15 Best Movies Like Hereditary

When "Hereditary" was released, it was like a desperately-needed breath of fresh air for horror fans — which was, of course, followed by a swerve, a telephone pole, and a headful of ants. Ari Aster certainly put his stamp on the genre with his 2018 debut feature, attracting audiences around the world with his story about a family engulfed by grief, shame, and dark supernatural forces that extend throughout their complicated lineage.

"Hereditary" was a certified hit for producer-distributor A24, becoming their highest-grossing film ever at the time (it has since been dethroned by the Academy Award-winning "Everything Everywhere All at Once"). Years later, it remains one of the films that defines the contemporary era of horror, inspiring viewers to indulge in more experimental and unsettling frights. For those looking for a follow-up to satisfy these cravings, we've put together a list of our favorite films like "Hereditary," including a wide variety of thought-provoking terrors old and new — some of which inspired Aster as he was crafting his head-popping horror masterpiece.

Danish auteur filmmaker Lars von Trier has a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation for films that are uniquely upsetting, controversial, yet bleakly beautiful all the same. Suffice it to say, we couldn't soundly recommend his films to everyone (especially not those in the colloquially but appropriately named "Depression Trilogy"). But if you made it through all of "Hereditary" and still have an appetite for such anguish, you're probably the perfect audience for 2009's "Antichrist."

The film stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg (one of the director's frequent collaborators) as a couple seeking to heal from the tragic, accidental death of their infant child. They retreat to the forest, where von Trier proves that he can take a path as familiar and well-trodden within the horror genre as the cabin in the woods and still find some seriously messed up ways to make it new again. We can't overstate how antagonistic this film can feel towards its audience (with sequences so graphic Dafoe required a body double on set), but fans of "Hereditary" looking to expand their cinematic horizons will at least be intrigued by what "Antichrist" has to offer.

As diehard horror fans may already know, for rising contemporary horror filmmaker Osgood Perkins, the genre runs in his blood. His father, Anthony Perkins, played one of the greatest movie villains in history in Alfred Hitchcock's seminal classic "Psycho." Osgood (or "Oz" as he is sometimes known) followed in his father's footsteps as an actor (quite literally, playing Norman Bates himself in "Psycho II") before forging a career behind the camera.

He came to prominence as a writer and director with a more recent film that also made the cut for this list, but "Hereditary" fans would also be remiss not to check out his 2015 film "The Blackcoat's Daughter." Like "The Holdovers" for horror fans, it primarily follows two girls (played by "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" star Kiernan Shipka and "The Politician" star Lucy Boynton) experiencing dark supernatural phenomena after being left behind at a boarding school. Though it isn't as popular as some of their other offerings, "The Blackcoat's Daughter" is quietly one of the most terrifying horror films ever released by A24.

If you weren't bothered by the constant, horrifically vivid peril experienced by the young characters of "Hereditary," you might just be able to make it through "Bring Her Back." One of the most punishing, squirm-inducing, feel-bad movies of 2025, it was written and directed by relative newcomers Danny and Michael Philippou. The Australian-brother duo were once full-time YouTubers, before their debut film became a surprise hit in 2023.

After an accident claims the life of his father just three months before his 18th birthday, the emotionally reclusive Andy (Billy Barratt) is forced to temporarily move into a foster home with his step-sister Piper (Sora Wong) to avoid being separated before he can attempt to become her guardian. At first, their quirky but caring single foster mother Laura ("Shape of Water" star Sally Hawkins) appears to be the safe place to land that Andy and Piper need — until her other foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), starts trying to strangle the family cat. There are so many moments from this film that are violently etched in our memory (is it possible for a movie to ruin tables?), but the cast (especially Hawkins, who executes another Academy Award-worthy performance) makes the experience surprisingly watchable.

While many of the films on this list were likely inspired or otherwise culturally bolstered in some way by the success of "Hereditary," there are a few recommendations here that are themselves responsible for Ari Aster making such a film in the first place. One of them is "Carrie," the 1976 adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel from visionary filmmaker and genre chameleon Brian De Palma.

Sissy Spacek gives a star-making performance as the title character, a 16-year-old high school student traumatized by experiencing her first period in public, eliciting cruel mockery from her fellow students and violent repudiation from her evangelical Christian mother (Piper Laurie). However, through her pain Carrie discovers that she possesses supernatural gifts.

Most famous for its shocking, bloody finale, "Carrie" has long been a touchstone for the horror community, Aster included, having used Spacek's performance as inspiration for a particular moment in "Hereditary." It's a film so effective, influential, and undeniably iconic that Stephen King himself feels that it's better than his own novel.

Even more influential on Ari Aster and his "Hereditary" creative process was "Don't Look Now," a 1973 British film from Nicolas Roeg. Indeed, there are several similarities between the two films in terms of plot alone. Both feature stories catalyzed by the accidental death of a young child, with a focus on how the families process such profound loss; and, like Toni Collette's Annie Graham in "Hereditary," Laura (the matriarch of the Baxter family, played by Julie Christie) becomes captivated by the idea that her daughter still exists in a metaphysical world beyond ours, able to be contacted by psychics and seances.

Most of all, the two films share a haunting sense of dread about the nature of grief, especially when subjected to maladaptive coping processes. "Don't Look Now" has garnered significant attention in the past decade, continuing even after the passing of Roeg in 2018.

With all due respect, "The First Omen" has no business being as great as it is. A bit of franchise-IP excavation performed in a clear attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the original "Omen" film from 1976, it by all means should have gone the way of "The Thing" (2011), "American Psycho II," or any of the dreck from the horror re-quel movement that has only picked up steam in recent years.

And yet, "The First Omen" is not only worthy of being associated with "The Omen," but one of the scariest and most compelling horror films released in the last several years. Set in a Catholic-run orphanage in 1970s Rome, it follows a young American soon-to-be nun (Nell Tiger Free) who forms a deep connection with a lonely child (Nicole Sorace) as disturbing events surround them both. It's a film best experienced with as little pretext as possible, though you should know that it may be one of the most violent and transgressive horror movies ever produced by the Walt Disney company.

After directing "The Blackcoat's Daughter" and 2020's "Gretel and Hansel" to warm critical and commercial reception, Osgood Perkins made his biggest mark yet with the 2024 film "Longlegs." The film's marketing was nothing short of genius, with cryptic trailers that invited potential audience members to get involved in the mystery at the heart of the film, evoking the mix of supernatural horror and crime thriller (think "Zodiac") that "Longlegs" strikes so effectively.

Maika Monroe stars as Lee Harker, an up-and-coming FBI agent who catches the attention of her superiors when her hunches about an elusive serial killer (Nicolas Cage) prove to be the most effective leads they have. As she progresses further down this twisted investigation, she's forced to contend with her own disturbing and unresolved past, confusing phenomena she can't explain, and terrifying revelations that could change the world for good. Tense and oozing with dread, this somewhat polarizing masterpiece will have you holding your breath until its final shot.

With "Hereditary" having turned him into the face of the future of horror overnight, fans of the genre at large were anxious to see in what direction Ari Aster would choose to take his next project. Returning to A24, he set his sights on another horror film that (while visually distinct from the rest of his filmography, and much of the horror genre at large for that matter) strikes familiar tones and narrative beats to his game-changing debut.

Despite being inspired by a not-so-scary Swedish festival and being set almost entirely during the brightest, longest days of the year, "Midsommar" is a terrifying follow-up to "Hereditary" (with deeper connections to the latter film than even Aster himself realized at first). Florence Pugh leads the film, fresh from her breakout performance in Greta Gerwig's "Little Women," playing an American who travels to a secluded Swedish commune with a group of friends to experience a bizarre natural festival. As one might expect, the festival holds nothing but a series of awful surprises for her and her friends, leading to a summer vacation neither they nor the audience will ever recover from.

Though director Darren Aronofsky had already made more than a name for himself as one of Hollywood's most audacious and idiosyncratic filmmakers (having released major hits "Requiem for a Dream," "The Wrestler," and "Black Swan"), there's no denying that his film "Mother!" would have benefitted from the sort of appetite "Hereditary" awakened in audiences. The Jennifer Lawrence-starrer was polarizing when it was first released in 2017, with many critics and audiences a bit confused about what the heck the film was trying to say.

This isn't to say that "Hereditary" or any other horror film released since has provided some kind of rosetta stone for Aronofsky's defiantly confounding story about a poet (Javier Bardem) and his wife (Lawrence) living in their arresting, nature-inspired home. A dozen different people could watch the film together and have a dozen different interpretations about the curious ideas, twists, and symbols it trusts them with. But that's the charm of "Mother!" It isn't made to simply be consumed from a narrative perspective, but loved, hated, and above all else remembered for years to come.

For some reading this article, you might be less concerned with finding a feature that has a similar plot, visual style, or even themes to "Hereditary," but something arguably a bit rarer — a film that can fill you with the same near-nauseating level of dread, emotional pain, and terror. If you count yourself among this crowd, and are willing to take a chance on an indie film that will probably ruin your night after you start it, you simply have to seek out "Possum."

Written and directed by British comedian Matthew Holness and starring Alun Armstrong and "Mission: Impossible" baddie Sean Harris, "Possum" is a deeply upsetting journey through one man's lost potential, childhood trauma, and interior anguish. Phillip (Harris), a socially ostracized puppeteer, returns to his small hometown, where his uncle (Armstrong) lives in the decaying home he was raised in. Soon after his arrival, reports emerge that a boy (Charlie Eales) with whom Phillip briefly interacted has gone missing. Based on the bizarre ways Phillip behaves, the suspicion he's met with by everyone he meets, and some eyewitness testimony, it quickly looks like he might have been involved in the disappearance. It certainly doesn't help Phillip's case that he's haunted by a terrifying puppet named Possum.

The film isn't just an exercise in second-hand shame and despair, but a gripping character-piece that uses imaginative storytelling to put the audience in the mind of someone they'd probably avoid in real life. But by the time "Possum" reaches its jarring end, viewers will at least understand how a person like Phillip ends up in such tragic torment.

Of all of the films that inspired Ari Aster's "Hereditary," none are quite as obvious as "Rosemary's Baby." The 1968 feature is one of the defining psychological horror films of all time, ingeniously exploring supernatural subject matter with a focus on how experiencing such a thing would unravel a person's mind (a theme readers surely loved from "Hereditary").

Mia Farrow stars as Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman excited about starting a new life in New York City with her husband Guy (John Cassavetes). Unbeknownst to them, however, they are surrounded by material and supernatural forces that have conspired with one another against them — deeming Rosemary the key to bringing about the dawn of a new world. If you've managed to go this long without being exposed to spoilers for the film, trust in its reputation and enjoy the ride. Along the way, you'll surely recognize similarities in Rosemary's plight and that of the Graham family — though its final twist is somehow even more consequential.

Some might have been surprised that Luca Guadagnino (the Italian filmmaker best known for romantic dramas like "Call Me By Your Name," "Challengers," and "Queer") was tapped to direct a reboot of "American Psycho" starring Austin Butler. However, Guadagnino actually followed his 2017 critical darling with a horror box-office bomb that has since become a cult classic.

As we stated quite plainly back when it was released, Guadagnino's "Suspiria" is the best horror remake ever made. Based on Dario Argento's original 1977 film, it takes place within a prestigious German ballet conservatory, where student dancers devote themselves to the singular artistry of Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). Though it's generally understood and accepted that the school treats the art of dance with a certain religious reverence, it soon seems the school is under the influence of a powerful cult of supernatural beings. Filled with beautiful choreography and cinematography, thrilling performances, and amazingly grotesque practical effects, "Suspiria" should make any horror fan excited for Guadagnino's return to the genre.

Before they brought audiences "Bring Her Back," Danny and Michael Philippou first made the leap from content creators to successful filmmakers by giving A24 their most profitable horror movie of all time. Released worldwide in 2023, "Talk to Me" was the perfect summer scream fest to enjoy the wake of cinema excitement stoked by the dual release "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" just weeks before. Its success can't just be chalked up to good timing, however.

"Bring Her Back" is a teen ghost story refreshingly fluent in youth culture, following a group of kids who come into possession of an ominous, supposedly mummified human hand that allows those who engage with its rituals to interact with the dead. The young cast of actors quickly get the audience invested in both the life-and-death stakes of their reckless supernatural games and the social and emotional stakes of how those games impact their relationships. "Talk to Me" isn't quite as unforgiving as "Bring Her Back," but at times almost more painful to watch because of how much you want every character to be okay. It was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and has only continued to crush it with an afterlife on streamers like Netflix.

As many truly existential problems as the dawn of streaming has thrust upon the film and television industry, the fact that audiences around the world can encounter a low-budget, independent film like the Argentine-U.S.-produced "When Evil Lurks" proves services like Shudder can be vital to the future of entertainment. It's the kind of high-concept, intentionally disconcerting movie that would struggle to get the worldwide roll-out it deserves. Fortunately, it's currently only a few clicks away for our readers.

Written and directed by Argentine filmmaker Demián Rugna, "When Evil Lurks" takes place in a proto-apocalyptic world where demonic possession is a somewhat regular but no less terrifying occurrence. Preventing the spread of such infectious darkness requires the cold, careful executions of those unfortunate enough to be possessed, with people operating on a similarly effed-up moral logic to those surviving a zombie apocalypse. The places the film takes this premise to could only have been thought of by a true sicko, but that's exactly what makes "When Evil Lurks" a work of cruel, bloody perfection.

If one were to assemble a Mount Rushmore of A24 horror directors, the only other name that would be as much of a no-brainer as Ari Aster would be Robert Eggers. His immediately recognizable work has stood on its own for a decade now, with a string of memorable hits consisting of the unwieldy psychological horror film "The Lighthouse," the Norse folk thriller "The Northman," and the 2024 remake of "Nosferatu."

None of these impressive films would have come to be without the runaway success of his 2015 debut feature "The Witch" (or "The VVitch," or — as your least-funny film-bro friend would say, "The Va-Vitch"). In addition to kickstarting the career of a 19-year-old Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Witch" played a major role in establishing the A24 age of experimental horror that "Hereditary" would one day capitalize upon. It tells the story of a 17th century, puritanically outcast family trying to build a new life near some seriously haunted woods. With distinct visuals, a constantly shocking, disturbing plot, and an equally haunting ending that will tease your mind long after the credits roll, it's arguably the perfect film to watch after "Hereditary." But whichever of these films you choose to torment yourself with next... just be careful not to lose your head.