Hereditary is a psychological horror movie consistently rated among the scariest movies ever made. For hungry horror viewers, this article catalogs three movies that have a similar vibe to Hereditary.
First, what is Hereditary about? The movie feels like a family drama with shocking moments of abject horror. Annie Graham (Toni Collette) is a miniature artist and the matriarch of a family who is grieving the death of Annie’s mother. The family’s grief soon compounds with an additional tragedy. Some moments, like Collette’s iconic “I am your MOTHER” monologue are based on the everyday horror of living in a dysfunctional family but there is also a scary supernatural subplot dealing with secrets Annie’s mother kept.
So, if you loved Hereditary, what should you watch next?
Carrie (1976)
Carrie was one of writer/director Ari Aster’s main influences in creating Hereditary. Family dysfunction is at the forefront as outcast Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is abused both by bullies at school and at home by her religious fanatic mother (Piper Laurie). As she struggles to find her voice, the family drama element meets a supernatural horror finale in a similar structure to Hereditary. Carrie is also a fantastic movie for many other reasons: Brian De Palma’s aesthetic, Spacek and Laurie’s performances (both earned Academy Award nominations) and being one of the best Stephen King adaptations.
Talk to Me (2022)
Talk to Me is a supernatural horror movie about Mia (Sophie Wilde), a girl who is grieving the loss of her mother. At a party, she learns of a parlour game where players hold the embalmed hand of a psychic and are able to communicate with the dead for 90 seconds. Mia becomes obsessed, desperate to communicate with her mother no matter what the consequences are.
The Lodge (2019)
The Lodge shares the same claustrophobic feeling of family drama viewers experience with Hereditary. It follows a father, his new wife, and his two children as they travel to an isolated cabin in the woods for their Christmas vacation. When the father is called back to work, he leaves the children with their stepmother Grace (Riley Keough) where conflict, cabin fever and threats from the outside fracture the group.
