Hereditary broke something in horror audiences. Ari Aster's debut combined family tragedy with escalating supernatural dread, and the result traumatised people who thought they were prepared. If you survived and want more, here are 10 films that deliver similar devastation.
All streaming in the UK.
The List
1. Midsommar (2019)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A grieving woman joins her boyfriend's trip to a Swedish midsummer festival. Things go very wrong. Ari Aster's follow-up is equally upsetting, but in daylight.
Why it fits: Same director, same escalating dread, same "relationship horror" underneath the supernatural.
The intensity: Equally devastating, differently distributed.
2. The Witch (2015)
UK streaming: Netflix
A Puritan family is stalked by evil after they're banished from their settlement. Robert Eggers' debut drips with dread.
Why it fits: Family disintegration under supernatural pressure. Slow build, devastating payoff.
The intensity: Less shocking, more creeping unease.
3. The Babadook (2014)
UK streaming: Prime Video, Netflix
A widow struggles to control her troubled son — and something in a storybook. Jennifer Kent's debut uses horror to examine grief.
Why it fits: Grief as monster. Parenting as horror. The supernatural as metaphor.
The intensity: More emotional than gory.
4. Saint Maud (2019)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A devout nurse becomes obsessed with saving her dying patient's soul. Rose Glass' debut is British horror at its best.
Why it fits: Same slow-burn intensity. Same ambiguity about what's supernatural and what's breakdown. The ending devastates.
The intensity: Quiet until it isn't.
5. The Orphanage (2007)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A woman returns to her childhood orphanage with her family. Children disappear. J.A. Bayona's Spanish horror is devastating.
Why it fits: Family horror with a gut-punch ending. Loss and grief made supernatural.
The intensity: Sad more than scary, but the final act is brutal.
6. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A pregnant woman suspects her neighbours are too interested in her baby. Roman Polanski's classic paranoia horror still works.
Why it fits: Domestic horror. Everyone is wrong. The ending is iconic.
The intensity: Slow but deeply unsettling.
7. Lake Mungo (2008)
UK streaming: Prime Video, Shudder
A family processes their daughter's death — and discovers she had secrets. Australian mockumentary horror that builds to a devastating reveal.
Why it fits: Grief as horror. The reveal in the phone footage is one of horror's great gut-punches.
The intensity: Cumulative dread.
8. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
UK streaming: Prime Video
Two girls are stranded at a Catholic boarding school during winter break. Oz Perkins' debut is ice-cold dread.
Why it fits: Same slow-burn structure. Same "something is deeply wrong" atmosphere. Non-linear horror.
The intensity: Quiet, cold, devastating.
Watch The Blackcoat's Daughter
9. It Comes at Night (2017)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A family survives in isolation after a plague. Another family arrives. Trey Edward Shults made paranoia horror.
Why it fits: Family under pressure. Slow escalation. The horror is human, not monster.
The intensity: Psychological devastation.
10. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A mother reflects on her relationship with her son after he commits an atrocity. Lynne Ramsay's masterpiece is horror without genre.
Why it fits: Parenting as nightmare. The dread of knowing where it's going. Tilda Swinton is extraordinary.
The intensity: Not supernatural, but horrifying.
Watch We Need to Talk About Kevin
UK Streaming Quick Reference
| Title | Netflix | Prime Video | Shudder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midsommar | — | ✓ | — |
| The Witch | ✓ | — | — |
| The Babadook | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Saint Maud | — | ✓ | — |
| The Orphanage | — | ✓ | — |
| Rosemary's Baby | — | ✓ | — |
| Lake Mungo | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Blackcoat's Daughter | — | ✓ | — |
| It Comes at Night | — | ✓ | — |
| We Need to Talk About Kevin | — | ✓ | — |
Availability checked March 2026
By Type
Same Director (Ari Aster): → Midsommar
Family Horror: → The Witch, The Babadook, The Orphanage
Grief as Horror: → The Babadook, Lake Mungo, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Religious Horror: → Saint Maud, Rosemary's Baby
Slow-Burn Dread: → The Blackcoat's Daughter, It Comes at Night
FAQ
What's the most similar? Midsommar — same director, same escalating family horror.
Which is scariest? Lake Mungo. The phone footage reveal still gets people years later.
Any that are less intense? The Witch is more creeping dread than shock. Still devastating, but differently.
Looking for more horror? Try our recommendation engine.