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    10 Horror Movies To Watch If You Love Hereditary

    dinamoyakoutBy No Comments16 Mins Read


    Ari Aster’s modern horror classic Hereditary was truly one of the best movies of the 2010s, and it has left audiences craving similar films to check out. Whether it was the deep-rooted issues of intergenerational trauma at the heart of its story or the occultism of the Graham family, these are themes that have been seen time and again across horror history, meaning there’s a wealth of films that echo the style and appeal of Hereditary. With an unmatched performance from Toni Collette as the traumatized mother Annie, several other horror releases had similarly powerful performances.




    Hereditary was one of the best horror movies in living memory, and fans of Ari Aster’s incredible work should be sure to go back and discover some of the true classics of the genre that helped inform this supernatural tale. Aster himself has a distinctive style, which means viewers may also be interested in watching his other work and seeing how it compares to the masterpiece that was Hereditary. As one of the defining horror movies of the 21st century, Hereditary was just the tip of the iceberg regarding powerful and effective psychological horror releases.


    10 The Witch (2015)

    Directed by Robert Eggers


    Alongside Hereditary director Ari Aster, another major name that stands out in modern horror is Robert Eggers, who also makes deeply atmospheric and effective scary movies. Much in the same way that Aster captured the psychologically rich themes of motherhood, grief, and mental health in Hereditary, Eggers’ directorial debut, The Witch, hinted at the religious extremity, misogyny, and madness of a Puritan family in 1630s New England. This period horror film was one of the most extraordinary filmmaking debuts of the 21st century and signaled the dawning of a brand new voice in the world of horror.

    Not only was The Witch an extraordinary debut from Eggers, but it also featured future The Queen’s Gambit and Furiosa star Anya Taylor-Joy in one of her very first roles. As a thought-provoking and visually stunning piece of filmmaking, The Witch showcased a family’s steady descent into religious hysteria and madness as the superstitions and prejudices of their era escalated their supernatural fears. With slow-building tension, Eggers kept audiences on the edge of their seats right up to the enthralling climax of The Witch.


    9 The Babadook (2014)

    Directed by Jennifer Kent

    Both Hereditary and The Babadook explored themes of family trauma and repression but in wildly different ways. From writer and director Jennifer Kent, The Babadook was a deeply moving horror that blended genuine scares with a poignant story exploring the darkest aspects of motherhood, loss, and grief. The Babadook tells the story of a widowed single mother who, with her son, must confront a mysterious humanoid monster in their home, who stands as a powerful metaphor for grief itself.


    As a modern cult classic that has endured due to LGBTQ+ interpretations and a queer subtext that linked the movie’s monster to other sexuality-charged horror icons like Frankenstein or Dracula, The Babadook was a deeply layered film. With intense pain hidden just below the surface, The Babadook explored family dynamics, trauma, and complex emotions in a way that was not dissimilar to Hereditary.

    8 Antichrist (2009)

    Directed by Lars von Trier


    The death of a child was a central theme of both Hereditary and Antichrist, as this deeply disturbing psychological thriller will surely appeal to those who were affected by Ari Aster’s movie. From Danish director Lars von Trier, Antichrist centered on the psychological collapse of a couple whose life was taken over by existential despair after the accidental death of their infant son. With surreal imagery and strange visuals, this unnamed couple, played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, dealt with their grief in a fury of violent sadomasochism.

    As a filmmaker, Von Trier has never shied away from the darkest sides of human psychology, and, unlike in Hereditary, Antichrist was less informed by the supernatural and more played like a gritty, realist exploration of humans pushed to the very limits of their own sanity. While this unconventional horror may be too much for some viewers to bear, fans of Hereditary will likely connect with this deeply dark and grotesquely grim story.


    7 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

    Directed by Robert Aldrich

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    What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a psychological thriller from 1962 directed by Robert Aldrich, stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as aging sisters with a history of Hollywood fame and sibling rivalry. The film explores themes of jealousy, dependency, and mental instability, set against the backdrop of their decaying mansion in Los Angeles.

    Director
    Robert Aldrich

    Release Date
    October 31, 1962

    Cast
    Bette Davis , Joan Crawford , Victor Buono

    Runtime
    2h 14m

    The psychological horror What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? explored themes of sibling rivalry, jealousy, codependency, and tragedy, all packaged in the story of a former child star who grew up into irrelevance. Much like Hereditary addresses intergenerational trauma, Baby Jane explores how fame can lead to resentment among family members. With two astounding performances from Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, the pure emotional power of their roles felt not dissimilar to Toni Collette’s Oscar-worthy performance in Hereditary.


    What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was a campy black comedy that blended horror and humor in a way that made for bone-chilling and often laugh-out-loud viewing. With two leading performances informed by the real behind-the-scenes rivalry between Crawford and Davis, the genuine feelings of distaste the duo had for one another bled into the film itself. A true classic of 1960s horror, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is essential viewing for horror fans of all descriptions.

    6 The Wicker Man (1973)

    Directed by Robin Hardy

    The occultist themes and demon-worshiping practices of the family in Hereditary were also seen in the much earlier horror classic The Wicker Man. This British cult favorite centered on a policeman visiting an isolated island to investigate a missing girl only to be subjected to a horrific ritualistic sacrifice rooted in Celtic paganism. With slow-building suspense, the true nature of the island and its inhabitants carefully revealed itself as The Wicker Man built towards its fiery conclusion.


    As one of Christopher Lee’s best horror roles that wasn’t Count Dracula, the actor’s characterization of Lord Summerisle, the eerily enigmatic leader of the island, was a defining role in his career. As a major influence on Hereditary director Ari Aster’s later film Midsommar, the influence of the occultist themes in The Wicker Man can be felt throughout the filmmaker’s work. While the Nicolas Cage-led remake of The Wicker Man was a disappointing but highly memeable adaptation, the original was truly an essential 1970s cult classic.

    5 Get Out (2017)

    Directed by Jordan Peele


    As a true modern horror classic released just one year before Hereditary, Get Out was a must-watch movie that similarly explored deeply unsettling and psychologically complex themes. From writer and director Jordan Peele, Get Out signaled this filmmaker’s shift from comedy into horror as he tackled issues of class and race in a deeply clever story about a young Black man uncovering shocking secrets of his white girlfriend’s family. With an astounding lead performance from Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out was one of the best horrors of the 2010s.

    While Hereditary focused on family trauma, Get Out instead focused on systemic racism and exploitation and used the horror genre to showcase the ongoing fetishization and cultural appropriation of white people toward Black culture. As a suspenseful satire that used its intriguing premise to deliver sharp social commentary, Get Out was funny, scary, and thought-provoking all at once. As two horror movies that have had a major cultural impact, fans of Hereditary will certainly get a lot out of Get Out.


    4 The Shining (1980)

    Directed by Stanley Kubrick

    A lot of comparisons can be made regarding the unresolved family issues of the Graham family in Hereditary and the sinister undertones of alcohol-infused abuse at the heart of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. With both movies being masterpieces of their eras, lovers of Hereditary should check out this classic release from one of the greatest directors who ever lived. Telling the story of Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer who moves his family to become a caretaker in a vacant hotel over the winter, things soon turn dark as madness takes hold and Jack goes on a murderous rampage.


    Much like in Hereditary, supernatural forces come to the forefront as the spirits of the Overlook Hotel tap into Jack’s dark nature, and his violent outbursts put the lives of his wife and child at risk. While The Shining received mixed reviews upon release, it has since been reappraised as an essential horror movie and a highlight of Kubrick’s esteemed career. As one of Jack Nicholson’s greatest and most menacing roles, the image of him wielding an axe as he screamed, “Here’s Johnny!” to a terrified Shelley Duvall has gone down as a defining moment in horror movie history.

    3 Beau Is Afraid (2023)

    Directed by Ari Aster


    The Hereditary director Ari Aster is truly one of the most experimental and unusual directors working in the mainstream today. While these more idiosyncratic impulses came to the forefront in the unique visuals of Hereditary, with his 2023 film Beau Is Afraid, Aster leaned much more heavily into his more bizarre and surreal impulses. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Beau, this anxiety-inducing story about a mild-mannered man riddled with paranoia trying to get home to attend his mother’s funeral was truly not for the faint of heart.

    Beau Is Afraid was both funny and frightening in equal measure, as this neurotic odyssey of epic proportions truly had to be seen to be believed. Phoenix’s performance was full of strange and unusual choices as his voice, expressions, and mannerisms captured the pure confusion and terror at the heart of his experiences. While many viewers will have discovered Aster’s unique style of filmmaking with Hereditary, Beau Is Afraid will push them further out of their comfort zone in a good way.


    2 Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

    Directed by Roman Polanski

    Occultism and Satanic worship were both pressing themes in Hereditary and the 1960s horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. This undeniably influential psychological horror was directed by Roman Polanski and starred Mia Farrow as a young woman who was unknowingly impregnated with the spawn of Satan. Exploring issues around bodily autonomy, feminism, and the overbearing expectations and restrictions of patriarchy, Rosemary’s Baby was a truly powerful adaptation of the original novel by Ira Levin.


    With slow-building suspense, the supernatural aspects of Rosemary’s Baby are quietly hinted at throughout the movie, become more pronounced as the runtime continues, and eventually fully come to the forefront in its shocking conclusion. Farrow captured the intense horror of a woman being exploited and used by everyone in her life and whose agency was being taken away for the purposes of demonic evil. By peeling back layers of psychological and existential fears, Rosemary’s Baby was one of the most effective horror movies of the 1960s.

    1 Midsommar (2019)

    Directed by Ari Aster


    As a film released just one year after Hereditary, it was impressive how quickly Ari Aster was able to follow up his breakout hit with yet another modern horror classic. While Midsommar had plenty of Aster’s signature style, it was also a very different movie as it explored the story of a girl named Dani (Florence Pugh), who was left traumatized following the death of her sister, traveling to rural Sweden to attend a fabled midsummer festival. However, what started as an idyllic retreat soon turned dark as the sacrificial plans of a pagan Swedish cult came to the forefront.

    As audiences watched Dani’s relationship with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) fall apart, Midsommar could be described as the most intense breakup movie of all time as she soon found herself embroiled in a pagan ritualistic sacrifice. Midsommar was an unsettling story made all the more powerful due to the incredible performances of its cast and the emotional heft of its writing. With Midsommar, Aster proved the success of Hereditary was no fluke and that audiences could look forward to a fascinating career that’s helping to elevate the reputation of horror films as art.




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