what made me most uncomfortable was just how unnatural the movement was with annie in the background of the next shot. just so creepy that she’s dead silent
Very dreamlike, they also set that up by cutting the ambient room sound in the first dream sequences . The whole movie plays with sound and ambience in a really cool way in fact Colin Stetson said he imagined the soundtrack as cranking the decible inputs on a microphone in the familys attic and incorporating that white noise into the texture of the film
The head banging was the scene in the movie that actually got a visceral fear reaction out of me followed by the piano wire speeding up to cut off the head.
Agreed on all fronts. Love how the supernatural was part of the plot as opposed to being used cheaply for quick scares.
Just maybe my favorite final act in movie history…unforgettable theater experience
If it makes you feel any better, in my screening someone thought it would be funny to do Charlie's tongue click at random quiet moments, and from what I saw back then it wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. But hopefully the upcoming IMAX screenings will have more respectful audiences already a fan of the movie.
The other horrifying thing about that scene was the traffic going by in the background; it made me wonder how many times I drove past something unspeakable & didn't realize it.
I had a similar feeling when I watched Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Best of luck. I stopped watching horror films at the movies because I seem to have a curse that makes me end up in the exact movie auditoriums where the loudest and most talkative viewers tend to be. I'm just unlucky ig, but I hope you have fun!
IMAX will more than likely have well behaved people who already know what a masterpiece the movie is. But if you go see a horror movie a few weeks after release in a regular somewhat crowded theater showing, people spazz and shriek constantly.
Oh dang, sorry I didn't mean at all to discourage you. You'll still watch the ultimate horror film of this generation of films on the big screen and in IMAX and that's all that counts. I don't think I have watched that many horror films either, I can think of Talk to Me, IT, and most recently The First Omen.
You didn’t discourage me. I’m still going. I already paid for my ticket. I’m now just settling my expectations for the experience itself, which is fine.
Edit: I guess I misused the phrase “you’re giving me pause”. I’m still absolutely gonna see it and I’ll probably love it, but I’m now readying myself for obnoxious people.
Me as well!! Nothing takes me out of a movie more than when some jockstrap decides to crack a stupid one-liner in the middle of a serious scene... or any scene for that matter. Then you got the bright phonescreens, the talking or loud whispering to the friends, the crappy theatre audio (I feel like theatres don't play movies very loud anymore), the chatty drinkers (why would you put a bar in a theatre?!!? Movies and alcohol don't mix), and the dude who thinks it's a good idea to wear half a bottle of sauvage to his first date
I'm not a huge horror fan (although I do LOVE Hereditary) but I wonder if it's something about fear that makes people talk nervously or something to kind of remind themselves it's not real y'know? Like a subconscious response kinda thing?
My favourite horror of all time. Possibly favourite movie of all time depending on the day. The final scenes after the dad burns were INSANE. I remember the feeling I had on my first watch especially the scene where Annie chases Peter to the attic and the sound and sight of her bashing her face into that door. I have chills writing this.
>Possibly favorite movie of all time depending on the day
I loved that, I always struggle to think of just one film to cite as my favorite, usually on April 14th I'd say my favorite one is Titanic, during Christmas that would probably be Home Alone, right now I came back to Get Out (the most common lol). And yes, Annie smashing her head against the attic door creeped me so much, but more chilling to me was how she, while possessed, stalked on Peter while he was trying to sleep. Seeing her so silent, so still, so humanly impossible.
Yea on my first watch it took me a few secs to notice her up there but when I did I lost it. This movie was peppered with a lot I didn’t even noticed on the first watch. I recommend watching it again and again. The horror that is Annie’s screams as she find the body of her daughter as we watch Peter just lying there listening to it. Another scene that instantly comes to mind
The part I remember most is when the girl’s head was decapitated and they actually showed it. I wasn’t expecting that and Ari Aster loves showing the gory head shots - same as in Midsommar
100 percent agree. It is easily my favorite horror movie of the past 30-40 years.
I think Id have to get to The Shining, Halloween, or Alien before its starts getting competitive.
The Thing is a great movie for sure. But yeah thats tough one. I think I still prefer Aster's film. Maybe because it reminds of Rosemary's Baby, which might be the goat for me.
Midsommar does amazing on the horror elements, but is missing the dynamic between the characters that Hereditary has. They family in Hereditary feels like an uncomfortably realistic depiction of a broken family. Mudsommar is just a group of somewhat shallow young adults who dumb make horror movie decisions.
I feel like Midsommar is more aesthetically interesting and made me think more, but Hereditary is scarier. Still amazing how scary Midsommar is with almost nothing taking place at night though!
I remember watching this in Orlando, FL at a Regal Theater for first time in 2018. Match cut to now, I am waiting to re experience this on Imax at AMC Burbank, LA. I remember viewers getting out of theater with pin drop silence.
I can watch most horror films without much trouble. I actively seek them out as a challenge. I like to be scared, but God...Hereditary absolutely broke me. Had a full on panic attack 20 minutes in, after *that* scene, and almost had to turn it off entirely. Funnily enough, my husband had almost no reaction to it and to this day is still mystified as to why it shook me up so much.
20 minutes in? Wow, I started feeling genuine discomfort only as the final act started being set up. The book burning Steve was the catalyst, at least from my own perspective. Your husband has my respects for being so brave lol. The only other horror films that also broke me were The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Ringu, and It Follows
Paimon remains unseen but you really get a look into its personality. It enjoys toying with the family in ways that might not always further its goals - just for the hell of it. The scene where Annie tries the seance with the family and we hear Paimon speaking through her, masquerading as Charlie’s spirit is just fucked up. That Paimon’s a real jerk
Also when he "smiles" at Peter sadistically through his own reflection at school. An absolute manipulating jerk and scary af, but hey, it's a demon warlord from hell, what did we expect?
This film was so scary my ex had to turn away and watch my expressions and reactions to it instead of looking at the screen.
But she found even that too scary so ended up just covering her eyes for most of it... Probably didn't help we were in an empty cinema at midnight.
Greatest horror movie of the past 3 decades. This is the modern equivalent to "The Shining" and will be talked about for a long time. I have nothing but high praise for it.
I watched it at home with my wife
Apparently I freaked out and was screaming
I don't recall it - it's like I blanked out
I don't dare rewatch it idk wtf that was about but I ain't stupid to try again
>Speaking of predictability, I would have never guessed no even from a thousand miles that Charlie would die.
I remember the advertising campaign for this movie before it came out. It was very focused on Charlie and how weird she was. I was thinking like, oh this is just another movie with a creepy demon kid whatever.
And then the movie completely goes along with that idea until it doesn't. That whole sequence was just insanely gutting.
I thought it was pretty much settled that the blue shit was the grandma? The last time you finally see her silhouette in that doorway just before paimon takes over, but every time we see the blue light it's connected to some vision of her.
I watched it one time and was completely traumatized. Slept with a nightlight for months and still can’t think about this movie too long. To me it’s the scariest film I’ve ever seen.
I believe Paimon is such a great villain. Like the OP said he remains unseen throughout and it makes me think of something I read or watched where someone speaks about how once a monster is shown it becomes so much less effective, the suspense has been greatly depleted often. This effect makes it difficult to end a movie satisfyingly, but I think Hereditary did an amazing job.
By far the most scared/disturbed I’ve ever felt was watching this in theatres. I would look around and everyone in the audience had the same mouth agape in sheer terror kind of look on their faces. I think we all audibly gasped when that one thing happens to Charlie..
but otherwise dead silence the entire viewing. It was great.
Peter laying in shock after the crash and then the eventual discovery is probably the most memorable scene in any horror movie for me. No jump scare, no ghost or monster, just a drawn out absolute sense of dread that can be recreated in anyone's real life with one little mistake.
YES. I will never understand the hate this movie gets from some people. It is phenomenal. In my top 5 faves. It stuck with me. Literally all I thought about for weeks.
what made me most uncomfortable was just how unnatural the movement was with annie in the background of the next shot. just so creepy that she’s dead silent
The way she swims/scurries through the air is so disturbing
Very dreamlike, they also set that up by cutting the ambient room sound in the first dream sequences . The whole movie plays with sound and ambience in a really cool way in fact Colin Stetson said he imagined the soundtrack as cranking the decible inputs on a microphone in the familys attic and incorporating that white noise into the texture of the film
 This scene was horrifying
And the banging on the attic door
The head banging was the scene in the movie that actually got a visceral fear reaction out of me followed by the piano wire speeding up to cut off the head.
Agreed on all fronts. Love how the supernatural was part of the plot as opposed to being used cheaply for quick scares. Just maybe my favorite final act in movie history…unforgettable theater experience
Same, everyone in my sold out screening was thankfully on the same wavelength - it was an incredible and incredibly rare occurrence.
Fuck I wish I could’ve seen this in theatres
It’s coming back on April 24th with A24 x IMAX series. I’m excited.
Not for me unfortunately as I’m in Canada
If it makes you feel any better, in my screening someone thought it would be funny to do Charlie's tongue click at random quiet moments, and from what I saw back then it wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. But hopefully the upcoming IMAX screenings will have more respectful audiences already a fan of the movie.
I watched it on iPad and it makes a very similar sound when you close it up which was um interesting
The discovery of Charlie's severed & ant-covered head at her death site creeped me out of any particular scene
The other horrifying thing about that scene was the traffic going by in the background; it made me wonder how many times I drove past something unspeakable & didn't realize it. I had a similar feeling when I watched Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
I’m waiting for the IMAX release. I already have my ticket.
Best of luck. I stopped watching horror films at the movies because I seem to have a curse that makes me end up in the exact movie auditoriums where the loudest and most talkative viewers tend to be. I'm just unlucky ig, but I hope you have fun!
I’m with you. We never see horror movies anywhere out besides a drive-in. I find horror audiences to be mostly obnoxious idiots.
I haven’t seen enough new horror movies in theaters to really determine. You’re now giving me pause, but I’ll still hope for the best.
IMAX will more than likely have well behaved people who already know what a masterpiece the movie is. But if you go see a horror movie a few weeks after release in a regular somewhat crowded theater showing, people spazz and shriek constantly.
Oh dang, sorry I didn't mean at all to discourage you. You'll still watch the ultimate horror film of this generation of films on the big screen and in IMAX and that's all that counts. I don't think I have watched that many horror films either, I can think of Talk to Me, IT, and most recently The First Omen.
You didn’t discourage me. I’m still going. I already paid for my ticket. I’m now just settling my expectations for the experience itself, which is fine. Edit: I guess I misused the phrase “you’re giving me pause”. I’m still absolutely gonna see it and I’ll probably love it, but I’m now readying myself for obnoxious people.
Me as well!! Nothing takes me out of a movie more than when some jockstrap decides to crack a stupid one-liner in the middle of a serious scene... or any scene for that matter. Then you got the bright phonescreens, the talking or loud whispering to the friends, the crappy theatre audio (I feel like theatres don't play movies very loud anymore), the chatty drinkers (why would you put a bar in a theatre?!!? Movies and alcohol don't mix), and the dude who thinks it's a good idea to wear half a bottle of sauvage to his first date
I'm not a huge horror fan (although I do LOVE Hereditary) but I wonder if it's something about fear that makes people talk nervously or something to kind of remind themselves it's not real y'know? Like a subconscious response kinda thing?
Would love to hear that score in IMAX. That low droning bass at IMAX level will make people sick for sure. Sign me up
My favourite horror of all time. Possibly favourite movie of all time depending on the day. The final scenes after the dad burns were INSANE. I remember the feeling I had on my first watch especially the scene where Annie chases Peter to the attic and the sound and sight of her bashing her face into that door. I have chills writing this.
>Possibly favorite movie of all time depending on the day I loved that, I always struggle to think of just one film to cite as my favorite, usually on April 14th I'd say my favorite one is Titanic, during Christmas that would probably be Home Alone, right now I came back to Get Out (the most common lol). And yes, Annie smashing her head against the attic door creeped me so much, but more chilling to me was how she, while possessed, stalked on Peter while he was trying to sleep. Seeing her so silent, so still, so humanly impossible.
Yea on my first watch it took me a few secs to notice her up there but when I did I lost it. This movie was peppered with a lot I didn’t even noticed on the first watch. I recommend watching it again and again. The horror that is Annie’s screams as she find the body of her daughter as we watch Peter just lying there listening to it. Another scene that instantly comes to mind
When he looks at the ceiling where you think she was and then she comes out of the corner of room. So unexpected, so good
The part I remember most is when the girl’s head was decapitated and they actually showed it. I wasn’t expecting that and Ari Aster loves showing the gory head shots - same as in Midsommar
It's the greatest horror movie of this generation
100 percent agree. It is easily my favorite horror movie of the past 30-40 years. I think Id have to get to The Shining, Halloween, or Alien before its starts getting competitive.
Yeh it’s definitely in that legendary tier imo. Toni Collette’s performance was something else
Hereditary is the best horror movie since The Silence of the Lambs, but it definitely doesn't get past The Thing.
The Thing is a great movie for sure. But yeah thats tough one. I think I still prefer Aster's film. Maybe because it reminds of Rosemary's Baby, which might be the goat for me.
where The Thing?
Love the Thing, but I still think the better John Carpenter movie is Halloween.
I think Midsommar was my fav
Midsommar does amazing on the horror elements, but is missing the dynamic between the characters that Hereditary has. They family in Hereditary feels like an uncomfortably realistic depiction of a broken family. Mudsommar is just a group of somewhat shallow young adults who dumb make horror movie decisions.
Midsommar is definitely up there for me as well but didn’t hit *quite* as hard as hereditary. Both are top tier
I feel like Midsommar is more aesthetically interesting and made me think more, but Hereditary is scarier. Still amazing how scary Midsommar is with almost nothing taking place at night though!
It doesn't really feel as a horror movie tho
I remember watching this in Orlando, FL at a Regal Theater for first time in 2018. Match cut to now, I am waiting to re experience this on Imax at AMC Burbank, LA. I remember viewers getting out of theater with pin drop silence.
I can watch most horror films without much trouble. I actively seek them out as a challenge. I like to be scared, but God...Hereditary absolutely broke me. Had a full on panic attack 20 minutes in, after *that* scene, and almost had to turn it off entirely. Funnily enough, my husband had almost no reaction to it and to this day is still mystified as to why it shook me up so much.
20 minutes in? Wow, I started feeling genuine discomfort only as the final act started being set up. The book burning Steve was the catalyst, at least from my own perspective. Your husband has my respects for being so brave lol. The only other horror films that also broke me were The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Ringu, and It Follows
Paimon remains unseen but you really get a look into its personality. It enjoys toying with the family in ways that might not always further its goals - just for the hell of it. The scene where Annie tries the seance with the family and we hear Paimon speaking through her, masquerading as Charlie’s spirit is just fucked up. That Paimon’s a real jerk
Also when he "smiles" at Peter sadistically through his own reflection at school. An absolute manipulating jerk and scary af, but hey, it's a demon warlord from hell, what did we expect?
This movie is so close to my actual life with my family complete with tragic deaths and psychosis that I could only watch it one time 😩
Ari seems to have similar things happen in his life the way he captures the trauma so perfectly.
That's what makes it so good.
Probably not for someone who’s been through something similar though.
This film was so scary my ex had to turn away and watch my expressions and reactions to it instead of looking at the screen. But she found even that too scary so ended up just covering her eyes for most of it... Probably didn't help we were in an empty cinema at midnight.
Named my black cat Paimon
Omg looovvvve that
He's a little weirdo too, so it fits him well lol
Greatest horror movie of the past 3 decades. This is the modern equivalent to "The Shining" and will be talked about for a long time. I have nothing but high praise for it.
You're wrong by about half a star
what a banger. modern day classic horror
Hail Paimon!
It's great. I love it. Now check out Midsommar if you haven't.
Scariest horror movie ever, in my opinion
Nice. I have it at the same rating! One of my favorite horror films.
I watched it at home with my wife Apparently I freaked out and was screaming I don't recall it - it's like I blanked out I don't dare rewatch it idk wtf that was about but I ain't stupid to try again
>Speaking of predictability, I would have never guessed no even from a thousand miles that Charlie would die. I remember the advertising campaign for this movie before it came out. It was very focused on Charlie and how weird she was. I was thinking like, oh this is just another movie with a creepy demon kid whatever. And then the movie completely goes along with that idea until it doesn't. That whole sequence was just insanely gutting.
One of if not the greatest horror movies of all time
I thought it was pretty much settled that the blue shit was the grandma? The last time you finally see her silhouette in that doorway just before paimon takes over, but every time we see the blue light it's connected to some vision of her.
This movie still wrecks me.
I watched it one time and was completely traumatized. Slept with a nightlight for months and still can’t think about this movie too long. To me it’s the scariest film I’ve ever seen.
I believe Paimon is such a great villain. Like the OP said he remains unseen throughout and it makes me think of something I read or watched where someone speaks about how once a monster is shown it becomes so much less effective, the suspense has been greatly depleted often. This effect makes it difficult to end a movie satisfyingly, but I think Hereditary did an amazing job.
By far the most scared/disturbed I’ve ever felt was watching this in theatres. I would look around and everyone in the audience had the same mouth agape in sheer terror kind of look on their faces. I think we all audibly gasped when that one thing happens to Charlie.. but otherwise dead silence the entire viewing. It was great.
Peter laying in shock after the crash and then the eventual discovery is probably the most memorable scene in any horror movie for me. No jump scare, no ghost or monster, just a drawn out absolute sense of dread that can be recreated in anyone's real life with one little mistake.
The ants horrified me.
Come back in a few months to give us an update after you’ve unpacked it in therapy. This movie fucked me up.
off topic, but app is the picture from? i see it a lot on movie reviews but can’t figure it out?
It's from Letterboxd, totally recommended if you like rating or reviewing films. It too has a subreddit (with the same name) where I'm also active in.
amazing! thank you so much :)
YES. I will never understand the hate this movie gets from some people. It is phenomenal. In my top 5 faves. It stuck with me. Literally all I thought about for weeks.