Hereditary

| 2018

Directed by: Ari Aster

Movie poster for Hereditary (2018)

Main Plot

Hereditary follows the Graham family as they grapple with the death of their secretive grandmother, Ellen. As they mourn, they begin to uncover dark secrets about their ancestry and the disturbing legacy left behind. Annie, the mother, struggles with her grief and the impact it has on her family, particularly her son, Peter, and her daughter, Charlie, who exhibits strange behavior. As the family delves deeper into their lineage, they experience increasingly unsettling occurrences that blur the lines between reality and the supernatural. Tensions rise as they confront their family's hidden traumas and the malevolent forces that seem to be haunting them. The film explores themes of grief, trauma, and the inescapable nature of familial ties, leading to a chilling atmosphere filled with dread and foreboding.

Characters

  • Toni Collette plays Annie Graham, a mother unraveling dark family secrets and supernatural horrors after her own mother's death, driving the plot's psychological and emotional intensity.
  • Milly Shapiro plays Charlie Graham, a young girl whose mysterious death triggers a series of terrifying events and unravels dark family secrets.
  • Gabriel Byrne plays Steve Graham, the supportive husband and father who tries to hold the family together amidst escalating supernatural events and psychological turmoil.

Ending Explained

In the ending of Hereditary, the film culminates in a horrifying revelation as the main character, Annie, confronts the consequences of her family's dark legacy. After a series of tragic events, including the deaths of her mother and son, Annie discovers that her family has been manipulated by a cult seeking to summon a demon named Paimon. The cult's influence is revealed to have been present throughout her life, leading to the tragic unraveling of her family. In the final scenes, Annie is driven to madness, culminating in a chilling sequence where she is drawn to the attic, where she finds her son Charlie's decapitated body and the remnants of the cult's rituals. The film's climax occurs when she is confronted by her possessed son, now fully transformed into Paimon. The conflict between familial loyalty and the sinister forces at play reaches its peak as Annie's attempts to protect her family ultimately fail. The ending connects to the overall narrative by illustrating the inescapable nature of hereditary trauma and the idea that one cannot escape their lineage. The film closes with the chilling acceptance of Paimon's reign, leaving the audience with a sense of dread about the cyclical nature of evil within families.

Ari Aster Drama Horror Mystery Toni Collette Milly Shapiro Gabriel Byrne