Thanks so much to everyone that's watched already. Going to use this sticky comment for things I inevitably realize I forgot to include: 1. There is a halo of blue light (very similar to the 'Paimonic' lens flares that appear over Peter) in the shape of a halo over Ellen's corpse during the funeral scene. You can see this at 1:09:10 2. Since releasing the video I've spoken with the actress who plays the cultist to the right of Annie at the grief meeting. She had some wonderful behind the scenes tidbits and she confirmed that the actor with the man-bun in the treehouse was not the same actor that played Peter's friend with the similar haircut. Whether they were intended to be the same character or not is unclear as the latter scene involves nudity, but we can say at least behind the scenes they're not the same person. 3. The music video during the witchcraft and sexuality discussion is 'Same Old Energy' by Kiki Rockwell, it's dope and I think I listened to it an easy 200 times during making this video so it felt apt. 4. Charles/Charlie means 'free man', which some people have said represents Paimon's desire to be a 'free man', I personally believe it is more an ironic play on both Charles and Charlie's lack of freedom as Paimon is largely free to do what he wants anyway and isn't truly 'imprisoned' in the same way that Charles and OG Charlie are. 5. 'Devengari' is a script/writing system not a language.
OMG,you really went all out on this documentary! It's a really long documentary, but there's no time when it gets slow, padded for time, or have monologs that go completely off topic. This is your gift, and I can hear that you enjoy doing as well, so that's a perfect combination. I just subscribed. I would also love to share your videos, but unfortunately, I am a refuge of a part of RUclips that called themselves RUclips Sewer Town. This entire RUclips group is just a cauldron of human misery. I finally escaped they land where LoL Buffalo roam. I don't want any of them to know I'mhere. (If you have read this far, thank you so much for indulging my sorrowful story). Anyway, it's a mind-blowing, deep look into this film! I think I would even say that it's so much better than the movie. You blew my mind. You are very, very talented.
lol I've seen articles about piano wire between two trees to decapitate cyclists. perhaps Charlie could have died that way and Annie gets the telephone pole treatment as she's poking her head out window to scream xD
First of, amazing work! Can't wait for the Midsommar analysis, as I ended up preferring that over Hereditary. Just wanna point out there is a parallel murder of a male trinity, Ellen's husband, Charles & Peter, with (kinda) identical cause of death, Ellen & her husband died of the body "naturally" shutting down, Annie & Charles killed themselves and Charlie & Peter got replaced by Paimon.
Shout out to A24 for being the only studio authorized to create films during the strike, because they agreed to ALL the strikers’ requests! Disney says it’s impossible to meet them? Bitch, an independent studio just met them all. Long live independent, creative, original films!
I know, when I heard this I got so insanely happy because I desperately want all the little details. Most ppl tend to summarize bc ppl have short attention spans. Not me. I'd happily watch 30 straight minutes analyzing the way Peter is holding his cutlery. Love it
It is hilarious. But also because we’ve both known a few people who hamfist their silverware reflexively, no one corrected them because it hardly matters irl lol
I was always a little confused why Annie felt that Peter was mocking her and always giving her that "sneering" look even though Peter was very unemotive for most of the movie. It makes sense that Annie was actually seeing Paimon himself smling at her through Peter and we only see that smile for ourselves when Peter is possessed by Paimon briefly in the classroom where he saw his relfection. Very clever and scary stuff!
I feel it was her husband who was looking at her that way when she says “that fucking face on your face” the camera instantly pans to her husbands face and everything she is saying to her son about how annoyed he looks of her, disgusted, resentful, is exactly how her husband is looking at her as she accuses her son of it. She projects and blames everything on Peter her own feelings and decisions how her husband sees her now.
I always thought the same. But now, thinking about it again, its really a mocking face, so goofy and f*ck you'esk. I think if Peter looked like that at Annie a lot she wouldve attacked him :,)
That's clear overinterpretation imo... Peter looked "unemotive" and she's probably reffering to that, to him feigning indifference when he should react emotionnally, almost mocking her through that as they dance arround their problems and past trauma without addressing it. Also probably reffers to his cold demeanor ever since she doused him in paint thinner during his sleep, she's tried to reach out for years and only got the cold shoulder, aka a face on his face...
I think it's just a thing abusive parents say. She knows she's failed him in many ways, and his very existence is proof of that. Instead of dealing with the idea that she's become her mother, in a sense, she pushes that onto Peter as well. It's the "well, I guess I'm just the WORST PARENT" comment, but framed differently, imo.
the dinner table argument was almost TOO accurate to real life like it was the most uncomfortable movie moment ive seen in awhile and ive got to applaud the writers and actors for giving their best work
Couldn't agree more Abbie! Perfectly put together and everyone is just electric in that scene. Even Gabriel Byrne's silence is perfectly delivered. And then to have such a clever and direct doublespeak put in underneath all that perfection [that face on your face, smirking, no one admits what they've done, release me!] is beyond insane. It's some of the best writing I've ever seen and I'm including Orwell, Wilde, Shakespeare in that. Thanks so much for commenting!
Honestly I felt more unsettled by the family drama and suffering that ran through most of the movie than anybody the supernatural horror at the end. Once the spontaneous combustion and flying started happening, the tension left my body. Grief, abuse, loss, and random senseless death are scary to me because they’re real. Demons and animated corpses are fun.
I think this scene made me the most angry. I really hated Annie in this moment and thought she was a hypocrite. She's screaming about apologies and taking responsibility, but where are her apologies? Where is her taking responsibility? All she does is act petulantly and frame herself as the victim, never taking responsibility for her actions. Who forced Peter to take Charlie to the party because she was angry at Charlie and wanted to spitefully catch out Peter? It's her fault Charlie was there. And how is it she can whine to Joan about being blamed for something she did in her sleep, but then turn around and blame Peter for something out of his control? She acts more like a child than her children do.
@@HeVn7LaO The fact that they shunned Tony Collette at the Oscars to include Yalitzia for Roma, is a crime. And I say this as a Mexican. The acting doesn't even begin to compare.
Toni Collette was absolutely robbed to not even get a nomination. I am sure I have seen her in other movies but seeing her in this really opened up my eyes to what she was really capable of.
Horror will NEVER get its just due, unfortunately. But you know what, that is why anybody who creates within this genre HAS TO truly love it. More passion is put into these projects than any other genre point blank. The skill it takes to create a dark atmosphere that truly frightens (not talking cheap jump scares) is much more difficult than anything else within any other genre. This is why horror has the greatest fanbase. 😊
@@jirihrnakomg i legit forgot she's in that. that's how good she is. i feel like her ability to absolutely vanish into the character almost works against her bc Oscars tend to get given to those who are consistently amazing. but she's SO amazing people forgot everything she's been in compared to people like, say, Nicole Kidman. while an excellent actor, you never really forget she's Nicole Kidman playing a role.
5 hours!!!! Eish!!! South African for oy vey. Gosh. But you know. I will watch it. This movie left me distraught and traumatised. But one of the BEST!!!! If not the best in horror. 😊
When I say I want a deep dive into a movie... this is what I mean. I know this probably took an insane amount of work, but I'm dying for more of these really long breakdowns.
Dunno would he be your cup of tea, but Flaw Peacock has done, albeit differet pov and style video esseys on themes like Parental abuse in Suspiria and cyckle of abuse in Jennifer's body. Their video about Skinmarink is peak start for the channel too. I actually came from their vid, where they shoutouted a thanks to Novum and praise having such vast knowledge to dive so deep.
Little note from a gardener apprentice: Many rooms, as the living room and Charlie's room have helychrysums: "Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) is the symbol of longevity, resurrection, and immortality".
I think that's a very accurate reading, certainly how I feel about her for the most part too. On first watch though I was definitely at the very least suspicious of her for the first half of the movie. Thanks so much for watching!
I saw her as a Terribly mentally abusive and grossly neglectful mother. To Peter as well as Charlie. Sending her young daughter to a teenage party with Peter??? Clearly not giving a crap if someone would take advantage of Charlie or not, almost setting Peter up for Any tragedy 6o come from Annie's reckless choice. Her hatred toward Peter sent my "Mommy senses" to overdrive.....so I'm So glad to have found this in depth review, because from just an average joe (or jane) watching a horror movie, I was Clueless to any of the underlying hints of Paimon and cues of literally anything happening other than what ibwas seeing on the screen
Same. I saw her as the perfect representation of the abused becoming the abuser. I hate some of her behavior but I understand she is unequipped to make any other choice due to her own trauma, and in fact is internally struggling not to do more harm than she's already doing. The desperate chase to stop the inevitable followed by her becoming the final boss was one of the most horrifying parts of the movie. It's a really good metaphor for a parent's failed attempt at breaking the cycle of abuse.
@@jamienotamy Absolutely. I think you really perfectly described it. She just doesn't know how to be a good parent. She has no reference point and either picked up or inherited her mother's pride and never asked for help. Really tragic and honestly I feel really bad for her. She was a tool for her mother; ultimately nothing more. It doesn't matter if Ellen loved her because she destroyed Annie anyway.
A lot of people dislike her but I find her a very interesting character. She's a good example of a person whose been abused and pressured and traumatized so much that they broke and grew into their shattered shell.
The part with Peter and how he holds his cutlery really spoke to me as someone who had parents who didn’t really teach me basic stuff as a child either, which caused me to have the same problems with things such utensils and cutlery as well . I don’t think its shown enough that how and when parents teach a child really affects how they do things so I’m very glad you pointed that out, it made me feel seen.
A small, but very telling (for people who dived DEEP into Paimon) detail is that Paimon is often depicted as either riding a camel or being half camel. The clicking sound Charlie does is the same sound one would make to call a camel to them. Wonderful and truly exploratory deep dive! Thank you!
@@gwen878ya but did you know that it was a camel recall sound? This guy clearly travelled to the Middle East to research camel sounds and your ungrateful ass is giving him sass in the comment section? Show some respect and gratitude dude
about 2 and a half hours in, I have to say this is one of the best video essays I’ve ever seen. Well researched, detailed, but not filled with mediocre fluff to make it longer. Every detail is well written and spoken clearly, and gives just enough explanation without diminishing the interpretations left open to the audience. Amazing
So so many videos like this devolve into a summary with awful stupid fluff that adds nothing to essentially a poorly written synopsis that's supposedly explaining something. I appreciate this masterpiece more than Novum knows I've watched it like a dozen times now and you nail why it's so good!!
@@Novum_YT anytime you post, I'll be here. Been that way since your video on Aesop. Your analysis is always on point. Oh, and I'm doing well, thank you! Hope you are as well
When I watched this, I was CONVINCED that the whole thing was a hallucination, or gaslighting, or some other mental illness-related trope, right up until Peter (ie, someone not Annie) reacts to the cultists in the attic. It IMMEDIATELY recontextualized the entire movie, and I realize how much I'd been missing or just incorrectly interpreting. Awesome vid!
Almost same, I think I was still unsure of whether something supernatural was afoot until dad got set on fire. It gave the same feeling as Poltergeist, where the movie is 90% suspense and then 10% free-for-all sprint to the finish line.
I thought the same thing as well, in fact I thought it was all Annie's delusions and hallucination's. My assumption was Annie had been a victim of severe family abuse and was a patient of Steve who was her psychiatrist, that he was her husband was just part of her delusions. At one point I thought the film may end revealing that the house is actually a hospital and we see other nurses and patients - who Annie saw as the group members in her delusion.
Ahaha, I think it's roughly double the length my doctoral thesis would have been if I stayed on for it. I'd say it qualifies but I don't think they'll accept it :p Thanks so much dude!
A doctoral thesis must include something original and advance research LMAO this is just attempting to de-construct some movie with financial profit in mind instead of profiting humanity. Some people... #ab*se
@@47Mortuus If I made this with financial profit in mind it was an entire failure. Of course I did it to help people, it should be obvious from one glance at my channel this isn't profit driven. I'm well aware what constitutes a doctoral thesis, I have a lot of experience in the area!
I was NOT expecting proper subtitles on a 4 hour video but I’m so so so glad to see them!!! So many channels just don’t bother, even on short-form content, it’s such a breath of fresh air
As a creator, in RUclips you can turn automated subtitles on, so it's annoying when a channel doesn't bother because it takes literally a couple of seconds. They're not always perfect, but they're pretty excellent (the subs on this video are autogenerated and they seem fine).
The head smashing against the attic door is terrifying alright but I found the self decapitation even worse, the blood spurt, the jerky puppet like arm movements, her demented fixed gaze. Beyond horrifying
Yep. This was only the second move I have seen in my life which as truly invoked actual fear into me. And that scene there rounded the whole thing off to be the subject of my mid-day nightmares at work etc still thinking about this movie months after I had seen it for the first time. The power-line post scene hit me as well. I knew it was coming, but the way the directors and actors executed it.. That just hit home hard, I nearly felt as shocked as the poor kid in the car whom the actor was portraying. THAT is how well done this movie is. And having experienced true loss and grief myself. The scenes of the family's pure anguish afterwards.. For me it never sank in nearly so fast, it was more a delayed reaction. But that is basically all of it condensed into a series of scenes digestible by a viewer-audience to a movie. Not real life. But it depicts real life _too_ well. Another reason it is a masterpiece of modern horror film.
Re: the moment when Steve almost runs the red light - I interpreted his breakdown as an overwhelming feeling of empathy for what Peter experienced with Charlie’s death. Steve had just consumed alcohol (and pills?) in the previous scene and is then called upon to pick up his son from school. He’s forced into an unexpected situation where he is now driving a car, impaired, with his injured son in the back seat. The same scenario played out with Peter and Charlie, the former being compelled to drive his sick sister home from the party unexpectedly while he was impaired by having just smoked. The moment Steve realizes he nearly ran a red light, he is confronted with all of the “what ifs” of an alternative timeline. He could never forgive himself if his own negligence caused Peter harm, in the same way Peter is wracked with guilt over being (somewhat) responsible for Charlie’s death.
I know his character is more subdued but I really loved the little things the father brought to the movie, I hadn't noticed this is another possible reason for his breakdown and makes total sense!
the scene of annie in the attic always gets to me because i immediately interpreted that as a symbol for annie’s unwillingness in all of this. she’s being forced to do this to herself as one of the final sacrifices, and the eyes showing she’s still somewhat there just crushes me
For me, this represents the platonic ideal of YT criticism: impeccably researched, well-spoken, measured, nuanced and most importantly, impassioned. Can't emphasize enough how refreshing it is, considering all the lazy, xeroxed takes out there. Just amazing stuff.
Wow dude, thank you so so much. So glad you enjoyed it and you pretty much outlined my reasoning behind making the channel also, couldn’t agree more re: the ‘xeroxing’. Thank you dude.
Thank you A24 for letting us post clips without copyright claims, unlike most of the big studios, despite the clips doing nothing but lead to more viewership of their films. That's the only reason my non-monetized short video of the support group scene in Hereditary has managed to stay up for a few years. They get the idea of free advertising.
The difference is, A24 makes good movies. If you were Disney, you wouldn't want anyone seeing the stuff you put out before they bought a ticket either 😂
That’s exactly how I found out about this movie. I saw a short of the yelling dinner scene. I was prepared to buy what I needed to to see this movie immediately. Lucky for me it’s on demand on spectrum so I watched right away and was blown away. Best movie I’ve seen in a long time.
I wholeheartedly believe that this is a movie made to be rewatched. It's one to be observed and analyzed and examined to learn new things and perspectives each time.
I agree! I love movies that have this structure. If my brain is like a wolf, then re-watchable films are the elk, or zoo enrichment. Movies like this are just so much fun to observe and analyze. You might also like Jordan Peele’s “NOPE” (2022)- there’s a lot of those semi-hidden details that only become apparent on a second, or even third, watch. It’s one of my favourite movies, alongside Hereditary (2018). They’re both very well-woven tapestries.
Wow. I absolutely never leave comments, but i can't not tell you that what you have created is simply amazing. Your level of thoroughness and analysis is masterful. I truly hope more people find you and have the opportunity to experience your work!!
Christie this was so wonderful to wake up to this morning it was literally the first thing I read. Thank you so much for the donation and even more so for your extremely kind words. They make months of tearing my hair out worthwhile. Thank you.
As someone who cannot watch horror films due to them often triggering panic attacks, but is also fascinated by horror in general and its moving parts, I truly appreciate your insight, so thank you. While I can't experience the film in its pure form, experiencing it through your commentary and other reactions helps me put pieces together so thanks again 🌟
Can't imagine the work that went into this. I've considered Hereditary to be perfect and fully understanding its most nuanced details just reinforces that a thousand times over
Thank you so much dude that really means the world! Honestly I think there's *few*, very few perfect movies and this is one of them. I'm so glad I could help enrich that experience in any small way. Thanks again dude.
I agree completely about Alex Wolfe. I, of course, expected a staggering performance out of Collette, but Wolfe was a revelation, and is, for me, THE performance in the film.
Yeah, absolutely stunning. It's not the same level of cinema but I did still enjoy him greatly in 'Pig'. Makes me very sad seeing the roles Toni Collette has been taking on recently. Thanks so much for watching!
@@Novum_YTthis is a very interesting thing to me.... I appreciate any take you have, but wonder what it is that Collette took part in that was maybe a let down..? ...in light of Muriel, Sixth Sense then the stark honourable contribution of Herditary? Xx
@@aliwright1016 Hi Ali, I was referring more to her recent outing in 'Mafia Mamma'. Which to be fair, I haven't seen so maybe it'd surprise me, but I'd like to see her get offered some roles more suited to her talents!
@aliwright1016 honestly Mafia Mamma feels like on those easy going, "silly" comedy roles excellent actors take because it means they get paid incredible money to go to a beautiful part of the world for 6 months.
Something you missed that's not necessarily an easter egg however, when Annie is freaking out piecing it all together and going through the photo album, there is a shot that for just a split second shows the inside of her left wrist whish can be seen to display some scars in the form of Japanese katakana characters that spell out the word "free". This wasn't done intentionally for the film, but actually is on the wrist of Toni in real life. It couldn't be more fitting for the film though! Also, when Peter is being chased by Paimon/Annie, the stairs to the attic are down, but they weren't down when he woke up and was walking down the hall in the previous shots. This is not an editing mistake, but the cult lowering the stairs after Peter went down into the living room, knowing that he would run up the stairs to the second floor to try and escape her. They were guiding him up there to show him the body of his grandmother to break him down even more, so he would be weak enough that Paimon could take him over. And you've already said this but I have NO IDEA how she wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar. I think it's in the top 3 best performances I've ever seen.
I'm gonna be real: this film has always been incredibly hard to watch because it reminds me very strongly of my abusive mother, so I gotta say this video is... almost bizarrely therapeutic. Thanks, man.
You're actually not the first person to say something along those lines and while it's unexpected I'm very glad this video helped in whatever way it did. I think part of that closeness, and truth to your experience, is obviously down to Toni Collette's performance, but even more crucially I think it's because Aster has had experiences very similar to yours and this film represents a form of therapy to him too. So really I'm just the middle man, it's his message. Very glad you enjoyed Cameron, I hope stuff is better for you now dude.
I almost walked out on this in the theatre it stressed me out so much. And I’ve seen Martyrs so I’m not sensitive to horror. My grandmother and mother had a crazy relationship which spilled down to me as the oldest granddaughter. It was hard to get through the first half because the kind of manipulation, mental illness and pain that mothers can pass on to daughters has never been something I’ve seen in a movie that got to me like this one. I stuck it out but I still only watch it again when I can handle it.
@@GangstarComputerGod Yeaaaaa aaughh. I'm not surprised there's others out there with similar experiences but it's nice to know. I know Ari Aster's "thing" is making brutally realistic movies abt very difficult topics but man. Hereditary gets to me in a way most other movie's don't.
My moms mom was incredibly abusive to her, to the point where i refuse to associate or talk to her unless she gives me money. My mom still talks to her for some reason but thats her own relationship. My moms mom suffers with (what we think) a personality disorder and experiences intense mania. In fact, shes in an incredibly manic state right now. She acts similar like the grandmother in Hereditary but with birth charts. My mom has tried to stop her from telling me that my star chart shows that i will change the world and have a vast impact on it as a peacemaker or that my nephew will become a great politician that will lead the world into greatness. It was unnerving to watch it as the granddaughter of someone similar to the grandmother. My bf had no idea why i took it so seriously and kept snipping at him to stop with his quips when i normally like them during horror movies. It felt almost personal to me. I didnt inheret my grandmothers mental illnesses (i just have the familial anxiety) but my sister did. Its been odd to watch from afar, ill be honest
I can't believe people were mad at the casting of Charlie, that's so rude... She looks creepy because the hair and makeup department did a great job, as did Milly! I almost didn't recognize her in interviews which speaks to how much effort they put in.
Couldn't agree more! I think there's just always going to be a certain subset of society that want to bring others down that they think should be less happy to match their own insecure world view. It's not so much that they were mad at the casting, they were mad that someone they perceived to be less than them became more than them and they used internet anonymity to try and retributively force their insecurity onto her.
@@Livcakess were you on set to witness it? 🙄 Sorry to break you bubble but literally everyone on tv and on screen has had meticulous work done by the hair and makeup department...
@@momomomo69 I’ve seen her social media of her wearing no make up and she looks exactly the same as she did in the movie so ya sorry to burst the bubble you’re living in
@@Livcakess Even if this was true, does it matter? I think it says more about you that your default view of how somebody naturally looks is "creepy" than it does anything else. Honestly having seen her social media enough times, she kinda just looks normal to me. And even if she didn't, who cares.
The thing I really admire about this film, and the thing which makes it understandably polarizing, is it’s willingness to rely on environmental storytelling elements like sound, costume, and sets to convey it’s full meaning. You can watch it without much attention to these things and still have a good experience in terms of horror, but if you pay attention to these details, it offers a rewarding depth to the narrative beyond the action of the story. As many reviewers have stated, the answer to what is going on is all in the film. It may not all be in the action or the dialogue, but it is there. Ari Aster clearly has a penchant for this kind of storytelling in general, since it’s prevalent in Midsommer as well. The answers are all there, if you’re willing to pay attention to the environment as much as the unfolding events they happen in.
For anyone else who stumbled on this, I implore you to throw this guy some money on Patreon - even just a dollar or two. This is clearly a completely colossal amount of work. If this doesn't deserve money, what does?
I'll never forget the first time I saw this in theaters. The feeling of being so confident about what direction the movie was going in, still enjoying myself but thinking I had been one step ahead of the plot. And then Charlie gets her head slammed off. Then I had NO idea where the film was taking me
She's not allergic to chocolate, she's allergic to peanuts, which she didn't know were in the brownies. There's also all the hidden aspects of the plot, like the fact that actions like getting Charlie to eat the peanut-laced brownies were intentionally orchestrated by the paimon worshipers (and perhaps Paimon himself) @@AmericanPieInThailand
I remember turning to the person I was watching the movie with after Charlie's death and saying something like "I have NO IDEA where the plot is going now." I was kind of thrilled.
Another detail: when we see the poster for Annie's exhibition at 1:16:18 the image file is titled "for Mrs Leighs approval". Obviously we understand this to refer to Annie, but I think the choice to refer to her as Mrs Leigh (which is oddly formal even for the fine art world) is to invoke a deliberate double meaning: Annie lives her life, creates her work, in order to subconsciously grasp for the approval of her distant mother, the original Mrs Leigh.
I thought I was pretty keen on this film and the symbology, but I had never realized that his friends were part of the cult. That blew my mind. I appreciate the time taken for this, I cannot wait to go through the rest of your catalog!
Wow!!! This analysis is such a gift! I have ADHD and I LOVE listening to podcasts and the narration of long-form videos while doing other things like cleaning, cooking or playing video games. I absolutely LOVE Hereditary, it's honestly one of my favorite films (i love horror in general) but listening to this actually made me appreciate the film SO much more. Not to mention it makes the movie SO MUCH MORE creepy and terrifying. There's just SO many brilliant little details and easter eggs I never noticed, like how many times cult members are in the background, the dittany of crete, the true meaning behind 'satony' and other occult imagery and words in the film, ect. Fantastic work!
I do the exact same thing it's so awesome to hear I'm providing that experience for someone else! You have no idea how incredible it is to hear that I've somehow, in some small way, improved someones viewing of an already perfect movie. And yeah, you're right, there were several moments during making this where I 100% creeped myself out putting stuff together because it only gets weirder the more you know. And, at some point during your 18th grimoire at 4am in the morning you do get a tad unnerved! Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
I am very similar in that I too have ADHD, I love horror and listen to video essays as I do household tasks and my job too. I regret that I sometimes don't really do much work to probe into the meanings of things, I never seem to be able to connect the dots, I just experience it in its immediacy. I wonder is that an ADHD thing? Absolutely love the analysis and video!
I rarely comment on RUclips videos but I’m absolutely BLOWN AWAY by your analysis. I cannot imagine the effort going into this, just all around brilliant. So detailed, eloquent but easily digestible and great flow all through the 4.5 hours!!! Thanks so much for this. Cannot wait Hereditary again now in the light of all this. Needless to say this is an instant subscribe! Amazing!
But what happens next? That’s the question that always plagues me.. what does Paimon taking control over Peter do? What does it mean? What a great video man. Thanks so much for taking the time to craft this gem. I’ve watched all four hours twice.
Yeah right! I mean, he's the last man standing at a house filled with naked occult members and beheaded bodies! Wouldn't it be great if he just gets arrested! The cops show up and do the whole "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD" and cuff him! Then Paimon (as Peter) has to answer all these questions that he's not even sure about. And at the end, Paimon just ends up in some State Hospital for the criminally insane! Then all the cult members come and visit him on visiting day and Paimon just lays into them, "I'm gonna make you pay for this!" "I'm one of the 8 Kings of Hell!" And they are all apologizing and trying to send him money for commissary. There's your sequel!
@@UNUSUALUSERNAME220the cultists are like, "you said you'd make us wealthy!" "You need to give me time to make some educated stock picks in this Shakey economy. I'm a demon, not a miracle worker!"
@@travismcnasty51 I love it! He starts his own pod-cast and gives shady crypto-currency advice! The cliche's are endless, yet it's never that honest. I mean c'mon, they had friends that knew all these people and it's not just gonna sneak past them that they have not seen anyone else around except their slightly disjointed teenage son! The movie was creepy and REALLY good, but my mind just sees all the endless silly ways that it would play out. My suspension of dis=belief is not what it once was!
I have heard nothing about this film before (have not seen it neither of course). But YT pointed me to your chanel. You got so many awesome (!) comments here, i am envious. ;) Well, if someone starts the interpretation with StarWars and continues wth Alien: has to be good then! I am looking forward to watch the movie and after that your interpretation.
This video essay is literally perfect and I'm so happy that you made it. I love film and film analysis, and I'm really interested in horror, but I can't cope with horror movies. I know by now that no amount of exposure is going to change it, I'm just really easily frightened. This video has allowed me to explore and understand the themes, narrative and visual imagery of this movie, without having to watch anything scary at all. I'm so grateful to you for that!!
You’re far too kind but I’m very glad you enjoyed it! I never thought people who hadn’t seen the movie would watch the vid (and didn’t see a reason why they ever would) but weirdly enough you’re not the first person to tell me this, so it’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind for future videos! Thanks again!
I haven't seen the movie cause I find it difficult to watch new stuff, but seeing this sort of thing actually makes me wanna watch it. I guess I just like people talking for hours about things they're passionate about.
Thank you so much for covering my favorite horror movie in a painstakingly thorough manner. I've already watched this analysis video twice, and on both occasions, I seemed to have discovered more details in this movie. I appreciate your sheer dedication, hard work, and time spent on elaborating this movie. It's the best & most detailed explanation of this movie on RUclips (or the Internet). Cheers brother, keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for your kind donation, and thank you so much for your kind words. They really mean the world to me and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Midsommar vid coming soon and it's an absolute beast!
One clarification around ~3:50:00: Devanagari is technically just the script, that is the writing system, not the language. Many languages use Devanagari like English uses the Latin alphabet or ancient Assyrian used cuneiform. Love this analysis!!
Thank you so much for that clarification. I think my brain was entirely fried by the point I added that in and I should have been clearer. I'll add this to the amendments in the pinned comment. So glad you enjoyed!
Really glad you made a comment about the language. On a different off-shoot, do you think with the clicking it could be related to some of the earliest human languages stemming from Africa? I've got zero evidence but just a feeling that was being portrayed so effectively.
47:00 ish-in my take, Charlie’s reaction in the back of the car is a terrifying experience for Peter. Think about him being stoned, panicked for Charlie, scared she’s gonna die, scared it’s gonna be his fault- those long moments of her suffering are SO TRAUMATIC. Aster needed her to have a traumatic suffering (the peanut reaction)followed by that whip crack of instant death (beheading). It’s fucking jarring and awful- like watching someone choke to death or drown. The trauma of her death is another loose screw of Peter’s eventual undoing.
I'm so sorry Judah, YT gave me no notificattion for this comment! Thank you so much for those incredibly kind words, they mean a great deal and I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
I can't believe that I watched this movie and felt attentive for nothing the cultists standing around the house in the end. They were EVERYWHERE! A masterpiece of a movie and a masterfully researched video essay! ❤
My friend, this is one of the best RUclips videos I have ever watched. More than comprehensive, you blended an expert movie analysis with esoteric or demonology knowledge, which must have took you a long time. I pray the algorithm gives you a massive boost to further incentivise you to make more videos similar to this one, ie conspiracy or Satanic movies, as such analysis, especially at your level, is desperately needed. Amazing work.
This video should be preserved for all time alongside the actual film. I’ve had an obsession with this film since my first viewing, and I thought I had noticed every tidbit, but I was wrong. Stellar work. I wish you luck in all of your future endeavors, especially the Midsommar analysis!
That's so kind of you to say, I'm so glad you found it so valuable. I actually have emailed A24 about turning it into a coffee table book but haven't heard anything so far. It was at 3k views when I sent the email, kinda wish I'd waited now lol. Thank you so much for the support, work on Midsommar begins very soon.
this has been said by many people already but my man, this video is an absolute banger. the attention to detail is meticulous without being over saturated and I appreciate the inclusion of different theories and ideas. for one of my favorite movies of all time, you absolutely did it justice. i hope this takes off and you get the recognition you deserve!
That's so generous, thank you so so much. I'm very glad you enjoyed it and happy I could do it the correct justice. I hope so too, and stuff like this helps a lot with the algorithm pushing it, so cheers dude!
Shoutout to you always reminding everyone how Toni Collette was robbed of an Oscar. This was by her best work and to see her originally in Muriel's Wedding TO THIS! UGH!!!!
There's another thing about the SAD lamp that's easy to overlook if you're not already familiar with art stuff; full spectrum lights also provide the ideal environment for figuring out your paint as they give the most accurate view of what you're actually working with, whilst other lights can really distort colours. That would be even more important for someone who's trying to recreate real-world objects. So as much as the mental health connotations are there, it could also be a tool she uses to engage in an unhealthy coping mechanism (her miniatures), especially as it's in her studio. Thing is, it's cheaper to just buy a full spectrum bulb or two so someone made an explicit choice to give her something that's recognisably a mental health aid, thus calling those themes to mind, when it's likely not being used as such - I can't help but wonder if it was perhaps a well-meaning gift or suggestion that she found a 'better' use for And I still have 50 minutes to go so you may still mention it but I'd recommend looking into Frances Glessner Lee and her Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, I was very much reminded of it during your discussion of the car miniature. She may not have successfully summoned a demon king but she did help forensic science along
Please, please do more long form dissertations on cinema. I have long searched for, essentially, this exact type of breakdown for heavy layered film, and this is the first I’ve found to have perfectly scratched that itch. I look forward to whatever projects you may by working on for the future.
When the family enters the house after getting back from Ellen’s funeral, it’s reminiscent of the opening scene when the father enters Peter’s room after first showing it to us as a doll house that’s missing its 4th wall, giving us an almost omniscient, *neutral* view of the family. And considering we know that the house used in this scene of returning from the funeral is a big set that is also missing it’s 4th wall, it’s like the actors are literally in the dollhouse. It must have presented a very interesting viewpoint for the director Ari to be looking at, because unlike the audience, he can see that the 4th wall is missing and the edges of the set.
Wow! A breakdown just as awesome as the film itself! So many moments in this film genuinely scared me but seeing Annie saw her own head off made me feel something I had never felt before. The research gone into this video is nothing short of incredible and you must have nerves of steel to go over the film as you have in such detail. Best video I've watched on RUclips in a looooong time. And over 4 hours long?!! Sterling work, my friend.
Aside from the wealth of research and well crafted script intersperced with light humour, your presentation and delivery is what made me stick with the whole video. You have a voice that is made for storytelling and should definitely consider narrating audiobooks.
That's so kind of you to say Brendon, super glad you enjoyed it! I actually have already spoken to the agent for the guy I want to use for my audiobook (should traditional publishing fail) and trust me when I say he's lightyears ahead of me! Either way though, glad you liked it!
The telephone pole-vs-Charlie’s head was the first time in a long time where I audibly gasped. It was such a visceral experience. As a mom, Toni Collette’s screams still haunt me. My heart broke for her in that moment. It was so real and so guttural. Still makes me tear up.
The final act, between Annie scuttling around in the ceiling, smashing her face off the attic door, and then her and the piano wire, is one of the most unnerving, terrifying scenes I’ve ever seen. I do not enjoy it. Absolutely not. Scares the holy hell out of me to this day.
I found the whole scene preposterous. What are the odds leading up to that scene even happening? No one knew Charlie was allergic to chocolate by age 13? She never had m&m's or Snickers? Then why were they going up some dirt road to get to the hospital in a major city, and the dead animal and telephone pole were all in the perfect spot when she was gasping for air out the car window to create this death scene? Just too much to suspend to be believed. Sorry.
Wow, I finally was able to watch the movie last night and I have been thoroughly enjoying this video all day. Thanks so much for this incredible effort, I missed so much and I am now looking forward to my second viewing! I don't have the patience to read all 1500+ comments but I noticed that the Seance pamphlet 02:41:30 says it will take place at the Springwood Convention Center. Springwood is the home of Freddy Krueger. Cheers!
Thanks so much for this dude it’s so generous! I’m glad you didn’t spend time reading all those comments because no-one has mentioned it, nor did I know that! Whenever I get a free afternoon I need to go through and update the sticky post with a bunch of extra details and I’ll make sure that’s included! Thank you so much again dude, very glad you enjoyed it!
I'm still about 3h in so I'm not sure whether this is mentioned or if there is a comment abour it, but what's with the date on the computer screen in the scene the pamphlet is shown? The story takes place in 2018, and the computer says 2017. Maybe a blooper, as the movie was shot in 2017? In later scenes that show computers, there is no clock, and I reckon it would be something very easy to edit out, so I can't help but feel it's intentional.
On the hexagram on Joanie’s doormat: One of this symbol’s more common occult interpretations, given that it is comprised of interlacing triangles with one pointing upward and one pointing downward, is to represent the concept of “as above, so below.” This essentially means that the microcosm of earthly reality is reflected in the macrocosm of spiritual reality, they mirror one another, as the fabric of reality itself is self-similar across scale and dimension, each nested within one another like Russian dolls, “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” This perfectly fits with the themes of the movie as Annie creates small worlds that are literally microcosms of events in her life, and the macrocosmic influence of the cult as it exerts its overarching forces upon the sacrificial family.
i’m one of those weirdos who often times finds “explained”-type video content on horror movies that i am curious about, but am too afraid to watch. what you have made is so freaking awesome that i actually WANT to watch Hereditary now. such a well-done video all-around. thank you so much for making and sharing it. holy crap 🔥🔥🔥
Bit late to your post, but what I liked about Hereditary so much is that they didn’t really go for cheap jumpscares. Sure, there were some, but quite minor and honestly they added to the psychological thrill. I’m a bit of a wuss and watched the movie with lights on lmao
The pre-school finger painting is a subtle note that he was depressed even then. I painted something using dark greens and black and my mum was called in to school to discuss it as they were concerned I was depressed. Apparently very few children this age choose the colour black when painting unless they’re painting something specific. They called me into the office to talk about it and they asked what my painting was about. I had recently come back from a holiday abroad and we rode donkeys, and I found the huge poops absolutely hilarious. “What have you painted here?” “It’s a donkey poo!” The whole room erupts in laughter and that was that. The real joke is that they were right, I was depressed and being abused at home, I unknowingly threw off suspicions with my sense of humour. That’s some crazy detail 🤩
I knew Hereditary was great, but I missed so many perspectives that add so much depth to its story. Thank you for making this - your passion for film shows through and made this the most valuable film analysis I've ever seen on RUclips.
Becca that's so kind, thank you. I'm not sure I'm deserving of such praise but I'm thrilled you enjoyed the video so much. It truly is a phenomenal piece of art and it makes me so happy that I could help you get even more out of it. Thanks again.
had no idea Ellen in the field was likely an apparition, depicting her at the throne in hell with flames before her, saying to Charlie it's okay and there's afterlife. but given Charlie's stint in death is temporary and ends up corporeal in Peter, you'd think they'd comfort Annie with this idea instead as she's destined for Hell against her will. and as I'm writing I guess Leigh's apparition to Annie in beginning could be doing this too.
Yeah I think there is supposed to be a reassuring tone to Ellen in the attic at the start, there certainly is in her note just prior and the expression she shows towards Annie. Unfortunately though, I think for the cults plan to go ahead Annie needs to be the opposite of reassured. She needs to be frantic and losing her mind, but she also needs this burgeoning belief in an afterlife/the supernatural. So yeah it's a difficult one to call, but, to me at least, I see it as both, it serves the plan but Ellen is overwhelmingly happy with knowing her plan is true/succeeding and can't contain her swelling glee now confronted with that realization. As she sees it she knows Annie will be with her in the afterlife, her momentary insanity and violent death seemingly a small price to Ellen.
When I was pregnant I was asked if there was any mental illness on my side of the family and not my husbands, when I asked why I was told the mental illness that is hereditary almost always comes from the maternal line
Wow! Well there you go. Do you mind if I ask how long ago that was? Just wondering if that is current medical thinking or another aspect of what I was discussing regarding women & mental illness.
@@Novum_YTI would like to point out that this is not the current medical standing on how mental illness is passed on. In fact, we still don’t know exactly the factors that play a role in why mental illness is sometimes passed on and sometimes is not.
While this is really cool and coincidental in the frame of Hereditary, this is almost definitely not true. OCD and ADHD runs very strongly on my dad's side of the family while my mom is very normal. My siblings and I definitely got ADHD and for some of them OCD as well. When you meet my dad's side of the family you can definitely tell we got it from them. Not to say we were raised wrong or anything, it's just something we were all born with. Unfortunately I think the notion that mental illness comes solely from the mother and not the father is due to some medical misogyny....
@@clevernickname8095 ur confusing neurodivergence with mental health, while both can be passed down from either side when it comes to mental health it’s predominantly more so from the mothers side (according 2015 medical perspective) it is not something that sits well with myself either but if they are the statistics then it’s true wether we like it or not
You deserve a ton more views (and recognition) for all the effort and hard work that went into this video. The presentation and narration is so well done as well. And the lack of ads just adds to the whole experience.
This was an incredible video! So sad that the frankly draconian copyright laws have prevented you from using clips to support all the work you’ve done here. I think the use of screenshots is a great way around it though!
Probably a bit behind the curve here, but I realized something minor that you touched on near the end of the first hour, in Paimon's ticks. I don't think that Charlie/Paimon drawing Annie crying here is in reference to the funeral happening now. Annie is obviously not crying as you mentioned, and in the drawing she looks utterly anguished. The drawing of Annie crying, in my opinion, is Paimon seeing the future, as we see in other scenes. This is Annie's grief not over her mother, but over Charlie, that Paimon is illustrating. The poor girl is literally drawing her mother's reaction to her own funeral. At least that's my interpretation.
i thought i knew enough about this movie, so seeing an almost 5 hour analysis hooked me right away. this was so well done and truly made me appreciate this movie more than i already could. going to go re-watch this movie for the 500th time now!
This was amazing! I started watching, paused it to go rewatch the movie, then came back. There was SOOOO much I missed just watching on my own. This was fabulous!
This is so generous, thank you so much, sincerely! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so much. I'm still trying to get my head around people donating for something I've put out for free but I'm very grateful! Thank you!
Sir, this is the single greatest explained video I have ever watched. This 4:38:07 runtime genuinely felt like nothing I was so enthralled. Appreciate you and the work that went into this. A real talent friend, cheers!
I know I'm several years late to this movie - my cousin found out I hadn't seen this before and put it on this weekend for me, I haven't stopped thinking about it and how it's made me feel since- and this was exactly what I needed. So thank you, over a year later!!!
I'm only 40 minutes into the video, and what a brilliant video!! Hereditary is my favorite horror of all times. The atmosphere, the acting, they way it has been directed, the insane attention to details, the story, literally every aspect of Hereditary is, to me, perfect: a masterpiece!
I had real trouble at the theater, sitting through this movie. In fact I was so disturbed that I walked out when Anne started slamming her head against the ceiling. She played that part so incredibly, so real especially the part when she found out about Charlies death. I believed her when she said the horrible things to Peter and it broke me. I so appreciate all of the time and effort you have put into this, because I have a clear understanding (as clear as possible) of the premise. As a pagan of the non god/satan believing type, this was a great story that was too heart wrenching to watch. Thank you
Honestly this rings true for so many reasons, firstly Toni Collette's performance is incredible and so real in the middle of such a strange film. But even more than that my mum hasn't been able to watch the film for the exact same reasons. And she really wants to just to support me, I guarantee she'll read this comment, but the performance, the everything of it, is just too much for her to sit through. So happy you enjoyed the video though, thanks for taking the time out to write a comment!
I’m ngl I was extremely skeptical about someone being able to talk about nothing but hereditary for four hours straight and just put this on for some light entertainment while I got some work done, but this is one of the most thorough and interesting videos about any film I’ve ever seen. I can’t imagine how much dedication and research this took. Thank you for making this.
Seeing this video on my recommended was the final push I neeeded to watch Hereditary and wow, it was terrifying and incredible. This will be a great second course
Thank you. This movie was so completely intense when I watched it in the theatre, I was all alone in the theatre, as I went during the day, because, you know, I was alone watching a horror movie. Had to make sure I entered back into light after this, and how. When Annie started sawing off her head, my complete horror could not be contained. I gripped, quite white-knuckled, the seat in front of me, yelling “WHAAAAT TF!!”😮and had to wait for the lights to turn back on to find my jaw on the floor. Phenomenal movie. My goodness. But I wanted to thank you for breaking everything down and pointing out some of the things my shock and terror missed! Cheers, friend
Where to begin? I came across this today as I was looking at Hereditary-related content and listened to the whole thing, almost without stopping. Sure it's 5 hours but, unlike many youtube videos, it is concise! There's no pointless, disorganized rambling. This is what I wish more youtube content could be, a genuine video essay. You helped me understand Hereditary on a level I hadn't before. I still have one lingering question though...I don't understand how Paimon "outside" his chosen vessels can be completely in control of the scene, toying with people and helping the cultists' plans come to fruition, while Paimon in Charlie, and presumably Peter, is confused and scared like he doesn't know what's going on. How can both be true at the same time?
Thank you so much for such a wonderful message, it really means the world. Everyone has been so lovely in the comments but the thing that makes me happiest is hearing that there's no fat/wasted space on the video because it was a constant concern in such an unrealistic project. So hearing that honestly is the balm to months of self-criticism. Thank you. As for your question, it is a really strange thing to get your head around. But as is clear, we know that Paimon is both inside Charlie, and doing things exterior to her at the same time like guiding her with the blue light. This leaves us with two options: 1. Paimon is entirely inside Charlie (later Peter/Annie) and the lights/exterior forces are Lucifer or some other demonic entity. or (And this to me is the only answer really) 2. Paimon puts a fractured piece of himself/his consciousness/spirit inside of Charlie (and later Peter) to exist in the mortal realm. Paimon himself, the physical being, resides in hell and is the light observing events etc. He's aware of the part of himself within Charlie, but not vice versa. That part is stranded, confused, segmented. It's a weird thing to get your head around but it becomes the only real explanation for the dissonance we see in Charlie/Paimon. Couple of things to help with the explanation - firstly that we see the blue light enter Peter at the end, after which it's for the first and only time referred to directly as Paimon. So sure, maybe the previous blue lights could be another demon and then this blue light at the end is Paimon, but other than the nickname 'Louie' at the seance there isn't much evidence of it. The other thing to remember is how differently Annie acts when possessed by Paimon compared to Charlie and Peter. It's not the same kind of possession. Annie is alert, fast, violent, capable of inhuman acts like walking on the ceiling. There she's being possessed by the full Paimon, not a fragment installed by long term possession, but the whole consciousness of the demon that she invited into her house. Hope that helps!
Keo thank you so much that's so kind and generous! The whole time I was making it I was like 'this is so boring no one will ever listen to it' so hearing something like that means the world. Thank you.
This is one of my absolute favorite video essays that I keep coming back to for some reason. I love the real effort you put into research, how you cover so much depth in the lore, and your fine attention to detail. It's also a blessing that you have such an easy-listening voice. In my opinion not a minute wasted, and you've done justice in this love letter to a brilliant film. I am overflowing with excitement for your Midsommar analysis. It's not that the film was lost on me, but that I'm super stoked to see what *your* take on it is and what wildly interesting tidbits of lore you've got stashed in your pocket. :D
I know people throw this statement around whenever, but when I saw the view and sub count of this channel I was *shocked*. This is so incredibly good and I wish more people were aware of you! And full captions??? 😩👌 You got me hooked!
Dude thank you so much! That's so kind. Donations and comments go a massive way towards it being pushed out to more people so thank you so much. And yeah, my partner will only watch things with subtitles on and her thinking has now invaded mine so I try to make sure they're on point! Cheers dude!
Fabulous analysis. Thank you for the hard work. One new thing that's jumping out at me is Steve's revulsion to seeing Annie recreate the traumatic loss of her daughter. I'm almost positive that is, among other things, a very meta reflection of Ari's own experiences putting his own trauma into his own works. Given the subjects in his work, I am willing to bet he's had some similarly disgusted reactions from a family member of his own to his own works. For the creator of the work, desensitized to one's own trauma as you've lived with it for quite some time by the time you'd seek to recreate it via art, it probably would seem "neutral" and unbiased to the creator and starkly upsetting to anyone close to the situation.
Three things I didn't see mentioned. The first is that in the diorama of the car accident, after Annie has destroyed her studio, the model of Charlie's head is gone. There's a zoomed shot of it at some point. I think that was done to show that the cult found it. The second is in reference to how the 3 heads of the 3 women could represent the Holy Trinity: there's a ritual within certain versions of Satanism known as a "denouncement." It's a 3 day process, with each iteration on each day taking 3 hours, and each day is used to desecrate/blaspheme against an element of the Holy Trinity. It's done in order to show one's dedication to shunning the Christian God, as once it's completed, it's accepted that no amount of repentance will ever gain you forgiveness, and you're forever barred from heaven and God's light. The three heads of the three women who represent the 3 elements of the Trinity could be a very well thought out use of this ritual. Charlie is the Spirit, Annie is the Son, and Ellen is the Father. I'm confident in those roles, since Annie is the unwitting sacrificial lamb until the penultimate moment, much like the story of Jesus Christ, with a further bastardization of that parallel in that Christ accepted that role, but Annie does not. Ellen is the Father because she made Annie to be sacrificed. Charlie is the Spirit due to the omnipotence and presence within every element of this narrative. The fact that they outright say "We reject the Trinity" basically confirms this. The final is just that the downward 3 hand gesture is also half of the gesture being done by Baphomet in most of the art of them. One hand of 3 points up, the other down. It means "As Above, So Below." Loved this breakdown, took me a couple days to watch the whole thing, here's hoping you see this because I genuinely just wanted to share that you were SO on a good theory without even realising how good it was. Cheers! Edit: Oh! And Steve almost blowing through the red light was intentional! He was distracted by Peter in the back seat, stops just in time. But if you follow how fast the car was moving before it stopped, it would have been in just the right spot for Steve to have been obliterated by the sedan that speeds through the intersection just a second later. They had already decided he was no longer useful. Ellen potentially being in the background just doubles down on this.
just finished your Midsommar video and i’m back here lol but i just have to say how much i appreciate you having real subtitles!!! your subscriber amount is truly CRIMINAL
This video is exactly what I've been looking for since I watched the movie in theaters. I can't imagine how much research you did for this, amazing work dude! Can't wait to watch some more of your videos once I finish this absolute unit 😂
Honestly I've been wanting to make it since I first saw it! So happy you liked it dude, the other content falls off in production quality the further back you go but i'm still satisfied with The Green Knight/Frankenstein/Alien. Hope you enjoy!
Amazing analysis, well done! There's one possibility I'd like to add though regards the question of Paimon as Charlie and why some of things Charlie does seem incongruous if everything that happens is part of Paimon's plan to posess Peter instead. My assumption was that it wasn't Paimon's plan at all, but Ellen and the cult's - as in Paimon is actually more of an unwilling participant. Pretty much confirmed by Alex Wolf's quote there. The way he looks shellshocked at the end in Peter's body, when he is told that he's Paimon, instantly made me think that this demon is pretty confused by everything that just happened. Indeed, the non-human ancient being may even have developed some equivalent to mental health issues as a result of being forced to live as a human child for so long. I kind of took it as an ultimate irony about it all, that even the demon is just another miniature in the toy house of a pre-ordained fate?
Thank you so much! So absolutely this is a huge question we cannot give a definite answer for. Now there was a version of this video where I came to the conclusion you just have, based mainly of what Alex Wolff had to say. And I think in terms of how Shapiro and Wolff viewed the character they were absolutely looking for routes to find sympathy in Paimon. As you point out it's pretty clear from his comments. And in terms of his performance as Paimon-in-Peter and Shapiro's as Paimon-in-Charlie we absolutely see this confusion and shellshock. However, Wolff's comments aren't all encompassing and there are several things Ari Aster says that at least partly contradict that. What's even more telling is Paimon's behaviour when not inhabiting them. Consider when he's possessing Annie, in this moment not a confused fractured piece of consciousness but rather Paimon's full focus. She's brutal, possesses supernatural abilities like flight and even teleportation/moving through walls. Paimon slams the door in the dogs face (even drags the dog outside closing doors after it in the script) as she's trying to open Peter's mouth for possession. Ultimately there's no way we can contextualize these actions as an unwilling participant, we even see his soul/spirit essence move it's way into Peters body seemingly of it's own volition. The sacrifice of three heads to summon him is Paimon's requirement for anyone who wishes to summon him (only within the context of this film), again something he actively demands. So given all that, the answer is pretty clear as to his level of participation and it does go against what Wolff is saying in that interview. I don't think that's Wolff 'being wrong' I just think Aster gave them very specific direction that was clearly very different to what we see from AnniePaimon and Paimon's other actions outside of possession. Even stuff like the nasty jokes he's playing on the family with the seance/Steve's death. When we see him in Peter's body at the end he's just very bewildered by this act of putting a piece of his consciousness into a mortal vessel. Or rather that piece of him remains confused. There's a soft hint on his face that just as the credits roll he's begun to 'wake up' to what's happening. In Charlie's case it's a young and unsuitable vessel and so his bewilderment hasn't really ever left him. Now as for your last point, *I love it*. And certainly, if you get more out of that for your head canon I actively encourage it. I'd say that layering is there and it fits perfectly with the simulacra theory we've been working with all movie. BUT - very important caveat here, it's so vague on screen as to almost be non-existent, because in answering that question we would essentially have the answer to 'what happens after the movie'. If we accept your theory, which again I love, then we know that Paimon is essentially the puppet of the cult. It loses it's teeth, and it says nothing of the movie describing him as a 'trickster god' that so far has played everyone that thought they knew what was 'really' going on. So as a final answer I'd love to say that's right, and I can't say it's wrong, but my gut feeling and everything the research told me is that it's far more likely to be the other way round. I don't think the cult have anything positive waiting for them, perhaps short terms riches but almost certainly something worse within the bargain too. Perhaps Ellen is a queen in Hell and the Graham family her loyal subjects, but again I doubt it. Really the question is "how sympathetic a figure is Paimon" and at certain points it's tempting to say he is. But when you look at everything as a whole, especially his behaviour outside of the long-term possessions, he is the most evil thing in the film by a large margin and there just isn't much hope that things aren't going to get a lot, lot worse. Thank you so much for the comment dude, I hope that helps you understand why I reasoned in this direction but I understand entirely the other side and when we're this deep into the movie I think whatever throughline you take from it will absolutely have legitimacy.
@@Novum_YT Thank you for giving my thoughts such consideration - I definitely do see your reasoning as well! I don't think there is a clear answer overall, but I do find the idea of an ancient being being assigned all these attributes by a cult (brings riches! brings knowlege!) only to turn out quite ordinary, just having been minding its own business in the void, kind of funny. Maybe just me though. By the way, I also forgot to say, great connection on the triple goddess theme. Annie, Charlie, Ellen = Mother, Maiden, Crone. I can't believe I didn't clock that before this video, but seems so obvious now! Again, great work.
Thanks so much to everyone that's watched already. Going to use this sticky comment for things I inevitably realize I forgot to include:
1. There is a halo of blue light (very similar to the 'Paimonic' lens flares that appear over Peter) in the shape of a halo over Ellen's corpse during the funeral scene. You can see this at 1:09:10
2. Since releasing the video I've spoken with the actress who plays the cultist to the right of Annie at the grief meeting. She had some wonderful behind the scenes tidbits and she confirmed that the actor with the man-bun in the treehouse was not the same actor that played Peter's friend with the similar haircut. Whether they were intended to be the same character or not is unclear as the latter scene involves nudity, but we can say at least behind the scenes they're not the same person.
3. The music video during the witchcraft and sexuality discussion is 'Same Old Energy' by Kiki Rockwell, it's dope and I think I listened to it an easy 200 times during making this video so it felt apt.
4. Charles/Charlie means 'free man', which some people have said represents Paimon's desire to be a 'free man', I personally believe it is more an ironic play on both Charles and Charlie's lack of freedom as Paimon is largely free to do what he wants anyway and isn't truly 'imprisoned' in the same way that Charles and OG Charlie are.
5. 'Devengari' is a script/writing system not a language.
2:50:00 hints were definitely intentional as they stimulate the deep mind making possession easier
OMG,you really went all out on this documentary! It's a really long documentary, but there's no time when it gets slow, padded for time, or have monologs that go completely off topic.
This is your gift, and I can hear that you enjoy doing as well, so that's a perfect combination.
I just subscribed. I would also love to share your videos, but unfortunately, I am a refuge of a part of RUclips that called themselves RUclips Sewer Town. This entire RUclips group is just a cauldron of human misery. I finally escaped they land where LoL Buffalo roam. I don't want any of them to know I'mhere. (If you have read this far, thank you so much for indulging my sorrowful story).
Anyway, it's a mind-blowing, deep look into this film! I think I would even say that it's so much better than the movie. You blew my mind. You are very, very talented.
Extremely talented
lol I've seen articles about piano wire between two trees to decapitate cyclists. perhaps Charlie could have died that way and Annie gets the telephone pole treatment as she's poking her head out window to scream xD
First of, amazing work! Can't wait for the Midsommar analysis, as I ended up preferring that over Hereditary.
Just wanna point out there is a parallel murder of a male trinity, Ellen's husband, Charles & Peter, with (kinda) identical cause of death, Ellen & her husband died of the body "naturally" shutting down, Annie & Charles killed themselves and Charlie & Peter got replaced by Paimon.
"Everyone got sacrificed because grandma wanted dubloons in hell." Is definitely one way of summarising the movie.
Honestly it's a cool photo of her at the 'wedding' but I feel like showering an old woman with heavy metal coinage is only going to go one way
well he could’ve said “she wanted a demonic sugar daddy” but I don’t think that would fly with YT guidelines
Just insert “transgender” between “demonic” and “sugar daddy” and YT will be totally fine with it.
I am so happy this was the comment at the bottom of the video, cuz that gave me all I needed to buckle in for 4 hours.
Gotta get them pieces of eight.
You need ducats to buy ice water in hell, bro.
Shout out to A24 for being the only studio authorized to create films during the strike, because they agreed to ALL the strikers’ requests! Disney says it’s impossible to meet them? Bitch, an independent studio just met them all. Long live independent, creative, original films!
What a gay thing to comment on this video
Amazing
Well said!
That is such good news! We will still get amazing movies in 2024 & 2025
A studio that not only makes quality, original films but also cares about their employees? WHAT?!
"The way Peter is holding his cutlery has 5 possible answers" is hilarious in the context of a 4.5 hour long video.
“In this brief 2 hour segment we will look at one of these possibilities.”
I know, when I heard this I got so insanely happy because I desperately want all the little details. Most ppl tend to summarize bc ppl have short attention spans. Not me. I'd happily watch 30 straight minutes analyzing the way Peter is holding his cutlery. Love it
Wait your so right this is funny 😂
It is hilarious. But also because we’ve both known a few people who hamfist their silverware reflexively, no one corrected them because it hardly matters irl lol
3:02:08
I was always a little confused why Annie felt that Peter was mocking her and always giving her that "sneering" look even though Peter was very unemotive for most of the movie. It makes sense that Annie was actually seeing Paimon himself smling at her through Peter and we only see that smile for ourselves when Peter is possessed by Paimon briefly in the classroom where he saw his relfection. Very clever and scary stuff!
I feel it was her husband who was looking at her that way when she says “that fucking face on your face” the camera instantly pans to her husbands face and everything she is saying to her son about how annoyed he looks of her, disgusted, resentful, is exactly how her husband is looking at her as she accuses her son of it. She projects and blames everything on Peter her own feelings and decisions how her husband sees her now.
@@ipukeglitter435idk about that
I always thought the same. But now, thinking about it again, its really a mocking face, so goofy and f*ck you'esk. I think if Peter looked like that at Annie a lot she wouldve attacked him :,)
That's clear overinterpretation imo... Peter looked "unemotive" and she's probably reffering to that, to him feigning indifference when he should react emotionnally, almost mocking her through that as they dance arround their problems and past trauma without addressing it. Also probably reffers to his cold demeanor ever since she doused him in paint thinner during his sleep, she's tried to reach out for years and only got the cold shoulder, aka a face on his face...
I think it's just a thing abusive parents say. She knows she's failed him in many ways, and his very existence is proof of that. Instead of dealing with the idea that she's become her mother, in a sense, she pushes that onto Peter as well. It's the "well, I guess I'm just the WORST PARENT" comment, but framed differently, imo.
the dinner table argument was almost TOO accurate to real life like it was the most uncomfortable movie moment ive seen in awhile and ive got to applaud the writers and actors for giving their best work
Couldn't agree more Abbie! Perfectly put together and everyone is just electric in that scene. Even Gabriel Byrne's silence is perfectly delivered. And then to have such a clever and direct doublespeak put in underneath all that perfection [that face on your face, smirking, no one admits what they've done, release me!] is beyond insane. It's some of the best writing I've ever seen and I'm including Orwell, Wilde, Shakespeare in that. Thanks so much for commenting!
Totally agree…that scene alone should earn an Oscar nom or even a win for Toni Collette…
Honestly I felt more unsettled by the family drama and suffering that ran through most of the movie than anybody the supernatural horror at the end. Once the spontaneous combustion and flying started happening, the tension left my body. Grief, abuse, loss, and random senseless death are scary to me because they’re real. Demons and animated corpses are fun.
I think this scene made me the most angry. I really hated Annie in this moment and thought she was a hypocrite. She's screaming about apologies and taking responsibility, but where are her apologies? Where is her taking responsibility? All she does is act petulantly and frame herself as the victim, never taking responsibility for her actions. Who forced Peter to take Charlie to the party because she was angry at Charlie and wanted to spitefully catch out Peter? It's her fault Charlie was there. And how is it she can whine to Joan about being blamed for something she did in her sleep, but then turn around and blame Peter for something out of his control? She acts more like a child than her children do.
@@HeVn7LaO The fact that they shunned Tony Collette at the Oscars to include Yalitzia for Roma, is a crime. And I say this as a Mexican. The acting doesn't even begin to compare.
Toni Collette was absolutely robbed to not even get a nomination. I am sure I have seen her in other movies but seeing her in this really opened up my eyes to what she was really capable of.
Horror will NEVER get its just due, unfortunately. But you know what, that is why anybody who creates within this genre HAS TO truly love it. More passion is put into these projects than any other genre point blank. The skill it takes to create a dark atmosphere that truly frightens (not talking cheap jump scares) is much more difficult than anything else within any other genre. This is why horror has the greatest fanbase. 😊
She is such a chameleon, half the time I don’t even realize it’s her in the movie until halfway through the movie. She is an incredible actress.
Shes outstanding actress. I don’t understand why she didn’t get award for The Hours for instance
@@jirihrnakomg i legit forgot she's in that. that's how good she is. i feel like her ability to absolutely vanish into the character almost works against her bc Oscars tend to get given to those who are consistently amazing. but she's SO amazing people forgot everything she's been in compared to people like, say, Nicole Kidman. while an excellent actor, you never really forget she's Nicole Kidman playing a role.
@@seraphik See, I forgot she was in "The Hours," too. 😂😂
The actor who played the mother was one of the best actors of any horror movie I ever seen.
1000%
Toni Collette! She also played the mother in Krampus!
@@phoebevaughan5095& isn’t she in sixth sense too
@@atlntcostv7293yup!
@@phoebevaughan5095And Little miss sunshine
5 hours, no ads, and every segment is captivating. Bless your soul sir, I greatly appreciate your dissertation.
5 hours!!!! Eish!!! South African for oy vey. Gosh. But you know. I will watch it. This movie left me distraught and traumatised. But one of the BEST!!!! If not the best in horror. 😊
🤓
When I say I want a deep dive into a movie... this is what I mean. I know this probably took an insane amount of work, but I'm dying for more of these really long breakdowns.
The Beau is afraid one is gonna be IN-SANE
Dunno would he be your cup of tea, but Flaw Peacock has done, albeit differet pov and style video esseys on themes like Parental abuse in Suspiria and cyckle of abuse in Jennifer's body. Their video about Skinmarink is peak start for the channel too. I actually came from their vid, where they shoutouted a thanks to Novum and praise having such vast knowledge to dive so deep.
Where's Joan I need a hug 😂
Same, i hate it when a youtuber says “I wont go into this to much because the video will be 3 hours long” like sir I dont see the issue
Ever watch EFAP? That's where you'll get sometimes over 10 hours of breakdown but not too much by way of horror films..
Little note from a gardener apprentice: Many rooms, as the living room and Charlie's room have helychrysums:
"Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) is the symbol of longevity, resurrection, and immortality".
that's a dope fact!
I never saw annie as a villain. I always saw her as a tragic figure completely out of control of and unable to stop what's happening.
I think that's a very accurate reading, certainly how I feel about her for the most part too. On first watch though I was definitely at the very least suspicious of her for the first half of the movie. Thanks so much for watching!
I saw her as a Terribly mentally abusive and grossly neglectful mother. To Peter as well as Charlie. Sending her young daughter to a teenage party with Peter??? Clearly not giving a crap if someone would take advantage of Charlie or not, almost setting Peter up for Any tragedy 6o come from Annie's reckless choice.
Her hatred toward Peter sent my "Mommy senses" to overdrive.....so I'm So glad to have found this in depth review, because from just an average joe (or jane) watching a horror movie, I was Clueless to any of the underlying hints of Paimon and cues of literally anything happening other than what ibwas seeing on the screen
Same. I saw her as the perfect representation of the abused becoming the abuser. I hate some of her behavior but I understand she is unequipped to make any other choice due to her own trauma, and in fact is internally struggling not to do more harm than she's already doing. The desperate chase to stop the inevitable followed by her becoming the final boss was one of the most horrifying parts of the movie. It's a really good metaphor for a parent's failed attempt at breaking the cycle of abuse.
@@jamienotamy Absolutely. I think you really perfectly described it. She just doesn't know how to be a good parent. She has no reference point and either picked up or inherited her mother's pride and never asked for help. Really tragic and honestly I feel really bad for her. She was a tool for her mother; ultimately nothing more. It doesn't matter if Ellen loved her because she destroyed Annie anyway.
A lot of people dislike her but I find her a very interesting character. She's a good example of a person whose been abused and pressured and traumatized so much that they broke and grew into their shattered shell.
The part with Peter and how he holds his cutlery really spoke to me as someone who had parents who didn’t really teach me basic stuff as a child either, which caused me to have the same problems with things such utensils and cutlery as well . I don’t think its shown enough that how and when parents teach a child really affects how they do things so I’m very glad you pointed that out, it made me feel seen.
apology for my grammar and wording, english isn’t my first language
A small, but very telling (for people who dived DEEP into Paimon) detail is that Paimon is often depicted as either riding a camel or being half camel. The clicking sound Charlie does is the same sound one would make to call a camel to them.
Wonderful and truly exploratory deep dive! Thank you!
OOOOH wow that’s chilling ugh I love this movie
how is that “DEEP” he’s literally depicted as riding a camel in this very video
@@gwen878ya but did you know that it was a camel recall sound? This guy clearly travelled to the Middle East to research camel sounds and your ungrateful ass is giving him sass in the comment section? Show some respect and gratitude dude
Ohhhhh that's a nice detail
the clicking gets adressed & atributed to the bird clucking of his other form
about 2 and a half hours in, I have to say this is one of the best video essays I’ve ever seen. Well researched, detailed, but not filled with mediocre fluff to make it longer. Every detail is well written and spoken clearly, and gives just enough explanation without diminishing the interpretations left open to the audience. Amazing
Thank you so much for this. So happy you enjoyed it, that’s extremely high praise! Thanks so much Sarah!
So so many videos like this devolve into a summary with awful stupid fluff that adds nothing to essentially a poorly written synopsis that's supposedly explaining something. I appreciate this masterpiece more than Novum knows I've watched it like a dozen times now and you nail why it's so good!!
Jesus, dude. Almost 5 hours of Hereditary content to enjoy?! You're a beast, lol. Thanks for all the hard work!
Thanks so much for the support Shirley. Hope you’re doing well!
@@Novum_YT anytime you post, I'll be here. Been that way since your video on Aesop. Your analysis is always on point. Oh, and I'm doing well, thank you! Hope you are as well
@@ShirleyTimple I am thanks for asking! And thank you for the uspport it means the world.
Agreed; I've loved this movie and have seen it multiple times in theaters before buying a copy.
@@Novum_YT😊😊o
When I watched this, I was CONVINCED that the whole thing was a hallucination, or gaslighting, or some other mental illness-related trope, right up until Peter (ie, someone not Annie) reacts to the cultists in the attic. It IMMEDIATELY recontextualized the entire movie, and I realize how much I'd been missing or just incorrectly interpreting. Awesome vid!
That's amazing to hear dude thank you so much. Thank you for subscribing too, glad to have you on board!
Almost same, I think I was still unsure of whether something supernatural was afoot until dad got set on fire. It gave the same feeling as Poltergeist, where the movie is 90% suspense and then 10% free-for-all sprint to the finish line.
I thought the same thing as well, in fact I thought it was all Annie's delusions and hallucination's. My assumption was Annie had been a victim of severe family abuse and was a patient of Steve who was her psychiatrist, that he was her husband was just part of her delusions. At one point I thought the film may end revealing that the house is actually a hospital and we see other nurses and patients - who Annie saw as the group members in her delusion.
This is a doctoral thesis, this man deserves a degree damn
Ahaha, I think it's roughly double the length my doctoral thesis would have been if I stayed on for it. I'd say it qualifies but I don't think they'll accept it :p Thanks so much dude!
That’s what I was thinking!
Absolutely. The research that went into this analysis is astonishing.
A doctoral thesis must include something original and advance research LMAO this is just attempting to de-construct some movie with financial profit in mind instead of profiting humanity. Some people... #ab*se
@@47Mortuus If I made this with financial profit in mind it was an entire failure. Of course I did it to help people, it should be obvious from one glance at my channel this isn't profit driven. I'm well aware what constitutes a doctoral thesis, I have a lot of experience in the area!
I was NOT expecting proper subtitles on a 4 hour video but I’m so so so glad to see them!!! So many channels just don’t bother, even on short-form content, it’s such a breath of fresh air
As a creator, in RUclips you can turn automated subtitles on, so it's annoying when a channel doesn't bother because it takes literally a couple of seconds. They're not always perfect, but they're pretty excellent (the subs on this video are autogenerated and they seem fine).
@@360Fov there's actually 2 english subtitle versions on this video (only one being autogenerated)
The head smashing against the attic door is terrifying alright but I found the self decapitation even worse, the blood spurt, the jerky puppet like arm movements, her demented fixed gaze. Beyond horrifying
Yeah, I made it through the whole movie without being rattled, and then came along auto-decapitation.
@@skindianu you've strong nerves then, the rest is no cake walk!
Yep. This was only the second move I have seen in my life which as truly invoked actual fear into me. And that scene there rounded the whole thing off to be the subject of my mid-day nightmares at work etc still thinking about this movie months after I had seen it for the first time. The power-line post scene hit me as well. I knew it was coming, but the way the directors and actors executed it.. That just hit home hard, I nearly felt as shocked as the poor kid in the car whom the actor was portraying. THAT is how well done this movie is. And having experienced true loss and grief myself. The scenes of the family's pure anguish afterwards.. For me it never sank in nearly so fast, it was more a delayed reaction. But that is basically all of it condensed into a series of scenes digestible by a viewer-audience to a movie. Not real life. But it depicts real life _too_ well. Another reason it is a masterpiece of modern horror film.
@@_M_a_r_t_i_n_M that is the description of how I felt, but me not being able to put it to words.
yea it was all I thought abt when sleeping at night
"Lubricating your soul hole" was not a phrase I ever expected to hear.
Re: the moment when Steve almost runs the red light - I interpreted his breakdown as an overwhelming feeling of empathy for what Peter experienced with Charlie’s death. Steve had just consumed alcohol (and pills?) in the previous scene and is then called upon to pick up his son from school. He’s forced into an unexpected situation where he is now driving a car, impaired, with his injured son in the back seat. The same scenario played out with Peter and Charlie, the former being compelled to drive his sick sister home from the party unexpectedly while he was impaired by having just smoked. The moment Steve realizes he nearly ran a red light, he is confronted with all of the “what ifs” of an alternative timeline. He could never forgive himself if his own negligence caused Peter harm, in the same way Peter is wracked with guilt over being (somewhat) responsible for Charlie’s death.
Very insightful take on that scene!
Oh and Steve being a psychiatrist, he absolutely would have made this insight into his own psyche.
I know his character is more subdued but I really loved the little things the father brought to the movie, I hadn't noticed this is another possible reason for his breakdown and makes total sense!
Amazing!! God I love this movie so much
good catch, i wouldve never thought of this
the scene of annie in the attic always gets to me because i immediately interpreted that as a symbol for annie’s unwillingness in all of this. she’s being forced to do this to herself as one of the final sacrifices, and the eyes showing she’s still somewhat there just crushes me
For me, this represents the platonic ideal of YT criticism: impeccably researched, well-spoken, measured, nuanced and most importantly, impassioned. Can't emphasize enough how refreshing it is, considering all the lazy, xeroxed takes out there. Just amazing stuff.
Wow dude, thank you so so much. So glad you enjoyed it and you pretty much outlined my reasoning behind making the channel also, couldn’t agree more re: the ‘xeroxing’. Thank you dude.
This is by far the best random video RUclips recommended has passed my way. What a brilliant four and a half hours that was.
The educated Shart enjoyer. Midsommar vid coming soon!
@@Novum_YT GIVE IT TO ME, NOVUM
Thank you A24 for letting us post clips without copyright claims, unlike most of the big studios, despite the clips doing nothing but lead to more viewership of their films. That's the only reason my non-monetized short video of the support group scene in Hereditary has managed to stay up for a few years. They get the idea of free advertising.
The difference is, A24 makes good movies. If you were Disney, you wouldn't want anyone seeing the stuff you put out before they bought a ticket either 😂
That’s exactly how I found out about this movie. I saw a short of the yelling dinner scene. I was prepared to buy what I needed to to see this movie immediately. Lucky for me it’s on demand on spectrum so I watched right away and was blown away. Best movie I’ve seen in a long time.
I wholeheartedly believe that this is a movie made to be rewatched. It's one to be observed and analyzed and examined to learn new things and perspectives each time.
I agree! I love movies that have this structure. If my brain is like a wolf, then re-watchable films are the elk, or zoo enrichment. Movies like this are just so much fun to observe and analyze. You might also like Jordan Peele’s “NOPE” (2022)- there’s a lot of those semi-hidden details that only become apparent on a second, or even third, watch. It’s one of my favourite movies, alongside Hereditary (2018). They’re both very well-woven tapestries.
Wow. I absolutely never leave comments, but i can't not tell you that what you have created is simply amazing. Your level of thoroughness and analysis is masterful. I truly hope more people find you and have the opportunity to experience your work!!
Christie this was so wonderful to wake up to this morning it was literally the first thing I read. Thank you so much for the donation and even more so for your extremely kind words. They make months of tearing my hair out worthwhile. Thank you.
100% 👍👍👍
As someone who cannot watch horror films due to them often triggering panic attacks, but is also fascinated by horror in general and its moving parts, I truly appreciate your insight, so thank you.
While I can't experience the film in its pure form, experiencing it through your commentary and other reactions helps me put pieces together so thanks again 🌟
Can't imagine the work that went into this. I've considered Hereditary to be perfect and fully understanding its most nuanced details just reinforces that a thousand times over
Thank you so much dude that really means the world! Honestly I think there's *few*, very few perfect movies and this is one of them. I'm so glad I could help enrich that experience in any small way. Thanks again dude.
Love this. "Tragedy of fate" seems to be the recurrent theme through Ari Aster's films. Creepy, sad, and hopeless feelings
100% on that, as I move through the others it will be something we pick back up on. Should work well too given the BIA subject matter.
I agree completely about Alex Wolfe. I, of course, expected a staggering performance out of Collette, but Wolfe was a revelation, and is, for me, THE performance in the film.
Yeah, absolutely stunning. It's not the same level of cinema but I did still enjoy him greatly in 'Pig'. Makes me very sad seeing the roles Toni Collette has been taking on recently. Thanks so much for watching!
@@Novum_YTthis is a very interesting thing to me.... I appreciate any take you have, but wonder what it is that Collette took part in that was maybe a let down..?
...in light of Muriel, Sixth Sense then the stark honourable contribution of Herditary?
Xx
@@aliwright1016 Hi Ali, I was referring more to her recent outing in 'Mafia Mamma'. Which to be fair, I haven't seen so maybe it'd surprise me, but I'd like to see her get offered some roles more suited to her talents!
@@Novum_YT 100% lol x not seen it yet either myself...let's compare notes👍🎬
Edit: thanks for making such brilliant vids, really appreciate your work.
@aliwright1016 honestly Mafia Mamma feels like on those easy going, "silly" comedy roles excellent actors take because it means they get paid incredible money to go to a beautiful part of the world for 6 months.
Something you missed that's not necessarily an easter egg however, when Annie is freaking out piecing it all together and going through the photo album, there is a shot that for just a split second shows the inside of her left wrist whish can be seen to display some scars in the form of Japanese katakana characters that spell out the word "free". This wasn't done intentionally for the film, but actually is on the wrist of Toni in real life. It couldn't be more fitting for the film though!
Also, when Peter is being chased by Paimon/Annie, the stairs to the attic are down, but they weren't down when he woke up and was walking down the hall in the previous shots. This is not an editing mistake, but the cult lowering the stairs after Peter went down into the living room, knowing that he would run up the stairs to the second floor to try and escape her. They were guiding him up there to show him the body of his grandmother to break him down even more, so he would be weak enough that Paimon could take him over.
And you've already said this but I have NO IDEA how she wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar. I think it's in the top 3 best performances I've ever seen.
I'm gonna be real: this film has always been incredibly hard to watch because it reminds me very strongly of my abusive mother, so I gotta say this video is... almost bizarrely therapeutic. Thanks, man.
You're actually not the first person to say something along those lines and while it's unexpected I'm very glad this video helped in whatever way it did. I think part of that closeness, and truth to your experience, is obviously down to Toni Collette's performance, but even more crucially I think it's because Aster has had experiences very similar to yours and this film represents a form of therapy to him too. So really I'm just the middle man, it's his message. Very glad you enjoyed Cameron, I hope stuff is better for you now dude.
I almost walked out on this in the theatre it stressed me out so much. And I’ve seen Martyrs so I’m not sensitive to horror. My grandmother and mother had a crazy relationship which spilled down to me as the oldest granddaughter. It was hard to get through the first half because the kind of manipulation, mental illness and pain that mothers can pass on to daughters has never been something I’ve seen in a movie that got to me like this one. I stuck it out but I still only watch it again when I can handle it.
@@GangstarComputerGod Yeaaaaa aaughh. I'm not surprised there's others out there with similar experiences but it's nice to know. I know Ari Aster's "thing" is making brutally realistic movies abt very difficult topics but man. Hereditary gets to me in a way most other movie's don't.
My moms mom was incredibly abusive to her, to the point where i refuse to associate or talk to her unless she gives me money. My mom still talks to her for some reason but thats her own relationship. My moms mom suffers with (what we think) a personality disorder and experiences intense mania. In fact, shes in an incredibly manic state right now. She acts similar like the grandmother in Hereditary but with birth charts. My mom has tried to stop her from telling me that my star chart shows that i will change the world and have a vast impact on it as a peacemaker or that my nephew will become a great politician that will lead the world into greatness. It was unnerving to watch it as the granddaughter of someone similar to the grandmother. My bf had no idea why i took it so seriously and kept snipping at him to stop with his quips when i normally like them during horror movies. It felt almost personal to me. I didnt inheret my grandmothers mental illnesses (i just have the familial anxiety) but my sister did. Its been odd to watch from afar, ill be honest
For the same reason I can’t watch midsommar because of a sibling suicide
I can't believe people were mad at the casting of Charlie, that's so rude... She looks creepy because the hair and makeup department did a great job, as did Milly! I almost didn't recognize her in interviews which speaks to how much effort they put in.
Couldn't agree more! I think there's just always going to be a certain subset of society that want to bring others down that they think should be less happy to match their own insecure world view. It's not so much that they were mad at the casting, they were mad that someone they perceived to be less than them became more than them and they used internet anonymity to try and retributively force their insecurity onto her.
She wasn’t wearing make up in the movie she wore make up in the interview you saw…… she looks creepy naturally
@@Livcakess were you on set to witness it? 🙄 Sorry to break you bubble but literally everyone on tv and on screen has had meticulous work done by the hair and makeup department...
@@momomomo69 I’ve seen her social media of her wearing no make up and she looks exactly the same as she did in the movie so ya sorry to burst the bubble you’re living in
@@Livcakess Even if this was true, does it matter?
I think it says more about you that your default view of how somebody naturally looks is "creepy" than it does anything else.
Honestly having seen her social media enough times, she kinda just looks normal to me. And even if she didn't, who cares.
The thing I really admire about this film, and the thing which makes it understandably polarizing, is it’s willingness to rely on environmental storytelling elements like sound, costume, and sets to convey it’s full meaning. You can watch it without much attention to these things and still have a good experience in terms of horror, but if you pay attention to these details, it offers a rewarding depth to the narrative beyond the action of the story. As many reviewers have stated, the answer to what is going on is all in the film. It may not all be in the action or the dialogue, but it is there. Ari Aster clearly has a penchant for this kind of storytelling in general, since it’s prevalent in Midsommer as well. The answers are all there, if you’re willing to pay attention to the environment as much as the unfolding events they happen in.
It's pretty dope when filmmakers make a movie and not just a shot/reverse shot/panning shot documentary in front of a green screen
For anyone else who stumbled on this, I implore you to throw this guy some money on Patreon - even just a dollar or two. This is clearly a completely colossal amount of work. If this doesn't deserve money, what does?
I'll never forget the first time I saw this in theaters. The feeling of being so confident about what direction the movie was going in, still enjoying myself but thinking I had been one step ahead of the plot.
And then Charlie gets her head slammed off.
Then I had NO idea where the film was taking me
that scene made no sense. She eats chocolate, which she clearly is allergic to, but no one had found that out by the age of 13? lol
She's not allergic to chocolate, she's allergic to peanuts, which she didn't know were in the brownies.
There's also all the hidden aspects of the plot, like the fact that actions like getting Charlie to eat the peanut-laced brownies were intentionally orchestrated by the paimon worshipers (and perhaps Paimon himself) @@AmericanPieInThailand
@@AmericanPieInThailand She's allergic to nuts, not chocolate. There was someone at the party cutting cake with a knife that was used to chop nuts.
I remember turning to the person I was watching the movie with after Charlie's death and saying something like "I have NO IDEA where the plot is going now." I was kind of thrilled.
Quite possibly the best crafted and most informative movie essay I've ever seen on this platform. Brilliant.
Bro thank you so much, extremely kind words and very generous of you to donate. Lot's more coming!
Ari Aster is at some point going to see this, if he hasn't already, and I think he'll appreciate it.
Oh god I have no idea what he’d make of this! Thank you though!
@@Novum_YT Hello. This is Ari Aster.
Good job, son.
@@starsmash7491hello, this is Paimon.
Cluck.
yo chill!! @@idealsAREisomorphic
@@starsmash7491Nicely played, little cruel.
Another detail: when we see the poster for Annie's exhibition at 1:16:18 the image file is titled "for Mrs Leighs approval". Obviously we understand this to refer to Annie, but I think the choice to refer to her as Mrs Leigh (which is oddly formal even for the fine art world) is to invoke a deliberate double meaning: Annie lives her life, creates her work, in order to subconsciously grasp for the approval of her distant mother, the original Mrs Leigh.
I thought I was pretty keen on this film and the symbology, but I had never realized that his friends were part of the cult. That blew my mind. I appreciate the time taken for this, I cannot wait to go through the rest of your catalog!
4 hours and 38 minutes of explanations for a film with a 127 minute runtime. You sir, are crazy and I appreciate you.
Rarely does such a long video feel so short. Incredible work
thanks so much!
I completely agree
WOW!!! What a ride!! As someone who watches a movie and then hyperfixates on it until I can consume enough info… this is a DREAM!! Thank you!!
Omg I’m just like u and I haven’t been able to put that greatly unresolved feeling into words. Thank you!
@@Avacado721 thanks for sharing that! It’s always nice to know you aren’t alone
same
Wow!!! This analysis is such a gift! I have ADHD and I LOVE listening to podcasts and the narration of long-form videos while doing other things like cleaning, cooking or playing video games. I absolutely LOVE Hereditary, it's honestly one of my favorite films (i love horror in general) but listening to this actually made me appreciate the film SO much more. Not to mention it makes the movie SO MUCH MORE creepy and terrifying. There's just SO many brilliant little details and easter eggs I never noticed, like how many times cult members are in the background, the dittany of crete, the true meaning behind 'satony' and other occult imagery and words in the film, ect. Fantastic work!
I do the exact same thing it's so awesome to hear I'm providing that experience for someone else! You have no idea how incredible it is to hear that I've somehow, in some small way, improved someones viewing of an already perfect movie. And yeah, you're right, there were several moments during making this where I 100% creeped myself out putting stuff together because it only gets weirder the more you know. And, at some point during your 18th grimoire at 4am in the morning you do get a tad unnerved! Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
I am very similar in that I too have ADHD, I love horror and listen to video essays as I do household tasks and my job too. I regret that I sometimes don't really do much work to probe into the meanings of things, I never seem to be able to connect the dots, I just experience it in its immediacy. I wonder is that an ADHD thing? Absolutely love the analysis and video!
I love hereditary. I love your videos. Never thought I would watch a 4 hour review on hereditary. But here we are now.
Honestly I never thought I'd make one but yeah, here we are! Thanks so much dude.
Missed a good opportunity to call Char Paimon “Prince Charmin “ lol. Incredible video dude! Much respect for the amount of work you put into it.
Damnit you're right! Thanks so much, awesome to see such positive reactions. Thanks for the comment my dude!
I rarely comment on RUclips videos but I’m absolutely BLOWN AWAY by your analysis. I cannot imagine the effort going into this, just all around brilliant. So detailed, eloquent but easily digestible and great flow all through the 4.5 hours!!! Thanks so much for this. Cannot wait Hereditary again now in the light of all this.
Needless to say this is an instant subscribe! Amazing!
But what happens next? That’s the question that always plagues me.. what does Paimon taking control over Peter do? What does it mean?
What a great video man. Thanks so much for taking the time to craft this gem. I’ve watched all four hours twice.
Yeah right! I mean, he's the last man standing at a house filled with naked occult members and beheaded bodies! Wouldn't it be great if he just gets arrested! The cops show up and do the whole "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD" and cuff him! Then Paimon (as Peter) has to answer all these questions that he's not even sure about. And at the end, Paimon just ends up in some State Hospital for the criminally insane! Then all the cult members come and visit him on visiting day and Paimon just lays into them, "I'm gonna make you pay for this!" "I'm one of the 8 Kings of Hell!" And they are all apologizing and trying to send him money for commissary. There's your sequel!
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Paimon gets a job in retail lol. He has to make an effort like the rest of us. No demon food stamps for that guy 😉
@@UNUSUALUSERNAME220the cultists are like, "you said you'd make us wealthy!"
"You need to give me time to make some educated stock picks in this Shakey economy. I'm a demon, not a miracle worker!"
@@travismcnasty51 I love it! He starts his own pod-cast and gives shady crypto-currency advice! The cliche's are endless, yet it's never that honest. I mean c'mon, they had friends that knew all these people and it's not just gonna sneak past them that they have not seen anyone else around except their slightly disjointed teenage son! The movie was creepy and REALLY good, but my mind just sees all the endless silly ways that it would play out. My suspension of dis=belief is not what it once was!
Really wish this had more exposure for all the hard work you put into this! Wonderful job
Thanks so much buddy, who knows what the algorithm will do!
@@Novum_YTI got it recommended to me for the first time today, so hopefully it gets a boost soon:)
@@soupluvsame here
Same
I have heard nothing about this film before (have not seen it neither of course). But YT pointed me to your chanel. You got so many awesome (!) comments here, i am envious. ;)
Well, if someone starts the interpretation with StarWars and continues wth Alien: has to be good then!
I am looking forward to watch the movie and after that your interpretation.
This video essay is literally perfect and I'm so happy that you made it. I love film and film analysis, and I'm really interested in horror, but I can't cope with horror movies. I know by now that no amount of exposure is going to change it, I'm just really easily frightened. This video has allowed me to explore and understand the themes, narrative and visual imagery of this movie, without having to watch anything scary at all. I'm so grateful to you for that!!
You’re far too kind but I’m very glad you enjoyed it! I never thought people who hadn’t seen the movie would watch the vid (and didn’t see a reason why they ever would) but weirdly enough you’re not the first person to tell me this, so it’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind for future videos! Thanks again!
That's great but are you single?
I haven't seen the movie cause I find it difficult to watch new stuff, but seeing this sort of thing actually makes me wanna watch it. I guess I just like people talking for hours about things they're passionate about.
Thank you so much for covering my favorite horror movie in a painstakingly thorough manner. I've already watched this analysis video twice, and on both occasions, I seemed to have discovered more details in this movie. I appreciate your sheer dedication, hard work, and time spent on elaborating this movie. It's the best & most detailed explanation of this movie on RUclips (or the Internet). Cheers brother, keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for your kind donation, and thank you so much for your kind words. They really mean the world to me and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Midsommar vid coming soon and it's an absolute beast!
@@Novum_YT Looking forward to it. Cheers
A
One clarification around ~3:50:00: Devanagari is technically just the script, that is the writing system, not the language. Many languages use Devanagari like English uses the Latin alphabet or ancient Assyrian used cuneiform.
Love this analysis!!
Thank you so much for that clarification. I think my brain was entirely fried by the point I added that in and I should have been clearer. I'll add this to the amendments in the pinned comment. So glad you enjoyed!
Really glad you made a comment about the language. On a different off-shoot, do you think with the clicking it could be related to some of the earliest human languages stemming from Africa? I've got zero evidence but just a feeling that was being portrayed so effectively.
47:00 ish-in my take, Charlie’s reaction in the back of the car is a terrifying experience for Peter. Think about him being stoned, panicked for Charlie, scared she’s gonna die, scared it’s gonna be his fault- those long moments of her suffering are SO TRAUMATIC. Aster needed her to have a traumatic suffering (the peanut reaction)followed by that whip crack of instant death (beheading). It’s fucking jarring and awful- like watching someone choke to death or drown. The trauma of her death is another loose screw of Peter’s eventual undoing.
Truly incredible video. You’re now the benchmark for film analysis as this is the best, most in-depth film analysis I’ve ever seen. A true achievement
I'm so sorry Judah, YT gave me no notificattion for this comment! Thank you so much for those incredibly kind words, they mean a great deal and I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
I can't believe that I watched this movie and felt attentive for nothing the cultists standing around the house in the end. They were EVERYWHERE! A masterpiece of a movie and a masterfully researched video essay! ❤
An absolute masterpiece I agree, thank you so much for the kinds words (and the donation dude), Midsommar next!
My friend, this is one of the best RUclips videos I have ever watched. More than comprehensive, you blended an expert movie analysis with esoteric or demonology knowledge, which must have took you a long time.
I pray the algorithm gives you a massive boost to further incentivise you to make more videos similar to this one, ie conspiracy or Satanic movies, as such analysis, especially at your level, is desperately needed.
Amazing work.
Thanks so much Kaysin, that really means a lot. I'm hoping for an algorithim boost sooner or later!
This video should be preserved for all time alongside the actual film. I’ve had an obsession with this film since my first viewing, and I thought I had noticed every tidbit, but I was wrong. Stellar work. I wish you luck in all of your future endeavors, especially the Midsommar analysis!
That's so kind of you to say, I'm so glad you found it so valuable. I actually have emailed A24 about turning it into a coffee table book but haven't heard anything so far. It was at 3k views when I sent the email, kinda wish I'd waited now lol. Thank you so much for the support, work on Midsommar begins very soon.
@@Novum_YT if they’re smart enough to accept your offer, I’ll be the first in line😊
this has been said by many people already but my man, this video is an absolute banger. the attention to detail is meticulous without being over saturated and I appreciate the inclusion of different theories and ideas. for one of my favorite movies of all time, you absolutely did it justice. i hope this takes off and you get the recognition you deserve!
That's so generous, thank you so so much. I'm very glad you enjoyed it and happy I could do it the correct justice. I hope so too, and stuff like this helps a lot with the algorithm pushing it, so cheers dude!
Shoutout to you always reminding everyone how Toni Collette was robbed of an Oscar. This was by her best work and to see her originally in Muriel's Wedding TO THIS! UGH!!!!
Absolutely floored by the extensive amount of care and effort put into this. I ate up every minute of it. Incredible work!
Thank you so much dude, that's really kind. Super glad you enjoyed it, lot's more on the way!
There's another thing about the SAD lamp that's easy to overlook if you're not already familiar with art stuff; full spectrum lights also provide the ideal environment for figuring out your paint as they give the most accurate view of what you're actually working with, whilst other lights can really distort colours. That would be even more important for someone who's trying to recreate real-world objects. So as much as the mental health connotations are there, it could also be a tool she uses to engage in an unhealthy coping mechanism (her miniatures), especially as it's in her studio. Thing is, it's cheaper to just buy a full spectrum bulb or two so someone made an explicit choice to give her something that's recognisably a mental health aid, thus calling those themes to mind, when it's likely not being used as such - I can't help but wonder if it was perhaps a well-meaning gift or suggestion that she found a 'better' use for
And I still have 50 minutes to go so you may still mention it but I'd recommend looking into Frances Glessner Lee and her Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, I was very much reminded of it during your discussion of the car miniature. She may not have successfully summoned a demon king but she did help forensic science along
Please, please do more long form dissertations on cinema. I have long searched for, essentially, this exact type of breakdown for heavy layered film, and this is the first I’ve found to have perfectly scratched that itch. I look forward to whatever projects you may by working on for the future.
When the family enters the house after getting back from Ellen’s funeral, it’s reminiscent of the opening scene when the father enters Peter’s room after first showing it to us as a doll house that’s missing its 4th wall, giving us an almost omniscient, *neutral* view of the family. And considering we know that the house used in this scene of returning from the funeral is a big set that is also missing it’s 4th wall, it’s like the actors are literally in the dollhouse. It must have presented a very interesting viewpoint for the director Ari to be looking at, because unlike the audience, he can see that the 4th wall is missing and the edges of the set.
Wow! A breakdown just as awesome as the film itself! So many moments in this film genuinely scared me but seeing Annie saw her own head off made me feel something I had never felt before. The research gone into this video is nothing short of incredible and you must have nerves of steel to go over the film as you have in such detail.
Best video I've watched on RUclips in a looooong time. And over 4 hours long?!! Sterling work, my friend.
You have no idea how awesome it is to hear that. Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
This was the most thorough, well-researched, nuanced breakdown I've ever seen about any movie. Thank you so much for your work!
Aside from the wealth of research and well crafted script intersperced with light humour, your presentation and delivery is what made me stick with the whole video. You have a voice that is made for storytelling and should definitely consider narrating audiobooks.
That's so kind of you to say Brendon, super glad you enjoyed it! I actually have already spoken to the agent for the guy I want to use for my audiobook (should traditional publishing fail) and trust me when I say he's lightyears ahead of me! Either way though, glad you liked it!
The telephone pole-vs-Charlie’s head was the first time in a long time where I audibly gasped. It was such a visceral experience. As a mom, Toni Collette’s screams still haunt me. My heart broke for her in that moment. It was so real and so guttural. Still makes me tear up.
The final act, between Annie scuttling around in the ceiling, smashing her face off the attic door, and then her and the piano wire, is one of the most unnerving, terrifying scenes I’ve ever seen.
I do not enjoy it. Absolutely not. Scares the holy hell out of me to this day.
@@TheDutchessOfCornvilleI did and didn't enjoy it. It made me feel incredibly scared but that's also what I want from a horror movie. 😅
I found the whole scene preposterous. What are the odds leading up to that scene even happening? No one knew Charlie was allergic to chocolate by age 13? She never had m&m's or Snickers? Then why were they going up some dirt road to get to the hospital in a major city, and the dead animal and telephone pole were all in the perfect spot when she was gasping for air out the car window to create this death scene? Just too much to suspend to be believed. Sorry.
@@AmericanPieInThailandIt wasn't a chocolate allergy, the cake had peanuts which Charlie was allergic to
@AmericanPie1960 Friend, you should try watching the video you're commenting under
Wow, I finally was able to watch the movie last night and I have been thoroughly enjoying this video all day. Thanks so much for this incredible effort, I missed so much and I am now looking forward to my second viewing! I don't have the patience to read all 1500+ comments but I noticed that the Seance pamphlet 02:41:30 says it will take place at the Springwood Convention Center. Springwood is the home of Freddy Krueger. Cheers!
Thanks so much for this dude it’s so generous! I’m glad you didn’t spend time reading all those comments because no-one has mentioned it, nor did I know that! Whenever I get a free afternoon I need to go through and update the sticky post with a bunch of extra details and I’ll make sure that’s included! Thank you so much again dude, very glad you enjoyed it!
I'm still about 3h in so I'm not sure whether this is mentioned or if there is a comment abour it, but what's with the date on the computer screen in the scene the pamphlet is shown? The story takes place in 2018, and the computer says 2017. Maybe a blooper, as the movie was shot in 2017? In later scenes that show computers, there is no clock, and I reckon it would be something very easy to edit out, so I can't help but feel it's intentional.
On the hexagram on Joanie’s doormat:
One of this symbol’s more common occult interpretations, given that it is comprised of interlacing triangles with one pointing upward and one pointing downward, is to represent the concept of “as above, so below.”
This essentially means that the microcosm of earthly reality is reflected in the macrocosm of spiritual reality, they mirror one another, as the fabric of reality itself is self-similar across scale and dimension, each nested within one another like Russian dolls, “on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
This perfectly fits with the themes of the movie as Annie creates small worlds that are literally microcosms of events in her life, and the macrocosmic influence of the cult as it exerts its overarching forces upon the sacrificial family.
I had the same thought, good call.
i’m one of those weirdos who often times finds “explained”-type video content on horror movies that i am curious about, but am too afraid to watch. what you have made is so freaking awesome that i actually WANT to watch Hereditary now. such a well-done video all-around. thank you so much for making and sharing it. holy crap 🔥🔥🔥
Bit late to your post, but what I liked about Hereditary so much is that they didn’t really go for cheap jumpscares. Sure, there were some, but quite minor and honestly they added to the psychological thrill. I’m a bit of a wuss and watched the movie with lights on lmao
The pre-school finger painting is a subtle note that he was depressed even then. I painted something using dark greens and black and my mum was called in to school to discuss it as they were concerned I was depressed. Apparently very few children this age choose the colour black when painting unless they’re painting something specific.
They called me into the office to talk about it and they asked what my painting was about. I had recently come back from a holiday abroad and we rode donkeys, and I found the huge poops absolutely hilarious.
“What have you painted here?”
“It’s a donkey poo!”
The whole room erupts in laughter and that was that. The real joke is that they were right, I was depressed and being abused at home, I unknowingly threw off suspicions with my sense of humour.
That’s some crazy detail 🤩
I knew Hereditary was great, but I missed so many perspectives that add so much depth to its story. Thank you for making this - your passion for film shows through and made this the most valuable film analysis I've ever seen on RUclips.
Becca that's so kind, thank you. I'm not sure I'm deserving of such praise but I'm thrilled you enjoyed the video so much. It truly is a phenomenal piece of art and it makes me so happy that I could help you get even more out of it. Thanks again.
had no idea Ellen in the field was likely an apparition, depicting her at the throne in hell with flames before her, saying to Charlie it's okay and there's afterlife. but given Charlie's stint in death is temporary and ends up corporeal in Peter, you'd think they'd comfort Annie with this idea instead as she's destined for Hell against her will. and as I'm writing I guess Leigh's apparition to Annie in beginning could be doing this too.
Yeah I think there is supposed to be a reassuring tone to Ellen in the attic at the start, there certainly is in her note just prior and the expression she shows towards Annie. Unfortunately though, I think for the cults plan to go ahead Annie needs to be the opposite of reassured. She needs to be frantic and losing her mind, but she also needs this burgeoning belief in an afterlife/the supernatural. So yeah it's a difficult one to call, but, to me at least, I see it as both, it serves the plan but Ellen is overwhelmingly happy with knowing her plan is true/succeeding and can't contain her swelling glee now confronted with that realization. As she sees it she knows Annie will be with her in the afterlife, her momentary insanity and violent death seemingly a small price to Ellen.
When I was pregnant I was asked if there was any mental illness on my side of the family and not my husbands, when I asked why I was told the mental illness that is hereditary almost always comes from the maternal line
Wow! Well there you go. Do you mind if I ask how long ago that was? Just wondering if that is current medical thinking or another aspect of what I was discussing regarding women & mental illness.
@@Novum_YT this was 10 and 8 years ago
@@Novum_YTI would like to point out that this is not the current medical standing on how mental illness is passed on. In fact, we still don’t know exactly the factors that play a role in why mental illness is sometimes passed on and sometimes is not.
While this is really cool and coincidental in the frame of Hereditary, this is almost definitely not true. OCD and ADHD runs very strongly on my dad's side of the family while my mom is very normal. My siblings and I definitely got ADHD and for some of them OCD as well. When you meet my dad's side of the family you can definitely tell we got it from them. Not to say we were raised wrong or anything, it's just something we were all born with. Unfortunately I think the notion that mental illness comes solely from the mother and not the father is due to some medical misogyny....
@@clevernickname8095 ur confusing neurodivergence with mental health, while both can be passed down from either side when it comes to mental health it’s predominantly more so from the mothers side (according 2015 medical perspective) it is not something that sits well with myself either but if they are the statistics then it’s true wether we like it or not
This is legit the most amazing video I've ever seen on this platform. Incredible, truly.
Welp... That about answers everything! Thanks so much for this. Absolute legend.
You’re the legend dude, thank you so much that’s so generous!
You deserve a ton more views (and recognition) for all the effort and hard work that went into this video. The presentation and narration is so well done as well. And the lack of ads just adds to the whole experience.
Thanks so much dude! I can't stand ads so it didn't seem fair to keep breaking it up with them. Really glad you enjoyed it!
This was an incredible video! So sad that the frankly draconian copyright laws have prevented you from using clips to support all the work you’ve done here. I think the use of screenshots is a great way around it though!
If I could use clips my life would be so much easier, it's so annoying! Thank you Megan, super happy you enjoyed it!
Probably a bit behind the curve here, but I realized something minor that you touched on near the end of the first hour, in Paimon's ticks. I don't think that Charlie/Paimon drawing Annie crying here is in reference to the funeral happening now. Annie is obviously not crying as you mentioned, and in the drawing she looks utterly anguished. The drawing of Annie crying, in my opinion, is Paimon seeing the future, as we see in other scenes. This is Annie's grief not over her mother, but over Charlie, that Paimon is illustrating. The poor girl is literally drawing her mother's reaction to her own funeral. At least that's my interpretation.
i thought i knew enough about this movie, so seeing an almost 5 hour analysis hooked me right away. this was so well done and truly made me appreciate this movie more than i already could. going to go re-watch this movie for the 500th time now!
So glad I could inspire another rewatch! Thanks so much for checking the video out. Oh and phenomenal username too, cheers dude!
This was amazing! I started watching, paused it to go rewatch the movie, then came back. There was SOOOO much I missed just watching on my own. This was fabulous!
This is so generous, thank you so much, sincerely! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so much. I'm still trying to get my head around people donating for something I've put out for free but I'm very grateful! Thank you!
Sir, this is the single greatest explained video I have ever watched. This 4:38:07 runtime genuinely felt like nothing I was so enthralled. Appreciate you and the work that went into this. A real talent friend, cheers!
I know I'm several years late to this movie - my cousin found out I hadn't seen this before and put it on this weekend for me, I haven't stopped thinking about it and how it's made me feel since- and this was exactly what I needed. So thank you, over a year later!!!
I'm only 40 minutes into the video, and what a brilliant video!!
Hereditary is my favorite horror of all times. The atmosphere, the acting, they way it has been directed, the insane attention to details, the story, literally every aspect of Hereditary is, to me, perfect: a masterpiece!
I agree completely Andrea it's absolutely perfect! So glad you're enjoying the vid. Thanks so much for the continued support, hope you're well!
@@Novum_YT replying just now because never saw the notification. All is well, hope the same for you! Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹 😊
I had real trouble at the theater, sitting through this movie. In fact I was so disturbed that I walked out when Anne started slamming her head against the ceiling. She played that part so incredibly, so real especially the part when she found out about Charlies death. I believed her when she said the horrible things to Peter and it broke me. I so appreciate all of the time and effort you have put into this, because I have a clear understanding (as clear as possible) of the premise. As a pagan of the non god/satan believing type, this was a great story that was too heart wrenching to watch. Thank you
Honestly this rings true for so many reasons, firstly Toni Collette's performance is incredible and so real in the middle of such a strange film. But even more than that my mum hasn't been able to watch the film for the exact same reasons. And she really wants to just to support me, I guarantee she'll read this comment, but the performance, the everything of it, is just too much for her to sit through. So happy you enjoyed the video though, thanks for taking the time out to write a comment!
I’m ngl I was extremely skeptical about someone being able to talk about nothing but hereditary for four hours straight and just put this on for some light entertainment while I got some work done, but this is one of the most thorough and interesting videos about any film I’ve ever seen. I can’t imagine how much dedication and research this took. Thank you for making this.
Seeing this video on my recommended was the final push I neeeded to watch Hereditary and wow, it was terrifying and incredible. This will be a great second course
Thank you. This movie was so completely intense when I watched it in the theatre, I was all alone in the theatre, as I went during the day, because, you know, I was alone watching a horror movie. Had to make sure I entered back into light after this, and how. When Annie started sawing off her head, my complete horror could not be contained. I gripped, quite white-knuckled, the seat in front of me, yelling “WHAAAAT TF!!”😮and had to wait for the lights to turn back on to find my jaw on the floor. Phenomenal movie. My goodness. But I wanted to thank you for breaking everything down and pointing out some of the things my shock and terror missed! Cheers, friend
Where to begin? I came across this today as I was looking at Hereditary-related content and listened to the whole thing, almost without stopping. Sure it's 5 hours but, unlike many youtube videos, it is concise! There's no pointless, disorganized rambling. This is what I wish more youtube content could be, a genuine video essay. You helped me understand Hereditary on a level I hadn't before. I still have one lingering question though...I don't understand how Paimon "outside" his chosen vessels can be completely in control of the scene, toying with people and helping the cultists' plans come to fruition, while Paimon in Charlie, and presumably Peter, is confused and scared like he doesn't know what's going on. How can both be true at the same time?
Thank you so much for such a wonderful message, it really means the world. Everyone has been so lovely in the comments but the thing that makes me happiest is hearing that there's no fat/wasted space on the video because it was a constant concern in such an unrealistic project. So hearing that honestly is the balm to months of self-criticism. Thank you.
As for your question, it is a really strange thing to get your head around. But as is clear, we know that Paimon is both inside Charlie, and doing things exterior to her at the same time like guiding her with the blue light. This leaves us with two options:
1. Paimon is entirely inside Charlie (later Peter/Annie) and the lights/exterior forces are Lucifer or some other demonic entity.
or (And this to me is the only answer really)
2. Paimon puts a fractured piece of himself/his consciousness/spirit inside of Charlie (and later Peter) to exist in the mortal realm. Paimon himself, the physical being, resides in hell and is the light observing events etc. He's aware of the part of himself within Charlie, but not vice versa. That part is stranded, confused, segmented. It's a weird thing to get your head around but it becomes the only real explanation for the dissonance we see in Charlie/Paimon.
Couple of things to help with the explanation - firstly that we see the blue light enter Peter at the end, after which it's for the first and only time referred to directly as Paimon. So sure, maybe the previous blue lights could be another demon and then this blue light at the end is Paimon, but other than the nickname 'Louie' at the seance there isn't much evidence of it. The other thing to remember is how differently Annie acts when possessed by Paimon compared to Charlie and Peter. It's not the same kind of possession. Annie is alert, fast, violent, capable of inhuman acts like walking on the ceiling. There she's being possessed by the full Paimon, not a fragment installed by long term possession, but the whole consciousness of the demon that she invited into her house.
Hope that helps!
I sat at the edge of my seat for the ENTIRE video, it was absolutely riveting and beyond informative! Thank you so much for your hard work! 🙋🏾♀️😆🎉👍🏾
Keo thank you so much that's so kind and generous! The whole time I was making it I was like 'this is so boring no one will ever listen to it' so hearing something like that means the world. Thank you.
This is one of my absolute favorite video essays that I keep coming back to for some reason. I love the real effort you put into research, how you cover so much depth in the lore, and your fine attention to detail. It's also a blessing that you have such an easy-listening voice. In my opinion not a minute wasted, and you've done justice in this love letter to a brilliant film. I am overflowing with excitement for your Midsommar analysis. It's not that the film was lost on me, but that I'm super stoked to see what *your* take on it is and what wildly interesting tidbits of lore you've got stashed in your pocket. :D
I know people throw this statement around whenever, but when I saw the view and sub count of this channel I was *shocked*. This is so incredibly good and I wish more people were aware of you!
And full captions??? 😩👌
You got me hooked!
Dude thank you so much! That's so kind. Donations and comments go a massive way towards it being pushed out to more people so thank you so much. And yeah, my partner will only watch things with subtitles on and her thinking has now invaded mine so I try to make sure they're on point! Cheers dude!
Fabulous analysis. Thank you for the hard work. One new thing that's jumping out at me is Steve's revulsion to seeing Annie recreate the traumatic loss of her daughter. I'm almost positive that is, among other things, a very meta reflection of Ari's own experiences putting his own trauma into his own works. Given the subjects in his work, I am willing to bet he's had some similarly disgusted reactions from a family member of his own to his own works. For the creator of the work, desensitized to one's own trauma as you've lived with it for quite some time by the time you'd seek to recreate it via art, it probably would seem "neutral" and unbiased to the creator and starkly upsetting to anyone close to the situation.
Three things I didn't see mentioned. The first is that in the diorama of the car accident, after Annie has destroyed her studio, the model of Charlie's head is gone. There's a zoomed shot of it at some point. I think that was done to show that the cult found it.
The second is in reference to how the 3 heads of the 3 women could represent the Holy Trinity: there's a ritual within certain versions of Satanism known as a "denouncement." It's a 3 day process, with each iteration on each day taking 3 hours, and each day is used to desecrate/blaspheme against an element of the Holy Trinity. It's done in order to show one's dedication to shunning the Christian God, as once it's completed, it's accepted that no amount of repentance will ever gain you forgiveness, and you're forever barred from heaven and God's light.
The three heads of the three women who represent the 3 elements of the Trinity could be a very well thought out use of this ritual. Charlie is the Spirit, Annie is the Son, and Ellen is the Father. I'm confident in those roles, since Annie is the unwitting sacrificial lamb until the penultimate moment, much like the story of Jesus Christ, with a further bastardization of that parallel in that Christ accepted that role, but Annie does not. Ellen is the Father because she made Annie to be sacrificed. Charlie is the Spirit due to the omnipotence and presence within every element of this narrative. The fact that they outright say "We reject the Trinity" basically confirms this.
The final is just that the downward 3 hand gesture is also half of the gesture being done by Baphomet in most of the art of them. One hand of 3 points up, the other down. It means "As Above, So Below."
Loved this breakdown, took me a couple days to watch the whole thing, here's hoping you see this because I genuinely just wanted to share that you were SO on a good theory without even realising how good it was. Cheers!
Edit: Oh! And Steve almost blowing through the red light was intentional! He was distracted by Peter in the back seat, stops just in time. But if you follow how fast the car was moving before it stopped, it would have been in just the right spot for Steve to have been obliterated by the sedan that speeds through the intersection just a second later. They had already decided he was no longer useful. Ellen potentially being in the background just doubles down on this.
Great insights!
just finished your Midsommar video and i’m back here lol but i just have to say how much i appreciate you having real subtitles!!! your subscriber amount is truly CRIMINAL
This is definitely one of the most fascinating, well researched, and eloquent video essays I’ve ever seen. Amazing work!
This video is exactly what I've been looking for since I watched the movie in theaters. I can't imagine how much research you did for this, amazing work dude! Can't wait to watch some more of your videos once I finish this absolute unit 😂
Honestly I've been wanting to make it since I first saw it! So happy you liked it dude, the other content falls off in production quality the further back you go but i'm still satisfied with The Green Knight/Frankenstein/Alien. Hope you enjoy!
Amazing analysis, well done! There's one possibility I'd like to add though regards the question of Paimon as Charlie and why some of things Charlie does seem incongruous if everything that happens is part of Paimon's plan to posess Peter instead. My assumption was that it wasn't Paimon's plan at all, but Ellen and the cult's - as in Paimon is actually more of an unwilling participant. Pretty much confirmed by Alex Wolf's quote there. The way he looks shellshocked at the end in Peter's body, when he is told that he's Paimon, instantly made me think that this demon is pretty confused by everything that just happened. Indeed, the non-human ancient being may even have developed some equivalent to mental health issues as a result of being forced to live as a human child for so long. I kind of took it as an ultimate irony about it all, that even the demon is just another miniature in the toy house of a pre-ordained fate?
Thank you so much! So absolutely this is a huge question we cannot give a definite answer for. Now there was a version of this video where I came to the conclusion you just have, based mainly of what Alex Wolff had to say. And I think in terms of how Shapiro and Wolff viewed the character they were absolutely looking for routes to find sympathy in Paimon. As you point out it's pretty clear from his comments. And in terms of his performance as Paimon-in-Peter and Shapiro's as Paimon-in-Charlie we absolutely see this confusion and shellshock.
However, Wolff's comments aren't all encompassing and there are several things Ari Aster says that at least partly contradict that. What's even more telling is Paimon's behaviour when not inhabiting them. Consider when he's possessing Annie, in this moment not a confused fractured piece of consciousness but rather Paimon's full focus. She's brutal, possesses supernatural abilities like flight and even teleportation/moving through walls. Paimon slams the door in the dogs face (even drags the dog outside closing doors after it in the script) as she's trying to open Peter's mouth for possession. Ultimately there's no way we can contextualize these actions as an unwilling participant, we even see his soul/spirit essence move it's way into Peters body seemingly of it's own volition. The sacrifice of three heads to summon him is Paimon's requirement for anyone who wishes to summon him (only within the context of this film), again something he actively demands. So given all that, the answer is pretty clear as to his level of participation and it does go against what Wolff is saying in that interview. I don't think that's Wolff 'being wrong' I just think Aster gave them very specific direction that was clearly very different to what we see from AnniePaimon and Paimon's other actions outside of possession. Even stuff like the nasty jokes he's playing on the family with the seance/Steve's death. When we see him in Peter's body at the end he's just very bewildered by this act of putting a piece of his consciousness into a mortal vessel. Or rather that piece of him remains confused. There's a soft hint on his face that just as the credits roll he's begun to 'wake up' to what's happening. In Charlie's case it's a young and unsuitable vessel and so his bewilderment hasn't really ever left him.
Now as for your last point, *I love it*. And certainly, if you get more out of that for your head canon I actively encourage it. I'd say that layering is there and it fits perfectly with the simulacra theory we've been working with all movie. BUT - very important caveat here, it's so vague on screen as to almost be non-existent, because in answering that question we would essentially have the answer to 'what happens after the movie'. If we accept your theory, which again I love, then we know that Paimon is essentially the puppet of the cult. It loses it's teeth, and it says nothing of the movie describing him as a 'trickster god' that so far has played everyone that thought they knew what was 'really' going on. So as a final answer I'd love to say that's right, and I can't say it's wrong, but my gut feeling and everything the research told me is that it's far more likely to be the other way round. I don't think the cult have anything positive waiting for them, perhaps short terms riches but almost certainly something worse within the bargain too. Perhaps Ellen is a queen in Hell and the Graham family her loyal subjects, but again I doubt it. Really the question is "how sympathetic a figure is Paimon" and at certain points it's tempting to say he is. But when you look at everything as a whole, especially his behaviour outside of the long-term possessions, he is the most evil thing in the film by a large margin and there just isn't much hope that things aren't going to get a lot, lot worse.
Thank you so much for the comment dude, I hope that helps you understand why I reasoned in this direction but I understand entirely the other side and when we're this deep into the movie I think whatever throughline you take from it will absolutely have legitimacy.
@@Novum_YT Thank you for giving my thoughts such consideration - I definitely do see your reasoning as well! I don't think there is a clear answer overall, but I do find the idea of an ancient being being assigned all these attributes by a cult (brings riches! brings knowlege!) only to turn out quite ordinary, just having been minding its own business in the void, kind of funny. Maybe just me though. By the way, I also forgot to say, great connection on the triple goddess theme. Annie, Charlie, Ellen = Mother, Maiden, Crone. I can't believe I didn't clock that before this video, but seems so obvious now! Again, great work.