Most Disturbing Moment in ‘Hereditary’

While many immediately remember the notorious scene where Charlie (played by Milly Shapiro), the family’s 13-year-old daughter, meets a brutal and unexpected death after being decapitated by a telephone pole, there is another moment in the film that is arguably more disturbing. ‘Hereditary’ is widely regarded as one of the most terrifying films of recent years, and since its release in 2018, it has received praise for its intense approach to horror, delivering shocks with precision.
The pole scene is undoubtedly shocking, not only because it is brutal, but also because it involves a child, and since children are typically spared from such terrible fates, watching Charlie die was a startling experience for viewers.
Image Courtesy: People
The aftermath’s emotional impact, particularly Annie’s (Toni Collette) heartbreaking reaction when she finds Charlie’s head in the road, is unquestionably powerful, but despite its emotional weight, the scene doesn’t display much gruesome detail, leaving much to the imagination. The real horror is in the aftermath, the tragic domino effect that follows Charlie’s death; each family member suffers their own terrible fate, but none is as grotesque as Annie’s last moments.
Annie’s spiral into madness culminated in a macabre, terrifying moment after her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) died tragically and the demon Paimon began to take control of her. Now that she is possessed, Annie starts chasing her son Peter (Alex Wolff) throughout the home.
One of the most unsettling sequences in the movie shows Annie in the attic, grotesquely sawing at her throat with a piano wire around her neck as if she were playing an instrument. When depicting the repulsive squelches and flesh shredding, the movie doesn’t hold back. The last thud of her head hitting the floor outside the home is the most unnerving payout, even though the scene ends before her head is severed.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
Since Annie was the last to comprehend the evil spirit that her mother Ellen had unleashed, her passing signifies the actual end of the family’s hope. The demise of the family had already been guaranteed by Ellen’s devilish manipulation of Charlie. Peter is left exposed and the family’s fate is sealed when Annie dies from the very demon she attempted to fend off. Because of this, Annie’s passing is not only the most upsetting but also the most important and tragic, marking the total breakdown of everything the family attempted to preserve. It is the most macabre scene in the movie since it represents the family’s ultimate loss of hope.
–Farheen Ali