Based on 358 votes and 98 reviews
Hereditary is not your run of the mill horror films. If you're looking for an over-the-top, scare a minute movie, you'll be greatly disappointed. Hereditary is 3/4 psychological horror and 1/4 WTF. That's the best way I can describe the film without giving anything away. The film does start out awfully slow. It has a longer build up that promises a satisfying payoff. Believe me when I say that the ending is worth the previous 90 minutes. Toni Collette puts on a fantastic performance in this movie. It may even be one of my favorite performances by her. You can definitely feel the passion and the slow loss of reality emanating from her character. I became enthralled with what came next for her. What was next? You should definitely see Hereditary in your local theater. If only to hear the scattered cries of "what the hell?!" as the credits roll.
Hereditary is a smart scary movie. The way the story told is not everyone cup of tea. The first 30 minutes of the film might be too slow but it's necessary to make a presence until the end of the movie even the character is dead. And to understand the movie, you need to pay attention to every detail that the director shown to you. And also what the main character said the whole time. Toni Collette deserves an Oscar for her performance. She is really damn good.
Great horror flick which seems hard to accomplish these days. I can't recall another movie that kept me guessing what direction it was headed in, what would happen next, and how it would end. This movie certainly isn't a slasher blood and gore flick but it certainly provides plenty of scares.
Absolutely loved it! Great story, super creepy with fantastic acting. Really hope Toni Collette gets an Oscar nod, she was brilliant in an under-appreciated genre. Need to see it again!!
It was the worst scary movie I have ever seen. After reading everything about it I was very excited to see it. It was not scary at ALL & I have seen my share of scary movies. They’ve always been my favorite genre. Please don’t waste your money. Wish I could have given it a zero star. Didn’t make me jump at all. The only nice thing I can say is Toni Collette did a marvelous acting job.
first hour wasn't even necessary. Long dull slog with typical demonic gore time 3rd act.. boring.
It sucked, not exactly a horror movie to me.
I thought it was hilarious how the the mother of Charlie was going ape on the ceiling with her head
We enjoyed the movie - had a lot of jump scares and very intense and creepy scenes. The ending should have ended 5 minutes before it did as it got really silly and kind of tainted what was other wise a good movie.
Boring, unscary movie. No slow burn - just a dying ember from the start.
Satanic and a rejection of the Trinity. Worst movie I have ever seen.
Very slow moving, not enough action until the very end of the movie. Sorry I wasted my money
It just got stupid at the end.
two many directions. The director seem to go into many plots. Spirtualism psycholoigical cults etc, The end of the movies brought much laughter and disgust. worst movie I have seen in a long time.
Ok movie
Slow movie
Was quite chilling and creepy but never scary. One of the slowest movies I have ever seen. Literally every single frightening scene was in the trailer so the movie itself was very dull
A cleverly done horror/thriller, the cheap thrills are scarce but the psychologically chilling scenes are plenty enough. Very well done, very disturbing; this one kept me awake the nite I watched it.
Excellent slow burn horror. This isn't a funhouse jump scare film, it's a brooding, well acted, well filmed creeper that gets under your skin. It's smart and you can tell by the mixed reviews that some won't get it. Not for short attention spans.
cant believe the reviewer in the Post gave this 3.5 stars. I love Byrne and Collette as actors but the story was schlocky and the ending silly. Loose ends left untied. I did like the doll house snippets.
Very slow, does not really make any sense. The lead actors were amazing.
A smart, tense horror film
Pretty darn good, but obviously not for everyone. Slow burn creepiness that I found quite effective. If you want a laugh, read Tribute's synopsis of the film. Whoever wrote it thinks the dead mother is the family "patriarch." Ha! Whatever this person is paid, it's way too much.
stupid and boring boring, dont waste time and money
My wife thought it was a B movie but I thought it was the best horror movie I have seen in years
Very slow to scare. More bizarre than scary.
Terrible movie. Terrible ending. Would not recommend to anyone. I usually love all scary movies but this one was disappointing!
good movie with a bad ending.
A bit L long but kept my interest!
Hereditary is a masterful work of film art that is truly astounding and admirable. First-time director Ari Aster has joined the highest ranks in horror filmdom - his name will always be mentioned reverentially along with names the likes of Charles Chaplin, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kubrick, John Carpenter and Terrence Malick. Sorry, my condolences must be given to Guillermo del Toro the esteemed Academy-Award Winning director of last year’s Best Picture Academy-Award Winning film The Shape of Water. While a very different film, del Toro’s fantastical style of telling historic-fantastical horror tales pales into the background when compared to Aster’s instantaneous masterpiece. This is the film that every horror fan, film scholar and film reviewer have been waiting almost four decades for: a film worthy of gracing the top echelon of the very best horror films ever put to film. Let us rejoice that today Hereditary joins the other greats such as: Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, M, The Innocents, Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and The Changeling (1980). How ironic in this day and age that with all of it’s myriad real and imagined horrors, a new psychological horror film could prove to be so satisfying, edifying, intellectually stimulating and wonderous that it gives this reviewer a great measure of hope for the future of intelligent filmmaking that is truly unique and spellbinding while remaining a beacon of talent for wonderful younger generation who we must remember are the most important persons on the planet as they are the new shepherds forward. This is destined to become a triumphant testament and beacon that shines on the talent of our vibrant, alive, and engaged millennial generation.
It was AMAZING
S C A R Y ! Really freaky movie; haven’t seen anything this disturbing since the Exorcist ??
S C A R Y ! N
Stupid and boring. Don't waste your money.
Unsettling movie that doesn't rely on cheap jump scares.
Good slow burn horror. Many subtleties that you would enjoy if you paid attention. Toni Collette is a powerhouse in it. Husband may be a poor casting choice but other than that, a well-done piece of cinema.
Acting was substandard, plot was weak & fell apart @ the end. Too many lingering takes of actors' faces.
Late von Trier meets Rosemary’s Baby with a good sense of humour. Not for dumb people, if that’s you stick to franchises.
Don't listen to these nitwits. If you appreciated The Witch, you'll like this. If you want to be spoonfed blood & guts every two seconds, you won't. This is a slow-born, made by distinct directorial voice -- not generic, schlocky junk. It's beyond me how one could expect a quickfix B-Horror movie knowing: 1) this was a hit at Sundance, 2) was released by A24, 3) has the pedigreed cast it does, 4) had THAT trailer.
Terrible, slow, boring, long. Skip it.
Believe the bad reviews. Wish I would have gone hiking instead.
Biggest flop of the year. The hype is fake news. Nothing happens for the first 1.5 hours, then becomes comically stupid.
One of the best films I've ever seen. Masterfully done, challenging and refuses to water itself down for dumb audiences. Take your friends to see this so you can weed out the idiots. I understand not enjoying it but to deny that this film is a masterpiece just shows how little you know about film and narrative. Basically, anyone with a brain will love it, so at least half the people who see it will HATE it.
Very slow. Not scary. More like a take off on scary movies. Like Blazing Saddles was to westerns.
Old school slow burn dread building at its finest coupled with an Oscar worthy performance from Toni Collette.
Almost fell asleep. The movie is 126 minutes in length and the pace of the movie is very slow for about 80% of it. Has some freigtening scenes but not enough to justify waiting for the story to develop, which is mediocre at best. Don’t be fooled by the critic hype. Critics probably gave this film such a high rating based on its melancholic undertone and the ability of the actors/directors to pull off this tone well.
Technically well-done and well-acted, but the entire story itself is mind-numbingly stupid - and the pace made me want to slap myself in the face. This is occultist nonsense polished up for the big screen, and critics are providing favorable reviews because of the film-making techniques. It’s not scary (at all), and a viewer will end up rooting for ALL of the characters to stop talking - and to stop breathing.
Overly long and intermittent scares. The hype was not real.