Hereditary: Let’s Talk About That Ending (Full Spoiler Breakdown)

Roth Cornet and Dan Murrell go all in with this deep dive spoiler movie review, breakdown, and dissection of Hereditary!
Screen Junkies Movie Spoiler Review - Drama/Thriller 'Hereditary' directed by Ari Aster
Featuring: Roth Cornet and Dan Murrell
Produced by Billy A. Patterson
Technical Director: Josh Tapia
Supervising Producer: Warren Tessler
Production Coordinator: Sarah Rivera
Post-Production Supervisor: Gracie Hartmann
Post-Production Coordinator: Carolyn Croce
Assistant Editor: Emin Bassavand
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[@thescapegoatmechanism8704]

The shot of the smiling man in the dark will haunt me for the rest of my life.

[@jordantropila7406]

J Ro UGH. •SHIVERS• that image has crept into my mind several times today and I would give my left arm to remove it from my memory. I only saw the movie last night, and I feel that I might as well acquaint myself with that image if I ever want to find solace in my sleep.

[@matthewpollock9685]

Was kinda waiting for the kid to drop an Ace Ventura quote... "Your balls are showing."

[@TheAmericanPrometheus]

Oh damn... now I'm morbidly curious as to what I'd missed, because I had closed my eyes and ears from the point when Peter woke up at night until when Peter runs into his the attic to hide from his possessed mother

[@luke.hillis7634]

17 AC he wakes up and the mom is on his ceiling, he walks down to find his dads body and she is again on the ceiling, and then he sees the smiling man from the funeral standing in a closet naked, and then possessed Annie jumps out at him and chases him into the attic

[@CatLives9]

Luke .Hillis I'm sure James Wan is envious of that entire sequence.

[@j.j.trujillo2157]

When Peter wakes up and Annie is on the ceiling, is the creepiest thing I’ve seen in awhile.

[@DannysLifeChange]

Jeorge Trujillo agree!! And when she starts chasing him! FUCK that!!!!

[@manoroid1]

Omg yes.

[@katevand]

Jeorge Trujillo Shook the theater

[@IvaN-cf7qt]

it mixed my fear to demons and spiders into one, ugghh

[@veannegilchrist9925]

Jeorge Trujillo And the head smashing on the attic door....😱

[@TheRavenCatcher]

Anyone else felt that tension when Charlie died??? Like, that whole scene up to the mom finding the body was just HEAVY. You want it to speed up you want it to pass but it just let’s that soak into you for like forever, but I think that was BRILLIANT and just added to that overwhelming blanket of dread.

[@JohnGoetzGaming]

Johnathon Cervantez one of the most visceral theater reactions I’ve ever had was when she hit the pole. Like damn that was shocking. And then yeah the whole following 5 minutes or whatever it was just showing him laying in bed made me just think how I would react if I ever did something so horrible

[@imankundu2007]

Johnathon Cervantez yes, especially, when before even the overt scream, you could hear the gasps, and you can feel the sense of doom that was gonna befall this whole family.

[@martgatz75]

Johnathon Cervantez yes it was really unsettling. You felt like you were in that house when it happened

[@MrKstate21]

It was perfect. From the gasping for air, to the close up of Alex Wolff's face all the while not knowing exactly what happened. I've never been shocked like that in a theatre

[@carriemaej]

it lingered and went on for far too long and that’s why it was so genius. i was uncomfortable and anxious and terrified and i’m not sure i’ve ever had a more visceral reaction at the movies

[@Liam_Mellon]

The oscar worthy scene for me was when Annie discovered Charlie's body. For a while we don't even see her and how she's reacting, we just hear her. And yet we feel every ounce of her pain as if it were our own.

[@El_oh7199]

The scene that did it for me was the dinner table blow up. That was scarier than any of the body stuff.

[@Liam_Mellon]

Not for me. I couldn't take her seriously after she said "that face on your face." It felt like a poor attempt at comedy in an otherwise serious scene. Everyone in my theater laughed at that line.

[@dsaillant811]

That scene where she starts screaming "I just want to die!" was the scene that nearly killed me.

[@amozhang833]

but thats kind of real fight you will have with ppl when ur extremely angry -- lose ur logic and words

[@TheRadScientist_]

"That face on your face" was excellent dialogue to me.. because that seems like a very realistic arguement that we've all had with our mothers.. you can't tell me that you've argued with your parents and someone gets so mad that they say something stupid like that because they have no control over their emotions

[@BillBilliamson]

My man just wanted to smoke weed and get laid but he can never catch a break. Great movie

[@acnbk]

Brent Bradford talk about a relatable movie character...

[@endlesummer_]

Brent Bradford lmfoooooo

[@katevand]

Brent Bradford he can now

[@LordMalice6d9]

@@IvaN-cf7qt Yeah of that shriveled post-menopausal 70, 80 year old pussy!

[@alexlorimer2141]

@@IvaN-cf7qt you mean paimon not peter..

[@willeeuhm]

Glad you guys mentioned how great Alex Wolff's performance was, because I heard lots of hype about Collette but no hype about him going in, and I was blown away that one of the kids from The Naked Brothers Band grew up to do... THAT.

[@adam-ll1yf]

William Seamon He took over for Toni Collette pretty much once the first act started. The entire ending was from his perspective and Alex Wolff sold every bit of it! He was the character I found myself sympathizing the most with. Him and Collette were the stars of this film!

[@immortalinwell5935]

Right?? We hardly see Peter in the trailers (except for the scenes of him in school) but he turns out to be this film's biggest dark horse.

[@vavedern8860]

Wait that's who that actor was??? That's incredible.

[@DannyBoy31211]

He was the final girl

[@endlesummer_]

William Seamon exactly. i literally love him so much and i’m so so happy he did so well in this movie!!

[@JohnGoetzGaming]

Charlie and the chocolate allergy

[@Arpin_Lusene]

Well it's the nut that's in the cake, but Charlie and the nut allergy doesn't roll off the tongue lol

[@katevand]

All Might nuts

[@xxCrimsonSpiritxx]

you're nuts

[@josephinedemarco8749]

That's hilarious!

[@brajeshsingh2391]

yes you saw the throat click meaning the spirit did not like chocolates. And then the scene.

[@drudle]

I actually feel bad for the father the most. His daughter also died and yet there is no attention given to him by anybody to help him mourn. The entire movie focuses on both Peter's and Annie's distress with both Charlie's death and the sudden happenings in the house and completely disregards Steve and his needs. He's just treated as a prop for Annie to walk away from or as the mediator between Peter and Annie. And for a lot of families that's how the father is seen: the silent, authorative figure everyone can lean on for support. But in the end has no support himself.

[@briankoontz1]

Annie has too much on her plate - she's been fighting the demon for years and things are coming to a head - there's no way she can provide emotional support for Steve at that point, and Peter likewise. What the family really needed was some friends (not Joan, obviously), or family, maybe some cousins, to come over and stay with them for a while. It's a big house, they can handle extra people. It's a bit weird how no other family or friends were even mentioned in the film - the family being so isolated (even their house is isolated) made it fairly easy for the cult to target them. Steve's big rational error was to not believe in the existence of the demon. That has nothing to do with Charlie's death, and he's the only character in the movie who's shown to not believe in Paimon. As events unfold Steve becomes more and more incompetent as his entire worldview is shown to be false.

[@ClownTrader1]

The last two sentences of your comment are more true than you know.

[@TheN3rdShop]

One of the scariest scenes in the movie is only noticeable the second time you watch it. When Joan is trying to convince Annie to perform a seance in the parking lot, the bearded guy from the funerals gets into a car in the background, turns his rear view mirrors, and WATCHES THEIR ENTIRE CONVERSATION. Absolutely terrifying once you notice it.

[@MarshallFlores]

Patrick_Shanahan damn I’ll need to keep an eye out for that the next time.

[@Allonsy305]

Patrick_Shanahan I noticed him walking in the background, but I never saw him looking at them. Good eye

[@shr6482]

that parking lot scene is really pretty to watch. It's just aesthetically pleasing.

[@ricardoguanipa8275]

I think that you can see several of the Covenant members that appear at the end as extras in the background during entire movie

[@crieverytim]

good eye!

[@nickmattio3397]

Here's another thing I havnt heard anyone say: Charlie has a very androgynous looking face just like Paimon has but in a male body. Having Paimon in her for her whole life, 13 years, has morphed her phsyically as well

[@briankoontz1]

Right. Just like Peter's face morphs in the head smashing scene. The deeper Paimon possesses an individual, the more he can morph their appearance, although for reasons of deception and self-preservation Paimon commonly chooses to not morph his host.

[@katevand]

I always wondered about this

[@specificsoup]

Nick Mattio she has a disability. Well the actress does, but this is true in the movie too, there’s a baby picture of her, her face looks the same.

[@0bearrr15]

Kids at the party were watching decapitation videos on their phones. I think Charlies death was 100% orchestrated.

[@tmenke88]

Quato Lives Really? Didn't notice that

[@horrorwhore7946]

Cool I missed that

[@AngelVocal]

she also decapitated the bird

[@CLrooks]

How do you orchestrate that?

[@catchdylan8680]

Also the light pole she hit has the demon symbol on it

[@adryanvalle]

Is anyone else watching this right after they saw the movie and know that your not going to get any sleep tonight?

[@luke.hillis7634]

Adryan Valle yep

[@sal44791]

That’s me

[@CLrooks]

I just saw it and I’ll sleep well. It wasn’t scary

[@MoonMagicks]

That final scene was creepy as hell. The giant statue was freaky.

[@realbadger]

Re: Peter "just going to bed." I felt Peter was in shock: a fugue state after the pole incident.

[@urbz6712]

realbadger he never slept. His eyes were open the whole time. He never even looked in the back seat almost like to him it never happened because he was zombified.

[@realbadger]

Urbz That's why I considered it a fugue state.

[@katevand]

Shocked stoned

[@bookworm1616]

I mean yeah. Honestly, what are you supposed to do?

[@koffinkaty]

I think it's interesting that a slang term for mental illness is "loosing your head" and the way that all the female family members end up decapitated. Just little links like that make this film so interesting!

[@beastmendelegate1946]

Gabriel Burns character was a saint in this movie, I don’t know what Roth is talking about. He knew his wife had covered their kids in turpentine or whatever it was, in the middle of the night while she was lighting matches as she “slept walked.” That alone is enough for anyone to keep their guard up and watch skeptically to protect their kids, even from mom. Plus all the rest of her apparent craziness. And he was also suffering from the loss of his daughter, the mental unraveling of his wife and the corrosion of the family bond. You can’t blame the guy for not being prepared to deal with a dark god and his evil, magic cultists, lol.

[@endlesummer_]

exactly

[@CatLives9]

I felt so sorry for Steve.

[@richhogg8074]

Totally right, i don't think you can criticize him for thinking about calling the police when he finds his dead mother-in-law in the loft room (as the reviewers in this movie did)

[@ghjhty7]

Matt Nice Honestly. I looked at my fiancé and said “If I found your mothers body in our attic and you behaving manically, I would’ve knocked you the fuck out. “

[@judofry]

Xavier Gomez probably would be the most rational move in that scenario

[@animec-dramaskpop6362]

This was a damn good conversation. I haven't enjoyed a movie review the way I enjoyed this one in a long time. Thanks

[@BlaqcRain]

SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERIOUSLY ... They did a damn god job and I love their perspective of difference scenes .. and especially with the manifestation of the demon and not a reaction to nuts .... that one was deep to me ...

[@EyeInSky2000]

That was a very deep (and possibly correct) interpretation. However, I still believe she does have an allergic reaction to nuts. I think she was eating a Nestle crunch candy bar with rice krispies inside. The scene also showed concern with the mother making sure she wasn't eating candy with nuts... so she had genuine episodes before. Although it's also possible these episodes were influenced by Paimon. I'm not sure why the mother would allow the young girl to go to a party without giving her an Epi-Pen though. But I scratched it off with the assumption the mother wasn't all mentally there. She thinks she is mentally insane, and the false reinforcements her whole life really mind f*cked her to the point of truly being a bit crazy.

[@kingsosa6493]

I see you EVERYWHERE!!!

[@davy209]

Am I the only one who absolutely hated Hereditary?

[@trifonspartan4993]

@@davy209 Probably not I liked hereditary but hated midsommar

[@imankundu2007]

Also, Alex Wolffe's acting is simply stunning! I didn't realize while watching Jumanji that he had so much potential! XD

[@armandozertuche4054]

He was great but honestly. His crying wasn't that great. It felt very fake.

[@luke.hillis7634]

Armando Zertuche I think the crying was on purpose. Near the beginning of the film he is very closed off and doesn’t portray his emotions at all. ( i.e. Him not being sad about grandmothers death and not saying I love you back to Steven and not reacting very strongly to Charlie’s death) and then in that moment when he realizes what his actions have pushed his mother to and he reaches his breaking point and he breaks down like a little baby, crying into his daddy’s shoulder and then later calling Annie “mommy”. So I think he was directed to cry like that for thematic reasons.

[@CatLives9]

His crying breakdown during the seance scene was comical, but other than that he was solid.

[@SuperMelrose1]

Dear Lord, I hope that crying was on purpose because it was atrocious. It made me wince and also made me wanna smack him.

[@endlesummer_]

Armando Zertuche i’ve heard boys cry and it sounds exactly like that.

[@andrewgleason4402]

I'm so happy you guys decided to do this long discussion. After I saw it last night I was desperate to have someone talk in depth about it to parse out my own feelings on the matter.

[@LaurenReads]

I can't believe this got a D+ cinemascore, that's really...not shocking so much as disappointing that audiences couldn't appreciate this movie

[@halloweenfriday]

Ren Don’t feel too bad. CinemaScore is the same website that gave all the Transformers movies A’s and B’s, and we all know how those movies are. Also, this generation of movie goers is too used to mainstream horror movies full of jump scares and other cliches. Hereditary is the best horror film of the decade!

[@clintoncollins9858]

They couldn't understand the underlying theme.

[@CatLives9]

They have "The Nun" to look forward to. Don't worry about them.

[@ryanb6503]

The cinema score must have a lot to do with your emotions leaving. I had a fun time with Jurassic world until I drove home and my dad started to think about it critically. So once my emotions faded enough to reflect on my experience I realized it wasn't worth the a- I gave it. I was so distraught with this I can understand the d, but after cooling off and thinking about it, this is one of my favorite cult movies (literally) of all time

[@RosieOleanderDallinger]

Outofallofus Ju I highly disagree, I think it is very frightening the idea of my body not being mine, instead just born to be a vessel for another being.

[@TheToolfan123]

I. Already going to say that this is one of the greatest films of all time maybe in the top 30 honestly. This film is damn near flawless with incredible acting, great plot twists, phenomenal ending, and great pacing to really escalate the suspense and horror.

[@ricardotejeda6530]

The most creeped out I have ever been in a theater. I had goosebumps most of the time and audibly gasped "oh shit", which I have never done in a movie. Great use of symbolism. A lot of references to threes, with triangles, the fact that the grandma, granddaughter, and Toni's character died and were set up in a triangle formation at the end. The flipping of the holy trinity (son, father, holy sprit) to the unholy trinity of daughter, mother, and Paimon. And since the symbol of 3 is the symbol of the devil (3 scratches indicates demons), it made all of that much sweeter! Absolutely loved the movie. Resuming this video now 😀

[@imankundu2007]

Ricardo Tejeda yes, and i went for a matinee show of the movie today, and people literary shrieked in one of the scenes, and it wasnt even the scariest scene of the movie!

[@grimequeen]

Ricardo Tejeda i didn’t see charlie in the triangle formation at the end? i saw the decapitated bodies of the mom and grandmother, but i didn’t see charlie? i saw her head that was on the metal statue the cult had built, but that’s it.

[@vegangurly]

lizzy vollmer that was the triangle formation. The headless grandmother and mom were bowing towards the statue (the point of the triangle).

[@grimequeen]

ahhhhh duh that makes sense

[@vavedern8860]

Also the Celtic rune for "Protection" on the treehouse and garage

[@unicyclejack]

I loved this breakdown of the movie, thank you guys. One thing I haven't seen any review mention, that to go along with the initial shot zooming into Peter's room, the entire movie is shot with a very shallow depth of field, making it look like the characters themselves are Annie's miniatures. That just plays more into the idea that they're basically just puppets playing out this ritual and the characters themselves have very little to no say in what happens

[@fandomentertainment]

That's a great observation. Thank you! -- Roth

[@maxpfaff9931]

Omg, I love all the layers in this movie! I didn’t pick up on half of them, but now thanks to you guys I have a much deeper appreciation for it!

[@alexsilva28]

Same

[@patarpon15]

That moment when peter knew charlie's head decapitated but he still said "are u o..", that gave me chills

[@katevand]

asking his sister she’s ok without a head. Loved it

[@jesterssketchbook]

"why arent you saying anything, sis?"

[@mksongbird]

most effective use of miniatures/models in a movie since Beetlejuice.

[@csjcsj2906]

MKSongbird Blue skidoo, we can too.

[@Breething11]

It had me wandering if things were miniatures the whole movie. The framing and how perfectly placed and painted the house was made everything seem like it was manufactured. I applauded the DP and the entire art department of this film.

[@teejay863]

Nice Fuckin Model!

[@MercurialSilence]

GLASSJAW

[@alexlorimer2141]

what about the miniature maze in the shining?

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen2292]

the audience score on rotten tomatoes is insulting for how amazing this was

[@preciousbodilyfluid1]

Some people are just born knowing how to make a true horror film. Ari Aster, hats off to you mate. I hope you continue on in this genre that is so underrated and misunderstood. You have the talent to make this genre the totally affective vehicle that it was always destined to be.

[@joshdavid9256]

I really enjoyed this movie. The little detail that stuck with me though was why did they not have epipens? Annie mentions at the funeral that they don't have one with them but it seems to be days later when they go to the party. If you have a kid with life threatning allergies (or think you do) you aren't sending them to a random BBQ without an epipen. That one is straight up Annie's fault, no demon required.

[@adam-ll1yf]

Josh David I don’t think it would have even mattered. It was clear that the cult had orchestrated Charlie’s death from the carving of their symbol into the light post she had smashed her head into. Charlie was bound to die from day one. Annie only pushed it along accidentally.

[@urbz6712]

Josh David because they are so god Damn expensive.

[@evyj74]

Exactly what Adam said, Charlie’s death was inevitable. It can be theorized that the cult orchestrated her whole death.

[@eddynunezsanchez8222]

That they didn’t have an epipen handy - either on her or in the car bothered me as well as the events unfolded. The fact the pens are expensive doesn’t make sense seeing as how well off the family appears to be.

[@crieverytim]

So true. Peter should have flown that in her face at that dinner table argument. If she'd been a responsible mother that girl would have had an EpiPen on her at all times. But shame on that brother for not knowing that chocolate cake mix is almost always have on the box the fact that it's made in a facility that processes peanuts. That's rookie shit

[@hollandscottthomas]

I haven't been able to get the image of Annie's headless body floating into the treehouse out of my head. Chilling.

[@ninethreefivesix]

When Annie is telling Peter she never wanted him and wanted to miscarry she says also says "I was trying to save you!" So I absolutely think she subconsciously knew something bad was going to happen while thinking she just wanted to spare them from her family's horrible history. Loved this spoiler talk you guys are amazing.

[@thenegativefilmcritic]

I couldnt believe that the man sitting next to me brought 4 kids to this movie, including a toddler that wouldnt shut up for the first 2 acts.

[@imankundu2007]

Andy Ramirez that was Peter's demons. The perspective and protagonist changed towards the end.

[@ChorusinCrystal]

Someone should call CPS on him.

[@matthewpollock9685]

Makes you want to bring a bell with you everywhere just so you can follow him to his car shouting "SHAME! SHAME!"

[@alexm1463]

SAME thing happened when i saw it!

[@johnathanmontoya6071]

Kid was sitting behind me too. Freakin laughed when Charlie lost her head. I was like what the hells wrong with him? Think in a weird way he just didn't know how else to react. Anyway, didn't hear a thing when it showed her head covered in ants.

[@SuperMcgangbang]

Was Charlie’s spirit malevolent or was she warning her family? Her drawings of her brother screaming seemed like a warning to me

[@grimequeen]

BreakfastofChampions i brought up this same question. at first i thought she made all the drawings because she was implying that she wanted annie to kill peter. but then i thought some more, and thought that maybe it was a warning instead?

[@LauraCatherine96]

I think Charlie has an awareness of what's going on around the family because she is the vessel, but couldn't express it to her family how she would like, which results in her being perpetually terrified. For example before she goes to the party she really really doesn't want to go, and begs Peter not to leave her. Would also make sense that the 'real Charlie' is still the main personality, because she is only the vessel, unlike Peter who will be the real deal. Also I saw this movie four days ago and I am still so scared.

[@AngellusBlack]

I was under the impression that Chrarlie's death was orchestrated by the cult through witchcraft and rituals, sort of like voodoo. The pole was marked with the symbol of the cult as the place where the death would take place and through their witchcraft things fell info place to allow her to die the way she did and where she did. Through their manipulation a series of events happened in the perfect order: Peter was invited to a party, Annie forced him to take Charlie, there was chocolate cake with walnuts at said party, Charlie ate the cake and had an allergic reaction, prompting Peter to drive frantically to the hospital down a road where some animal was lying in the right spot for him to swerve so he was closer to the pole at the exact moment his sister stuck her head out the window in an attempt to breathe. In any other movie it would feel like these series of events happen to coincide too much, but with the knowledge that the cult are very good at covert planning and the fact that the symbol was on the pole, we can understand it as all falling in place for the cult's plans.

[@germanikolaas]

Maybe thats just it, Thats how the cult commits their sacrificing is they make it look like an accident and natural.

[@XavierMacX]

Also, Peter's car was the only one outside when he leaves the party. Not sure how or why, but I wonder if the cult orchestrated the kids getting to the party without cars or like you said orchestrated the whole thing in its entirety? Perhaps just to make sure he didn't get a ride from a friend or some other event that could've spoiled it. They mentioned that they/he (Paimon) had failed attempts earlier.

[@briankoontz1]

Yes mellamosean, Paimon perhaps influenced Peter (who was stressed and not as resistance to Paimon's influence then) to swerve right to avoid the deer - if he swerves left instead Charlie never would have died (in the way she did, anyway). In order to avoid crossing the road's dividing line and assuming Peter is right-handed, it's more likely a person will swerve right generally, although by swerving left it's easier to stay on the road, especially important when travelling at high speed.

[@JeffTheHokie]

Considering Charlie WAS Paimon and wanted out of that female body and wanted to traumatize Peter to possess his body, it may have been a suicide. Paimon/Charlie stuck his/her head out the window to make it happen.

[@yuruaninava6446]

Hereditary was great, it’s honestly one of my top 5 horror/thriller movies. And everyone was absolutely great in this film. I absolutely loved the score, Stetson did a wonderful job projecting fear with his music. Honestly it’s just great. Omg but Toni Collette was just exquisite and phenomenal she definitely deserves all the awards for this!

[@Mishiniski]

Just some thoughts: Two important symbols - Charlie’s obsession with chocolate. Chocolate can be seen as a devil’s temptation since chocolate is associated with the Devil. It was a source of comfort for her as well. This was a large hint that Paimon was manifesting her. Second, the clicking sound she makes could be camel’s hooves. King Paimon is usually seen riding a camel. Each time there is a click, that means the demon is getting closer.

[@mahanadir]

I knew Joan was an evil character the moment she showed up!! The handmaid's tale bias😂

[@brockbuster]

Same. Ann Dowd is one untrustworthy bish.

[@csjcsj2906]

Charlie and Her Chocolate Factory

[@videotasticz]

Well, since Paimon is a king of hell than maybe they were promised not only earthly riches but pleasures in hell as well (which they are clearly going to go). One of the words on the wall was Pandemonium which was coined by Milton in _Paradise Lost_ as the capital city of Hell. Maybe that's what they were promised as well?

[@kketchie1]

I could listen to you both talk for hours about this movie. HOLY. SHIT. What an amazing in-depth review that made me love this movie even more and made me want to go right back to the theatre to watch it again. Thank you for this, great vid guys.

[@joer3501]

Gabriel Byrne would've been crazy not to call the police by that point!

[@hamzaisa3130]

Joe R for someone that has a sister with mental health issues, calling the police or ambulance Is the only thing one can do when they get to this state.

[@thegirlinquestion]

it's a movie

[@Champiness]

The address at the end being to Charlie, and then slowly pulling back to reveal Paimon’s identity, makes me think that very little if any of the Charlie we see in the movie is an identity separate from the demon. The way I see it her grandmother imprinted Paimon on her very early, before she had a chance to develop a personality of her own, and the warning about female hosts isn’t just the demon being fussy re: its gender but specifically its getting confused, somehow, about its own identity when in an unfamiliar body. So, in line with the movie’s themes of denying humanity, the entire plot is a process of stripping a little girl’s personality away until the King Of Hell comes out. There’s more you could draw out of that interpretation-wise, I think, but that’s probably beyond the scope of this comments section.

[@imankundu2007]

Champiness for me, Paimon is nothing but symbolic of the mental illness which is hereditary in many cases.

[@julianwalker9782]

There's too much evidence to suggest that this is all mental illness. How do you explain Annie's presence with Peter and the mother? What about the man smiling at Charlie at the funeral? What about Charlie eating peanut M&Ms in that one scene, despite the fact that she's allergic?

[@oscarmaidana9294]

Men. For me, Charlie was the demon all the time, but it was destinated to go into his brothers body eventually. I was in shock when Charlie died. Literally a part because how good was manage the scene, and how... they kill Charlie on the firts 35 minutes. I was thinking "¿Where does this movie goes now?".

[@coasterexplosion4428]

Oscar Maidana Destinated? Kill me

[@kevinschmitt4050]

this thing feels like a sequel to The Witch. is A24 creating a Black Phillip cinematic universe?

[@bcp4430]

Kevin Schmitt it has me re watching the witch for sure. I was saying this same thing.

[@nukexD]

I loved the witch and this movie! A24 makes some great dark movies!

[@JoseRamirez-vb1sk]

Maybe...I think that black phillip represents the main devil where the cultists are worshipping a demon. I think a cinematic universe in the sense that it operates in the context of Christian mythology.

[@Cobralalalala]

I wonder if they will find another movie for an A24 witchcraft trilogy. :)

[@RoboBoddicker]

Also, the Greek tragedy they're reading is Iphigenia at Aulis, which was also the basis for The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Was Martin also an incarnation of Paimon?? It's a full-scale A24 Cinematic Universe crossover event :D

[@kittyykatie]

I think something I wanted to add to the discussion is Alex Wolff's performance. People hated the crying but there was a purpose to cry like a child. He also called his mother "mommy". I think he wanted to return to being a child perhaps? What do you guys think?

[@Evelyn_Okay]

Saw this movie last night and had to sleep with a lamp on b/c I was afraid there could be a naked grandma hiding in the corner lol

[@AlMoSiCe210]

NEKKID GRANMA!

[@AlMoSiCe210]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKKneH6Vis-ZfKs

[@rawtaa8591]

I was 2 years late to watch Hereditary. But man I was happy to see an old review by these two. Really miss the Roth and Dan breakdowns.

[@yumyum3599]

I watched like 6 episodes of the Office before I could sleep

[@Jonnyboy356]

hey me too!!

[@joeymerk3706]

Best breakdown of the movie I've seen so far. This movie works on so many levels. I see some people bashing this movie saying it's boring and the ending was stupid. It's just that they didn't pay attention and it was to smart of a movie for them. Thanks for the breakdown and hopefully more people will understand how great this movie is..

[@icanbeyourend5834]

my thoughts exactly

[@MRYOLOSTACHE]

Dude honestly this movie is too smart for me. I did love it. I was definitely creeped out but never scared except for 4 parts. I understood some metaphors like grief but ending confused me and some other stuff. I rewatched it and bits and pieces made more sense and I started to love it more and more. But legit after watching this I do understand so much more about the movie and i love it even more now. I have friends that thought it was fine. I wish I could show them videos like this so I can get them onboard, but idk I still really love this movie and I don’t mind if I can’t get them to change.

[@martgatz75]

Don’t say it was too smart. Not everyone likes certain types of movies. It was really good though.

[@jefferyromero8980]

Film taste has nothing to do with intelligence don’t be condescending simply because you liked a film.

[@joeymerk3706]

MR YOLOSTACHE Exactly. This is the type of movie that will only get better with repeated views and time...

[@Meb2x]

I don’t know what the words mean, but I think they represented the movie’s three act structure. The first symbol appears before the grandma’s funeral, the second after Charlie’s death, and the third after the seance. I absolutely loved this movie, and I hate horror movies. It didn’t rely on jump scares, yet it was so unsettling that I was scared to walk in the dark after the movie. I can’t wait for a second showing so I can try to piece everything together.

[@bottomlessdickmusic]

The whole thing with the paint thinner means that Annie wanted her kids to die, and she was trying to end this line of possession.

[@ViralKiller]

incredible breakdown. Well done.

[@grimequeen]

does anyone know what joan put on ellen’s lips at her funeral in the beginning of the film?

[@kevlow9494]

lizzy vollmer Was that really Joan?

[@grimequeen]

Kev Low yes, it definitely was!

[@eddynunezsanchez8222]

I think it was christening oil and she was anointing ellen

[@antoniopedroso4765]

I'm curious about that, too

[@kellybrincks]

Best review of Hereditary out there

[@adamchambers1906]

A thing I noticed was that Charlie normally is eating her chocolate one bite at a time, slowly. When she was eating the cake it was almost as if she was being compelled to eat it, quickly. Which lends itself to the idea that she wasn't in control of her actions 100% at that time.

[@XCCF2011]

Spoilers (obviously) When Charley died it was a bit too much for me. I wasn’t scared, I was just heartbroken. I don’t know if it was necessary to show so much of that, but man, I was wrecked. It took me a while to get back in to the movie after that, but to the movie’s credit, they give you that time. They let you grieve with the mother and kind of give you an insight as to why she would make some of the choices she does later in the film. I think the movie did an excellent job of making you feel exactly how awful the situation this family was in, and then it goes into some more classic horror tropes. The suspense with the mother crawling around on the ceiling was unreal, and some of the camera work throughout this movie really helped build the tension. It’s a masterwork for sure, but I can’t see myself watching it again any time soon because it made me so uneasy and upset haha. Yeah

[@TXejas19]

Chris same, i had a sister who was in a bad wreck (she survived) but it was very stressful, especially because i kept hanging on to the thought that it was going to be fake out and once it was confirmed i didn't think they'd show the head and linger on it

[@XCCF2011]

TXejas19 TXejas19 Oh man, that’s awful. I’m so sorry. That really had to have made this movie difficult to watch, I can’t imagine. I’m glad your sister is ok though!

[@TXejas19]

Chris thank you, it felt so real, like i was in the film. My sister's coming to town tomorrow and she wanted to go see this. I advised we go see The Incredibles 2 instead lol. This movie stressed me out, especially that dinner table scene. I was exhausted by the end of the film. I found that interesting, I've never been exhausted from a movie before.

[@crieverytim]

Same. But less than 24 hours after watching it the first time I'm on my way to see it again. LOL. It's going to be hard

[@walterwhite9957]

I fine with them showing it. Movie really don't go there these days. A breath of fresh air.To show the horror and the extent that this cult is willing to go to. Especially cause the demon, is a demon of decapitation.

[@mandee8144]

You two in this convo are amazing!!!! I enjoyed the movie, but I overlooked so much of the symbolism and layers that you two covered! Makes me want to go rewatch! Enjoyed this SO much!

[@Aaronatthegaybar]

love that you guys covered this movie! after watching it, i told everyone to see it because i was AMAZED and terrified but what i saw on the movie screen

[@hrvojekrsnik6572]

I saw The Wailing recently and I see a lot of similarity in the atmosphere and themes between these two movies, and both give you a lot to think about. Loved them both. Great analysis!

[@iaminside1]

One of the exterior house shots was tilt shifted. Tilt shifting makes things look like miniatures. It was a masterful use of the technique. Look up tilt shift photography. It was used once that I noticed, but I have to watch it again to see if I had just missed other examples. Also the camera tracked characters moving between rooms like the characters were living in a doll house. The camera passing through the wall as it panned left and right.

[@HighStakesBBall]

Annie's attempts to kill Charlie while sleep walking (lighting them on fire, and trying to decapitate him in bed) were her subconscious attempts to stop Paimon all together.

[@andy-my1hl]

I think Annie knew that her mother needed Peter. From the beginning she says her mother had private rituals which to me insinuated she knew about the occult. It would make sense why she wanted so desperately to have a miscarriage when she was pregnant with Peter. Even when she failed at that she was able to remove herself and Peter from her mother till she somehow allowed her back into their life. Maybe even the paint thinner she wasn’t dreaming she actually wanted to kill Charlie , Peter and herself because she knew what their purpose was. I mean she must have known something. Considering her mother probably groomed her as well. Maybe she was able to break out of it and that’s how she was able to separate herself till Charlie. Which if you think about it could have been kinda like a spawn. She even says “grandma wanted me to be a boy.” I don’t know just some theories I thought about.

[@mogwai_the_makeup_cat1504]

I thought Annie had DID or schizophrenia, like the only member of her (living) family that had it (some people seem to have the theory that Peter had it too, and most of the film were their joint hallucinations but that didn't really seem true to me). I think there was one Annie-who we saw most of the time in the film-that doesnt know whats going on and another Annie that we see very rarely that understands on some level what her mother was into and that her children are going to be sacrificed for a demon. The one scene that made me think that was when she made the diorama of the accident that killed Charlie. Up until then shes been crying and angry and just really authentic in her grief and suddenly shes just coldly sitting there painting a tiny model of her decapitated kids head. Then when her husband (quite rightly!) says "well, what if Peter sees that, he'll get upset" the look on her face turned my stomach. You could almost see her thinking 'who gives a fuck about Peter, he'll be dead soon anyway.'

[@blkjohnnybravo3506]

mcgrimes I think it was more subconsciously than consciously

[@a1b3do]

great chat thanks guys i needed that after watching

[@FireflyABQ]

This is my first video I watched on your channel. Instant subscribe. You guys have REALLY interesting dialogue about this film.

[@carriemaej]

before my girlfriend and i saw this movie we read an article about how select screenings monitored people’s heart rates and i, a lover of horror movies, was a huge skeptic. i found myself shaking for a good quarter of the movie and my girlfriend admitted that she almost cried from fear during the scene where Peter bangs his head against the desk. we were horrified and completely blown away walking out but both eagerly agreed that we could watch the movie again, right away. The Witch is one of our favorite modern horror films which definitely influenced our opinion of this movie. i’m excited to look a little bit closer at certain things during subsequent viewings. there’s so much to unpack and i’m glad we got to do it with you two!

[@carriemaej]

i’m also of maybe the minority where i don’t think anyone’s mental illness is real, really, aside from Peter’s clear PTSD

[@Cobralalalala]

Heck, my heart was racing at the slow camera shot into the dollhouse with that music playing. :)

[@horrorwhore7946]

Carrie Jenkins dial it back

[@Hugo_Tate]

the words written on the walls are the incantation that joanie yells at peter while he’s at school

[@buttershady24]

Thanks for being so in depth, this video brought up a lot of interesting things about the film that I had not thought of! Great job! And great film!

[@solaris2340]

+Screenjunkiesnews, thank you for your detailed analysis of this movie. You pointed out alot of things that I didn't catch, so I'll have to watch this again. Engaging convo, and overall great to watch you two all the way through. Great job guys!

[@sugarxsnap]

Around 25:00 you speak of the note and whether or not Ellen (and her followers) believed there would be some sort of afterlife where they could reap the benefits of their sacrifices. Don't forget: the note said [paraphrasing] that the sacrifices would be worth the *reward* in the end. Obviously a dead person can not be rewarded.... Thus, I *do* believe she believed there would be a place beyond death where she could reap the rewards of her sacrifices.... Or that the "afterlife" was the reward itself.

[@TheMinarus]

My take on the grandfather dying by starving etc. was that just like the father that burned alive...He wasn't from the right bloodline, since only the grandmother was from the right bloodline just like her daughter and brother and grandchildren...And he wasn't useful anymore, so the demon screwed with him and got rid of him after a while...

[@jeremyleven3919]

Excellent analysis you two. Keep it up!

[@scoopsmcgee7171]

I love how much passion you guys have when you discuss a movie :)

[@freddieharrisgothambygaslight]

Just came from the movie. IMO. Annie was sleep waking and trying to kill Peter and Charlie in the past was that subconsciously she knew what was going or figured it out and try to save them that’s why she civered then in paint thinner

[@michaelthilges2604]

Unlike people who said they couldn’t sleep. I actually didn’t sleep

[@Voeris1]

I loved all this commentary, thanks for this dears. Glad you both enjoyed it as much as I did.

[@andywagoner]

finally got around to seeing this movie. excellent! glad to find this commentary on it to help me think through the movie.

[@imankundu2007]

@screenjunkies Can you please do an analysis of the movie by a psychologist/psychiatrist? It will be very interesting to hear what they think of the movie.

[@kezbez8139]

Fantastic in depth discussion. I loved this film and felt so very sorry for Charlie. I wanted so badly to protect her, and her death was devastating to me.

[@zombievac]

You like protecting little psychopathic demons? heh. Even her mom made a couple references to her never feeling emotion or crying, even as an infant. She was always evil, even if you don't buy that she was possessed by Paimon (in that case, just a psychopath I guess)! And they relayed her coldness and lack of humanity quite well...

[@RobertSlover]

surprisingly good analysis and breakdown

[@princejames1773]

The wallpaper behind you guys is so funny..I.e. the "beauty and the beast" picture there...niiiicccee

[@septillion2501]

What's up with the two round mirrors in the Annie's bedroom (2:19) and the two round porthole windows in the living room (32:56). It almost looks like two eyes looking in.

[@crieverytim]

septillion2501 also when she's sleeping in the demon Temple / Treehouse she is between the two heating elements one of which is circular. May just be imagery

[@ToastyJunebugs]

Those windows were very unsettling for me, too.

[@videotasticz]

I bought like a $40 book on demons of couple years ago (Weyer's _The False Hierarchy of Demons_ ) and it has a whole section on Paimon! I'm so glad they chose a unique demon, most horror movies either use the Devil, an unnamed demon, or some obscure pagan god.

[@zombievac]

Paimon is an obscure Pagan god! King Solomon kinda stole the myths of early europeans and applied them to the Christian viewpoint, AKA demons. But originally, he was just a "pagan" god, with pagans being defined as anything that is not canon to the catholic church.

[@RayoGarcia]

Just seen the film here in Spain and needed to talk about it with someone. Thanks for this, guys! :)

[@XavierMacX]

Probably the best discussion of the movie that exists on YT. Thank you!

[@partycrusher]

the last shot that mirrors the opening scene made me feel like we the audience played with this figures and scenarios and it was OUR fault.

[@GitShiddy]

I think you guys just made me appreciate the ending more. When I saw this I was in for all of it until the ending exposition from Joan, then I felt like ambiguity would have been more appropriate considering the subtle "or is it?" type feel I had throughout the film. But as you expressed your opinions I realized a more definitive end actually made sense. So some opinions I have. The words written on the walls I saw as chapter titles for the section of the films & with each phrase shown the deeper into hell the family went. Annie was definitely trying to keep the demon from this plain, her saying she tried to have a miscarriage with Peter, yet he was fine. I took that as her attempts simply unbound the demon from Peter's fetus in utero. And yes I think the demon binds in utero, it is called Hereditary after all. I think the father burst into flames because he said "no" when asked to throw the book into the fire, proving he wasn't willing to follow so burn him. An interesting thing that was pointed out was the drawing of the demon, he had 3 severed heads on his belt, Charlie, Annie, & the Mother all lose their heads before the demon returns. I dug this weird, heady oft obtuse but never for the sake of being obtuse film. I just feel bad for people who don't like horror movies, because they are missing out on the genre that's genuinely pushing the boundaries of original cinematic storytelling & I don't mean specifically this film but it's a damned good example of it.

[@Pintopam321]

Terrific discussion!!

[@dougmphilly]

this is how my wife and talk about movies, especially scary horror movies.

[@samcad-ho3ze]

Great analysis!

[@LupeJustinian]

I saw the twists coming, but the movie was executed so flawlessly, that by the end, I was enraptured. unfortunately, there were some *Loud Talkers™* in the audience, by the end, everyone was quiet.

[@MoonMagicks]

Yeah, i had some noisy people behind me. I can't believe how rude people are.

[@ryebread9299]

LupeJustinian true I had drunk loud noisy and farting people

[@bartlett247]

I had the opposite problem. The theatre was quiet for most of the movie then in the last ten minutes there was a guy about ten feet away who would not shut up and kept a running commentary until the end. I wanted to hurl my cup at him.

[@romancandleofthewild]

Which twists did you see coming?? (spoiler) Did you guess that Charlie would get beheaded in the first 30 minutes? Did you guess that this would all end up in a demon possession plot? I genuinely want to know.

[@iaminside1]

Rose K He didn't, he's just trying to look smart on KZbin of all places.

[@Itsvicu]

Let me tell you that ending reminded me a lot of berserk if you’ve seen the berserk ending then you know it was similar shit if they ever make a live action berserk movie people are going to be super shook in the theaters

[@bjork914]

Great review! Absolutely agree

[@zoelor7923]

I'm glad you pointed out the corner scene at the end, it's been almost a week and I'm still checking the corners of rooms 😅 I did find the crawling through the air thing a bit cheesy though. Made me laugh a little bit and broke some tension.

[@jesuswenceslao4909]

This movie reminds me of a mix of Rosemary's Baby, The Witch and The Babadook.

[@theinternetgavemeaids5393]

I think the friend from the support group probably ended up killing her son and grandson in a attempt to bring the devil out. I’m

[@autothots.rollout]

I am absolutely terrified of horror movies but your guys' recommendations earlier this week prompted me to go see this. Fantastic movie and amazing in depth analysis. Love the charting team's perspective!

[@i_bomb_atomikly9692]

Awesome breakdown!

[@kevincruz2470]

When Charlie was panting and drank water I thought the cake was an edible that was unrealistically kicking in fast

[@ninthnin]

Kevin Cruz I thought that too! But then I realized the movie shows us the teenage girl chopping the walnuts for the cake in one of the preceding shots. The cake part was weird though. My four-year-old nephew knows to ask before he eats something because he has allergies. Charlie was thirteen years old - I can’t believe she would be stupid enough to eat that cake without asking if there were nuts in it. Maybe she really was that dumb.

[@juless8832]

ninthnin i was thinking the same thing, why wasnt charlie carrying an epi pen with her at all times? but then i realized that she had asked her mother previously who would be taking care of her when she was older, implying she was a bit off mentally and would constantly need assistance. however, her mom could have given her brother one in case of emergencies or at least had one in HER CAR??

[@noellerose2691]

Kevin Cruz same

[@grhammjr]

Cinemascore gave it D+, but audiances are making it the #2 movie after Oceans 8. Thanks for unpacking so much of the film.

[@vannguarnieri9655]

That cinemascore is a travesty. I mean who did they poll, a bunch of scared shitless 5 year olds?

[@ruzaroos]

I estimated it would be a C or C- after my Thursday night screening. This is not a mainstream movie and just like Mother! when you market something to the GA in a disingenuous way, the Cinemascore will reflect people being pissed off. I did not enjoy the film. Some of the discussions on this video about whether the supernatural elements are literal or metaphorical exemplify why I didn’t like the movie. I don’t feel it ever established the rules that govern the world we are viewing. The layers and metaphors in this film don’t mean anything to me because they don’t enhance my understanding of anything. I don’t understand mental illness or dysfunctional families any better and I certainly don’t understand spirituality or cultism any better. So all I am left with is the narrative that unfolded and the visceral experience of watching the film. The narrative that unfolded is not compelling to me but I will concede viewing the film is a visceral experience.

[@floraposteschild4184]

@@ruzaroos This is late, but I'm fascinated with your comment. I read it several times.You are obviously an intelligent and articulate person. I could disagree with some things: e.g. your did not establish the rules is my did not hold my hand and tell me what to think. But overall my impression was -- I know this is going to come across is insulting, but it's not meant to be -- that this was like reading the comment of a person who went to the opera, but is tone deaf. In that case, all there would be left is a lot of shouting and people waving their arms around. So I'm curious: are layers and metaphors things that usually leave you cold, or is it only this film? Either way, it's understandable that you wouldn't get much out of this film without them.

[@DutchessOfSassland]

Thank you so much for this video!!

[@MultiVknight]

Best review anywhere!