Hereditary is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Ari Aster, in his feature directorial debut. It stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne, and follows a family haunted after the death of their secretive grandmother. Hereditary premiered on January 21, 2018, in the Midnight section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 8, 2018. It was acclaimed by critics, who called it “truly, upsettingly powerful on an emotional level”, with Collette’s performance receiving particular praise. It became A24’s highest-grossing film worldwide.