The Horror Film That Earned Martin Scorsese’s Highest Praise
Martin Scorsese does not hand out compliments lightly, especially when it comes to newer films. So when he spoke highly of a recent horror movie, people paid attention. While attending the 57th New York Film Festival, Scorsese opened up about a movie that really stayed with him.
He was there promoting his own film The Irishman when he shared his thoughts on Ari Aster’s 2018 horror film Hereditary. According to comments reported from the festival, Scorsese said that even though he watches a lot of movies, it is rare to come across one that truly sticks with you.
He explained that details of many films fade over time, but the family at the center of Hereditary stayed in his mind long after watching it. For him, that lasting feeling mattered more than remembering every plot point.
Scorsese talked about the cast and made it clear he was impressed. He called the three main performances astounding and said the movie worked as a strong metaphor, not just a horror story. He saw the film as a deep look at family pain and emotional wounds that get passed down over time.
He had special praise for Toni Collette, who played the mother, Annie Graham. Scorsese pointed to Aster’s work with his actors as a key reason the movie succeeded. One scene stood out to him in particular, where Collette’s character reaches a moment of intense emotional breakdown. He praised the editing in that moment and described it as wonderful filmmaking.
Even though he admitted the film was disturbing, Scorsese said it offered much more than basic scares. He felt it showed what horror can really do when it is handled well. His comments were widely seen as a major endorsement for Aster and helped cement Hereditary as a modern horror classic.
Since then, Ari Aster has moved in a different direction. As of February, he has stepped away from straight horror and leaned into more experimental stories. His most recent movie, Eddington, came out in the summer of 2025.
The film starred Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Austin Butler. Set during the 2020 pandemic in a small New Mexico town, it followed a couple whose road trip takes a dark turn after their car breaks down.
Toni Collette has also stayed busy, she appeared in several major projects. She starred in the Netflix limited series Wayward as the head of a reform school for troubled teens. She was also part of the cast for Goodbye June, which marked Kate Winslet’s first time directing a film.
Do you think Ari Aster will ever go back to making pure horror like Hereditary, or is he done with that chapter of his career? Share your thoughts in the comments.
