What Is Hereditary and Why Is It Considered Psychological Horror
Hereditary is a 2018 American psychological horror film written and directed by Ari Aster in his feature directorial debut. The movie follows the Graham family after the death of their secretive grandmother, Annie Graham, played by Toni Collette. The film blends grief, family trauma, and occult elements to create a slow-burn horror experience centered on inherited trauma and mental illness. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018 and was released theatrically by A24 on June 8, 2018. The film grossed approximately $79 million worldwide against a production budget of $10 million, making it one of A24's highest-grossing horror releases at the time. For more on A24's film strategy, see Forbes.
Critics and audiences widely classify Hereditary as psychological horror rather than pure supernatural or slasher horror. The film emphasizes character psychology, domestic grief, and inherited patterns of trauma over jump scares or monster-driven plotlines. Its pacing, sound design, and imagery focus on internal dread and family dysfunction. The film holds an 89% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes based on more than 380 reviews and a 7.3 rating on IMDb from over 400,000 user votes. These metrics place it among the most acclaimed horror films of the late 2010s.
Key Themes in Hereditary: Grief, Inheritance, and Mental Illness
The central theme of Hereditary is the intergenerational transmission of trauma and mental illness. Annie Graham is a miniature artist whose family history includes severe mental health issues and occult involvement. The film portrays how suppressed family secrets and inherited psychological patterns manifest in destructive behavior. Toni Collette's performance was widely praised for its raw depiction of maternal grief and psychological breakdown. Her role anchors the film's exploration of how trauma passes through family lines.
Other major themes include control, ritual, and the influence of secret societies. The Paimon cult in the film represents a hidden system of control that spans generations. The movie uses miniature sets and dollhouse imagery to symbolize the characters' feeling of being trapped in predetermined roles. These visual motifs reinforce the sense of inevitability and inherited fate. The film's symbolism connects to broader psychological horror traditions that examine family dynamics and unconscious patterns.
Cast, Crew, and Critical Reception of Hereditary
The main cast of Hereditary includes Toni Collette as Annie Graham, Alex Wolff as Peter Graham, and Milly Shapiro as Charlie Graham. Gabriel Byrne plays Steve Graham, Annie's husband, while Ann Dowd and Mallory Bechtel appear in supporting roles. The film's score was composed by Colin Stetson, and the cinematography was handled by Pawel Pogorzelski. Ari Aster's direction was noted for its precise control of tone and atmosphere. The film received multiple award nominations, including a Best Actress nomination for Toni Collette at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Hereditary has influenced subsequent psychological horror films and TV series, including Ari Aster's follow-up film Midsommar and the HBO series The White Lotus. The film is frequently cited in discussions about modern horror's shift toward slow-burn, character-driven narratives. It ranks among the top-grossing independent horror films of its era and remains a reference point for horror analysis. For industry context on horror box office trends, see