Hereditary (2018): Unraveling the Psychological Horror and Haunted Legacy of Grief, Trauma, and Occult Secrets

Exploring the Psychological Terror and Dark Legacy of Hereditary

Directed by Ari Aster

Starring: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Ann Dowd

Genre: Psychological Horror / Supernatural / Drama

Hereditary does not merely rely on predictable tropes or loud jump scares alone. Instead, it crawls under your skin with its creeping dread, occult themes, and emotionally raw, haunting performances. Especially, Toni Collette’s unforgettable performance as Annie, making every moment feel painfully real and unnervingly intimate. The film digs deep into the psychological trauma of a grieving family, unfolding in a slow-burn narrative, wrapping it in a chilling occult mystery, and building an eerie atmosphere and unbearable tension throughout.

Synopsis

Hereditary stands in a league of its own when it comes to horror films that truly disturb rather than just scares. It immerses viewers in an eerie atmosphere of slow-building dread, focusing on the terrifying effects of inherited trauma, family dysfunction, and dark occult secrets. When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away her daughter, Annie, and her grandchildren begin to uncover strange, horrifying secrets and frightening things about their family’s past.

After the death of her reclusive & secretive mother, Annie Graham and her family try to cope with their grief, strange and creepy events begin to happen and they soon realize they are trapped in a terrifying inheritance from which they can’t escape.

It becomes clear that the family is bound by a malevolent occult legacy, terrifying dark secrets and mysterious forces that stretches far beyond their understanding. 

What starts as psychological unraveling soon transforms into a supernatural nightmare, linked to long-buried secrets and occult rituals from the past. The deeper Annie digs, the closer she comes to a horrifying truth: their fate may have been sealed long before her mother passed away.

Story (Spoiler Warning):

Hereditary begins with the death of matriarch of the Graham family, Annie’s mother, Ellen. Although she has passed away, but her presence still weighs heavily on the family. Annie is an artist who creates miniature models and is struggling to deal with her complicated feelings about her mother, who was emotionally distant and secretly involved in a mysterious cult. Things take a darker turn when Annie’s daughter, Charlie, dies in a shocking accident. This tragedy causes even more pain and distance within the family. 

As Annie tries to cope with her grief, she discovers that her mother was part of a satanic cult that worships and devoted to  demon king Paimon. The cult’s plan had always been to use Annie’s bloodline to bring Paimon into the real world. Annie eventually becomes possessed, and the cult’s plan moves forward. Her son, Peter, becomes the final target. After Annie’s death, Peter is left traumatized and vulnerable. In the chilling final scene, the cult completes their harrowing ritual, where Peter is crowned as the Paimon’s new host, surrounded by the cult.

The true horror of Hereditary isn’t just the supernatural events or demonic possession—it’s the idea that some destinies are inescapable, and the most terrifying evil can be passed down like a family heirloom.

Where to Watch

• As of April 15, 2025, Hereditary (2018) is no longer available on Netflix India.

• Now streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Kanopy

• Still available on Netflix in: Canada, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico

Best watched: 

When You’re in the mood for a gradual, intense, emotionally raw horror movie that crawls under your skin and doesn’t let go.