Hereditary is now streaming on Netflix and quickly made it to the top charts, and this is a great reminder to watch this 97% horror movie from 57 years ago, which got a prequel in 2024. Ari Aster’s filmmaking career began in the late 2000s, gaining recognition for his 2011 short The Strange Thing About the Johnsons. Seven years later, Aster made his feature-directorial debut with Hereditary, a psychological horror movie starring Toni Collette. Hereditary was a critical and commercial success, turning Aster into one of the modern masters of horror.

Hereditary introduces the audience to Annie Graham (Collette), her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), their 16-year-old son Peter (Alex Wolff), and their 13-year-old daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro). After the death of Annie’s secretive mother and another major family tragedy, disturbing family secrets are revealed. Annie soon realizes her family is being watched, and there are some sinister plans that put them in great danger.