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Hereditary is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Ari Aster in his feature directorial debut. Starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne, the film speaks about a bereaved family terrorized by evil events following the death of their covert grandmother. The ending of the film is particularly unsettling since it combines the terrible disintegration of a family's mental condition with supernatural aspects.
In Hereditary, the Graham family experiences a string of sad and strange incidents after Ellen, the grandmother, dies. The family is progressively pulled into a nightmarish reality that blurs the line between mental illness and supernatural forces as they navigate their loss.
The conclusion shows that these incidents were not only random tragedies but rather part of a sinister scheme carried out by one of the eight rulers of Hell, Paimon, under cult worship. Under Ellen's direction, this cult had been controlling the family for decades to bring Paimon as a male host inside the bloodline.
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As Peter, the son, starts to carry Paimon, the ending of Hereditary is both startling and inevitable. The movie closes with a horrific ceremony whereby Peter, now possessed, is crowned the new host of the demon. This ending suggests that the horrors the Graham family experienced were predestined and inevitable, firmly anchored in their background.
Explaining the ending of Hereditary
The unveiling of Paimon
The ending of Hereditary centers on the reveal of Paimon’s presence within the Graham family. The film meticulously builds up to this moment, as we see the gradual unraveling of Annie, the mother, who discovers that her mother, Ellen, had been a key figure in a cult dedicated to Paimon.
The family’s strange and tragic history, including the mental illness that plagued them, is revealed to be part of a larger plan to summon the demon. Throughout the movie, there are subtle hints about the cult’s influence, from the strange symbols found in the family home to the eerie behavior of the people around them.
The true horror is revealed when Peter is finally possessed by Paimon, completing the ritual that the cult had been orchestrating for years. The decapitation of Annie and the presence of the headless corpses in the final scene symbolize the complete takeover by Paimon, who now reigns through Peter.
The role played by the cult
Understanding Hereditary's ending requires knowing about the cult's involvement. From the shadows, this group—which comprises Joan, an apparently nice friend teaching Annie séances—has been under the control of the family. Their aim was always to bring Paimon into a male host within Ellen's bloodline, thus guaranteeing the continuation of their worship and the power Paimon would bestow upon them.
The deliberate and methodical activities of the cult help the family toward their doom. It becomes clear from Ellen's treatment of her daughter Annie and her grandchildren—especially Peter—that she is part of a larger, evil scheme.
The last scenes of the movie, where the cult gathers around the possessed Peter—now known as Paimon—showcase the inevitable course of events for the family.
Peter’s transformation
Peter’s transformation into Paimon is the horrifying climax of Hereditary. Peter is a regular teenage guy throughout the film. He is coping with the trauma of the death of his sister and the progressively erratic behavior of his mother. But it is evident as the narrative goes on that Peter is the ultimate object of the cult's rite.
The turning point comes when Peter leaps out of a window of his family home in a desperate bid to flee the atrocities happening in his family. He is still on the ground when the spirit of Paimon enters his body, finishing the ceremony.
Peter then rises and he is no longer himself; he has become Paimon's vehicle. He enters the treehouse, where the cult members await him and a crown is crowned on his head designating him as the new king of their dark world, thus confirming this metamorphosis.
Hereditary's finale is a masterclass in horror that leaves viewers feeling helpless and terrified. The last scenes of the movie show that the Graham family was doomed from the beginning; their fate was set by the activities of the cult and Paimon.
Hereditary looks into the terrible idea that some crimes are inherited, and passed down through generations, and that one's bloodline ties one back to them no matter how much one tries to flee. With Peter, now Paimon, ruling supreme and leaving viewers to consider the actual nature of the evil consuming this family, the film closes on a horrifying note.
The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
