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Spoilers ahead. Hereditary is being called this generation's The Exorcist and has garnered a resounding reputation as one of the scariest movies that has come out recently. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly the scariest aspect is of the movie, as there are many messed up moments in Hereditary. There are 16 on the list below, but throughout the two-hour-and-seven-minutes long movie, there are genuinely countless creepy events take place.
Starting with the moment towards the beginning of Hereditary when the matriarch of a family, Annie (Toni Collette), runs through a list of psychiatric disorders that her family members have had, you get where the movie got its name. Not only does the film follow a family cursed by a devil-worshiping grandmother, but it also explores how the dynamic of guilt and grief can bring out the worst in family members. That's why some of the scariest parts of Hereditary don't actually include a ghost sighting or decapitated body — there's just a great deal of bone-chilling lines, typically delivered by Annie to her son, Peter (Alex Wolff). While the weird, haunted moments in the movie are terrifying, they wouldn't be quite as impactful without the tense family dynamic that the movie also presents.
1
When Charlie Cuts The Head Off Of A Dead Bird
From early on, you realize that Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is a peculiar kid. She wants to draw during her grandmother's funeral and she's the only character who seems to notice her grandmother's pendant when looking at the open casket. When Charlie cuts the head off of a dead pigeon, though, you start to get really freaked out by her.
2
When Steve Finds Out His Mother-In-Law's Grave Was Vandalized
Steve (Gabriel Byrne) learns that his mother-in-law's grave was tampered with and it seems like it might have even been dug up, but the movie doesn't give any further details about the eerie information.
3
When Charlie Goes Into Anaphylactic Shock At A Party
At the start of one of the scariest scenes from any movie, Charlie accidentally eats peanuts in a cake. She goes into anaphylactic shock at the party while her brother is in the other room, smoking pot with his friends. The fact that Charlie can't breathe adds so much tension to the scene and leaves you on the edge of your seat before the scariest event takes place.
4
When Charlie's Head Gets Chopped Off In The Car
The scariest event has to be right after Charlie realizes she can't breathe, when Peter shoves her in the car and speeds off to get her to a hospital. Upon seeing an animal in the road, though, Peter swerves right, not realizing Charlie has put her head out the window to try to get more air to help herself breathe. Shockingly, when the car swerves, Charlie's head hits a utility pole and the young girl is decapitated. The sound when it happens is haunting.
5
When Annie Randomly Hears Charlie's Click Sound Loudly In Her Car
Charlie always made a strange clicking noise that seemed like some sort of self-soothing mechanism. But after Charlie has died and her mom is driving away from Joan's house, she hears the click noise loudly. It's a freaky moment and a great use of sound as a shock-factor.
6
When Peter Breaks His Own Nose
Needless to say, Peter kind of loses it after he accidentally brutally kills his sister. After a few freaky hallucinations, he later seems to get possessed and he slams his head onto his desk, breaking his nose in class. It's as horrifying as it sounds,.
7
When Annie Yells At Peter And Blames Him For Charlie's Death
Remember that whole family dynamics thing? The moment at dinner when Annie yells at Peter, blaming him for Charlie's death, is one of the most awkward and uncomfortable moments of the whole movie.
8
When We See The Ants All Over Charlie's Decapitated Head
You thought that the decapitation was enough, huh? Nope. Right after Annie discovers her daughter's body still left in the car, audiences see Charlie's decapitated head on the ground, covered in ants. That's one sickening shot you'll wish you can un-see.
9
When Annie And Joan Have A Seance For Joan's Son
One of the best-acted scenes in the movie is the seance that Joan (Ann Dowd) holds with Annie. There's silence followed by loud noises and then sudden movements accompanied by screams and freaky laughter. All of those components combined make the scene incredibly scary.
10
When We Suddenly See And Peter Doused In Paint Thinner During A Nightmare
Annie tells Peter that she had attempted to miscarry him and understandably freaks him out with the news. Then, we get a disturbing shot of Peter and Annie drenched in lighter fluid. It's a deranged moment that makes you question everything that you've seen before it.
11
When Steve Catches On Fire And Burns To Death
Steve remains incredibly levelheaded throughout the movie, and when he burns to death after Annie throws Charlie's notebook into the fire, it feels like the family's only sane member has left Peter and Annie to perish.
12
When Peter Sees Charlie Haunting His Room At Night
After Peter accidentally kills Charlie, he is haunted by her in his room at night. It's not too unexpected but that doesn't take away from its freakiness.
13
When Annie Discovers Her Mother's Body In The Attic
Towards the end of the movie, Annie goes into the attic, which is infested by bugs. She sees her mom's dead body up there — and it's decapitated.
14
When You Can See Annie On The Ceiling Following Peter
After Steve's death, Peter goes downstairs and finds his father's body. As if that's not creepy enough on its own, you can see Annie lurking in the shadows, crawling on the ceiling. At that point, you realize that Annie is completely possessed.
15
When Annie Beheads Herself In Front Of Peter
After Annie chases a terrified Peter up to the attic, she proceeds to cut her own head off right in front of him. Peter really doesn't catch a break in the entire movie.
16
When All Of The Beheaded People Bow Down To Peter
Finally, the viewers get to see what's in the weird cabin in the trees, and it's a big demonic cult whose members don't have heads. You see Peter, who is really possessed by Charlie, praised by his headless family members. It's a totally messed up ending.
So many things from Hereditary are messed up, but these 16 moments will probably haunt everyone who watches the movie for at least a few weeks.
