A24’s unsettling new horror Hereditary is scaring the sh—t out of audiences.
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The arthouse horror drama — centered a family inheriting increasingly sinister occurrences after the death of its matriarch — is the studio’s widest release yet, rolling out in 2,964 theaters nationwide Thursday night.
With rave reviews and a certified fresh stamp of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, Hereditary earned $1.306 million in Thursday night previews, beating out the $700,000 scared up by A24’s It Comes at Night and the $630,000 conjured by The Witch in 2016. Per Box Office Mojo, Hereditary is on track for a strong $12 million three-day performance.
The Hollywood Reporter dubbed the Sundance darling “arguably the most effective domestic horror chiller since The Conjuring and The Babadook,” while Time Out called it “a new generation’s The Exorcist.”
(The film previously — albeit inadvertently — terrorized young moviegoers when its trailer was accidentally screened in front of a showing of half-animated family movie Peter Rabbit in April, forcing some attendees to flee the theater in terror.)
From “horrific and impactful” and “one of the best horror movies of all time” to “overrated” and “confusing,” here’s what audiences have to say about Hereditary:
@realKurtKurman, @SixxDemonBag, @pamyuprince, @TrentonJason
#HEREDITARY made The Conjuring look like a Saturday morning cartoon. I need a priest.
— Kurt Kurman (@realKurtKurman) June 8, 2018
Okay, I’ve seen a lot of horror movies. I’ve seen some fucked up shit. Nothing really scares me anymore. #HEREDITARY is one of the most unsettling, deeply disturbing & unnerving experiences I have ever had at the movies.
— Throatwobbler Mangrove (@SixxDemonBag) June 8, 2018
Hereditary may honestly be one of the best horror films I have ever seen. Holy fucking SHIT.
— malchik gay (@pamyuprince) June 9, 2018
#Hereditary was not The Scariest Movie Of The Year as @A24 ‘s marketing dept would like you to believe. The only thing scary is realizing you just wasted your hard earn $$ as soon as the credits rolls. Seriously one of the worst endings in ages. Everyone at my screening hated it.
— uoʇuǝɹʇ uosɐظ (@TrentonJason) June 8, 2018
@newpenzance, @conor_oh, @JuiceBuffet, @hxppynixII, @asfierceaslions
folks i saw hereditary tonight and pic.twitter.com/rOcsMUXcBj
— sarah (@newpenzance) June 8, 2018
I just saw Hereditary. pic.twitter.com/SNH9Xu2jfw
— Burley MacLaine (@conor_oh) June 8, 2018
HEREDITARY was over 2 hours for a couple jaw dropping scenes. While I loved the shock punch I got from a certain scene, overall a bigggg letdown. Took like an hour for something to happen. Stupid boring, long, ridiculous ending and poor story.
— Pacino (@JuiceBuffet) June 9, 2018
#Hereditary was very fucked up but like in the best way??? If you want a movie that will make you feel anxious, paranoid, and unsettled for the rest of your life, I highly recommend!!!!
— The Name’s Rose, Kate Rose (@hxppynixII) June 9, 2018
I can’t get over how fucked up Hereditary left me y’all. What a visceral nightmare of a movie. I mean, I suppose that’s what it was going for, and since I’m going on ten hours of being unable to shake the dread it induced, I guess it did its job.
— ? Briana H. ? (@asfierceaslions) June 9, 2018
@boy___troy, @honkysupreme, @ZefMex
#HEREDITARY is a punch in the fucking gut. Good GOD, I feel sick to my stomach. It’s horrific and dreadful and tense and humorless and exhilarating and sad. It’s also one of the best movies I’ve EVER seen.
— miss…troy (@boy___troy) June 8, 2018
I just watched Hereditary and it ruined my life
— Ethan Farist (@honkysupreme) June 8, 2018
Aw, man, I was SO looking forward to #Hereditary From the trailers, it looked like an amazing psychological thriller, maybe supernatural gaslighting like the Dark Water remake? Wasn’t ready for a boring, laughable mishmash of concepts that a found-footage franchise did better. ?
— Jorge APB (@ZefMex) June 9, 2018
@SirTannerPierce, @theryantweets, @briiidope, @SnellEzra
while it was one of the most horrific and impactful movies i’ve seen, i would not see #Hereditary if you can’t handle deep, deep horror
— tan ? (@SirTannerPierce) June 9, 2018
Seriously, people NEED to see Hereditary. It’s going to go down as one of the best horror movies of all time. There are so many unsettling and horrific images throughout and they just stick with you. It is SO good.
— Ryan (@theryantweets) June 8, 2018
I just watched Hereditary and it was so fucked up I want to cry
— briii (@briiidope) June 9, 2018
#HereditaryMovie #Hereditary is overrated. If that’s horror then I must be an evil person. Good psychological movie but fails miserably on the horror side, had some creepy scenes, as the movie progressed it gets unbelievable. Judge for yourselves.
— Ezra Snell Sr. (@SnellEzra) June 8, 2018
@SalNeslusan, @KaylaSpeaksNow, @BradleyRicketts, @andyhsedd, @DanHipster777, @MarvelousHunt
#HEREDITARY is easily the scariest movie I‘ve ever seen. Someone please give Toni Colette every single award. Her performance is heartbreaking, terrifying, and played with the kind of darkly nuanced empathy that made a full theater laugh, cry, and scream- with and for her.
— Sal Neslusan (@SalNeslusan) June 8, 2018
Well, Hereditary wins first movie of 2018 to make me cry from being so scared.
— caffeine queen ?? (@KaylaSpeaksNow) June 8, 2018
Hereditary made my stomach and soul sick.
— bradley? (@BradleyRicketts) June 8, 2018
Genuinly feel sick after Hereditary
— Andrew (@andyhsedd) June 8, 2018
I consider myself a horror junkie. Having seen everything from Suspiria to Scream to the Descent, I thought I could expect bow #HEREDITARY was going to play out. I was so wrong. It is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen and Colette gives the performance of a lifetime.
— Dan Brierley (@DanHipster777) June 8, 2018
I seriously don’t know why people are saying Hereditary is the scariest movie ever.
— Axo Lot’o LoLz (@MarvelousHunt) June 8, 2018
It’s not.
Creepy – weird – confusing – great performance by Toni Collette: yes
Terrifying/scariest movie ever: no
@Nguwinner, @landoianempire, @AmusesMe, @donutwant2live, @Case_Dismissed_
Hereditary
— ? (@Nguwinner) June 8, 2018
I’ve never been at such a loss for words for a horror movie ending since Insidious
A jarring plot, WTF moments, masterful scares that will undoubtedly traumatize you, I warn this one is def not for the faint of heart but with squinty eyes and plugged ears:
I SHIP ?
Hereditary is just… wow. Only horror movie to make my body react to the horrific scenes appearing on screen with trembling and tears. True Masterpiece
— Landon Roberts (@landonianempire) June 8, 2018
Afterwards, a group of us went to see the new horror movie Hereditary. It was a harrowing, horrific, moody, paralyzing film. I can’t stop thinking about it.
— ? Minnie Mels (@AmusesMe) June 8, 2018
hereditary is the best horror film ive ever seen ive never experienced a series of images as horrific and suspenseful as what i just watched
— ???? (@donutwant2live) June 7, 2018
Hereditary was confusing as hell but it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Good movie
— Casey ▲ Galloway (@Case_Dismissed_) June 9, 2018
@djNEWPHAZE, @sylverlake, @schley, @pattymo, @lucyjamesgames
please go watch Hereditary, it’s actually scary and will slightly traumatize you
— Demitri Cos✞omiris (@djNEWPHAZE) June 8, 2018
Hereditary is literally going to Fuck everyone up and traumatize people y’all were warned many times just know what’s gonna go down when you walk into that theater
— ? (@sylverlake) June 7, 2018
Wow… #Hereditary is one of the most terrifying and truly incredible films I have ever seen. A masterpiece of #uncanny and #tragic #horror.
— Mike Schley (@schley) June 9, 2018
HEREDITARY Review: Uhhh what. What the fuck
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) June 8, 2018
if you like clenching every muscle in your body for uncomfortably long periods of time due to anxiety, then Hereditary is the movie for you
— Lucy James (@lucyjamesgames) June 8, 2018
@NateIsLame666, @AlishaGrauso, @sfchrisb, @christinacabad
Hereditary is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.
— NateIsGay (@NateIsLame666) June 8, 2018
I wanted to cry. I wanted to vomit. I felt terror and shock the likes of which I’ve only felt in times of real and legitimate crisis. My body was on fight or flight mode.
The movie is scarier than you can imagine. I promise. 5/5
HEREDITARY is what happens when you drop Shelley Duvall in The Shining into the middle of the love child between A Rose for Emily and The Babadook and…and I’m not even sure what. But it is profoundly fucked-up.
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) June 8, 2018
hereditary is such a fucked up movie yall omg
— christiana (@sfchrisb) June 8, 2018
the nee movie Hereditary got me mentally, physically, and spiritually fucked up.
— christina (@christinacabad) June 8, 2018
@boburnham, @walensack, @AlanIxta, @DanyOrdinary, @EliotETC, @Simon_Barrett
If you like great movies, I’m sorry to say that you will have to see the deeply, truly horrifying HEREDITARY this weekend. @AriAster is a genius. pic.twitter.com/4NcyN7t8au
— Bo Burnham (@boburnham) June 7, 2018
hereditary is the most unsettling, sinister, and well-done movie i’ve seen..11/10 would recommend
— dylan walensack (@walensack) June 9, 2018
If you’re into main stream horror with cheap tricks Hereditary is not for you
— Taint Impala (@AlanIxta) June 9, 2018
If it weren’t for all the constant promoted trending, I could stop thinking about how much I loathe Hereditary, but here we are and it’s being paid to be in my feed so I’ll say it again: Hereditary is overrated. It’s not scary, it’s not deep, but it is pretentious and dull.
— Dany Roth (@DanyOrdinary) June 7, 2018
Hereditary is about as “A24 horror” as it gets. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on you.
— Eliot (@EliotETC) June 9, 2018
I’m giddy at having enjoyed a sincere, unnerving new horror movie as much as I did Hereditary. A master class in taking your characters and their circumstances seriously in order to induce terror. Mute the word Hereditary on here after you read this and see it without spoilers!
— Simon Barrett (@Simon_Barrett) June 9, 2018