toni Collette as Annie Graham
- Alex Wolff as Peter Graham
- Gabriel Byrne as Steve Graham
- Milly Shapiro as Charlie Graham
- Ann Dowd as Joan
- Mallory Bechtel as Bridget
- Brock McKinney as Aaron
- Jake Brown as Brendan
- Morgan Lund as Mr. Davis
- Christy Summerhays as Charlie's Teacher
- Bus Riley as History Teacher
- Jarrod Phillips as Group Leader
Directed by Ari Aster.