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Hereditary

Hereditary

Every family tree hides a secret.

2018127 minRMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Ari Aster
Starring
Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Gabriel Byrne, Milly Shapiro

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hereditary?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hereditary streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Hereditary?

Hereditary earns 13 badges, led by Top 10% of films and Standout acting.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Hereditary worth watching?

Hereditary's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 3.3M ratings across 6 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

92nd percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)92nd
Approval (how many liked it)85th

76 /100

92nd percentile of all films

94th percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2010s

Critics 87 · Audience 75

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama85th percentile among 2010s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 72%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 29 wins / 69 noms overall

95th percentile

3.3M ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 20% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$10M
Opening weekend$14M
Domestic gross$44M
Worldwide gross$90M

Returned 9.0× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a slow-burn family drama that deliberately shifts into explicit supernatural horror in its final act.

Fans praised

  • Toni Collette's raw, visceral performance
  • Unrelenting atmosphere of dread and unease
  • Emotionally devastating family drama rooted in grief

Detractors panned

  • Implausible character decisions that break immersion
  • Ending devolves into silly, over-the-top supernatural clichés
  • Slow-burn pacing that becomes tedious and boring

What stands out

Acting92

Toni Collette's powerhouse performance universally praised

Atmosphere88

Oppressive dread and creeping unease throughout

Cinematography85

Precise framing and unsettling visual composition

TensionDivisive78

Sustained suspense undercut by ending; fans call it suffocating

CharactersDivisive65

Realistic family dynamics but some find characters unsympathetic

Plot and storyDivisive55

Divisive: praised for grief exploration, panned for illogical supernatural turn

PacingDivisive45

Deliberate slow-burn that many find too slow

EndingDivisive35

Widely criticized as unsatisfying or absurd

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 25 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 10 points higher than over-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Hereditary like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats grief and supernatural horror with deadly earnestness, building an atmosphere of unrelenting dread and sorrow.
The rideThe film sustains growing tension and dread throughout, with the emotional weight culminating in the final act's revelations.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly from the matriarch's funeral through escalating supernatural events to a final, horrific climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's nightmarish imagery and emotional brutality linger long after, leaving a deep sense of unease that is hard to shake.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA grieving family is torn apart by a demonic curse they cannot escape, a descent into destruction driven by forces beyond their control.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGriefSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Grief · 6% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsFamily bonds
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film traces how unprocessed grief and guilt tear a family apart, making them vulnerable to a malevolent supernatural force.
StanceThe film warns about the corrosive effects of family secrets and inherited trauma, presenting them as a destructive force.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Colin Stetson
SettingA modern suburban house where the family grieves and confronts supernatural events.
MusicThe score uses dissonant strings and eerie textures to heighten dread.

Content guide

Is Hereditary okay for kids?

R

Hereditary is rated R: “Rated R for horror violence, disturbing images, language, drug use and brief graphic nudity” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (92/100), sexual content at moderate (56/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (55/100) and frightening material at severe (95/100). Overall it is heavier than 90% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 42 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • AE18+
  • Argentina+16
  • Austria16
  • BelgiumKNT/ENA
  • CL14
  • CO15
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece18
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel18+
  • ItalyVM14
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-13
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK15
  • South Africa18
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • TaiwanR-15
  • TH18
  • Türkiye15+
  • UA18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 94% of all filmsHeavier than 90% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 67%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 70%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Hereditary have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in Hereditary: Animal cruelty (mild), Animal death (mild), plus 5 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

MildAnimal crueltyAnimal death

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hereditary?

Cast

At least 2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Toni Collette
as Annie
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alex Wolff
as Peter
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Gabriel Byrne
as Steve
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Milly Shapiro
as Charlie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ann Dowd
as Joan
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Mallory Bechtel
as Bridget
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Brock McKinney
as Aaron
Jake Brown
as Brendan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Morgan Lund
as Mr. Davies
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Christy Summerhays
as Charlie's Teacher
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Hereditary?

Movies like Hereditary include Midsommar (2019), Pyewacket (2017) and Undertone (2025). Of the 12 closest matches, several are folk horror films, and several are stories about estranged parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its subject: guilt. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Hereditary?

82 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: elevated horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.