Movies - TV
Ari Aster Had A Practical Reason For Putting Paimon In Hereditary
By ANTHONY CRISLIP
The Devil has been used in cinema for many years, appearing in movies like "Prince Of Darkness," "Little Nicky," and the controversial "Rosemary’s Baby." Because of his refusal to write Satan into his 2018 film "Hereditary," Ari Aster could find a new angle on the devil-cult possession story, giving the movie a specific feeling of doom while still allowing it to pay homage to Aster's influences.
Aster had good reason to find an unconventional sort of demon for "Hereditary" because the Devil, who has been painted for centuries as the source of all earthly evil, has little novelty anymore. His search for a new demon led him to Paimon, a figure with a long history in the occult that goes back to at least the 17th century and who is notable in the occult text, "The Lesser Key of Solomon."
By capitalizing on its demon's obscurity and not using the familiar imagery audiences associate with the Devil, Aster does something unique, even if the structure is like "Rosemary's Baby." As Aster told Vox, he had been "pretty unambiguous in his love for ... 'Rosemary's Baby,'" which resulted in that movie's influence on "Hereditary" and the "familiar elements" that some viewers picked up on.