016 - Hereditary (Ari Aster)

Ari Aster’s Hereditary – Prestige Horror Screenwriting

In this episode, Jeff Barker breaks down the Hereditary screenplay by Ari Aster, the 2018 A24 film that redefined modern horror. Whether you’re a screenwriter, filmmaker, or horror fan, this deep dive explores how Aster builds emotional horror through grief, trauma, and supernatural dread.

We’ll analyze formatting, structure, pacing, dialogue, and how this script balances psychological tension with occult terror. Plus: why Toni Collette’s performance deserved an Oscar, and how Hereditary changed horror screenwriting forever.

🎬 Topics Include:

• Elevated horror & genre subversion

• Ari Aster’s writing style & story structure

• Emotional realism in horror

• Screenplay statistics, POV, pacing, formatting

• Character development & theme layering

• The psychology behind Hereditary’s horror

Perfect for:
🖊️ Screenwriters
🎥 Indie filmmakers
🧠 Film students
💀 Horror lovers
📚 A24 and Ari Aster fans

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab:
We study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

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