Fans of Hereditary need to check out this other highly-acclaimed horror film before it leaves Netflix. Sitting at an impressive 90% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, the Ari Aster-directed horror film stars Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, and Milly Shapiro as a family struggling with a deeply personal loss while also being the target of a secret supernatural conspiracy. Beyond the surface level scares, what makes Hereditary‘s story so enduring is the way it is used the horror genre as a springboard to explore grief.

Horror has always been a fruitful place to explore darker emotional beats like grief, with other A24 horror movies being great to watch after Hereditary. However, possibly the best companion piece for Hereditary is another highlly acclaimed horror film that debuted a few years before it that also explores grief. That movie, which actually has a better Tomoatometer score than Hereditary, is about to leave Netflix and is a must-watch for horror fans — especially those who loved Hereditary and want more movies like it.

The Babadook Is Leaving Netflix Soon – What The Movie Is About

The Babadook Is One Of The Best Horror Films Of The 21st Century

Fans of the critically acclaimed Hereditary need to make sure they check out The Babadook before it leaves Netflix. Directed and written by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook focuses on Amelia and her six-year-old son, Sam. Still reeling from the death of her husband Oskar the night she went to the hospital to deliver Samuel, Amelia struggles with her grief and the challenges of raising the increasingly erratic Sam. Things only become stranger and more harrowing when they discover a frightening pop-up book called The Babadook, which increasingly targets them specifically.

The Babadook is overtly a mix of psychological and supernatural horror, with the influence of the тιтular book increasingly driving Amelia to darker potential actions. The visuals of the film are unsettling, with the muted color palette fitting well into the bleak outlook the characters have. At times it can feel like Smile or other similar horror movies that play with the perception of the main characters and the audience. However, the film itself is also an engaging examination of grief and the way it impacts people even years after the tragedy that caused it.

Hereditary & The Babadook Both Deal With Themes Of Grief Through Horror

Hereditary And The Babadook Both Focus On Grieving Mothers

At the core of both The Babadook and Hereditary is the struggle to overcome grief. In both films, the supernatural scares are set in motion by very realistic horrors. The grounded pain and terror of losing a loved one, whether that be a child in Heredeitary or a husband and father in The Babadook, is the kind of realistic fear that keeps families up at night. Both films then use the dangers and torments of a psychological force to reinforce that pain, leading to a powerful exploration of how people can become their own worst enemies when consumed by grief.

Both films take different routes, albeit both being largely focused on a mother dealing with her pain in a way to grows too real. While Hereditary is about a family that is consumed by grief and lost in efforts to find meaning in it, The Babadook is about efforts to confront and wrestle with grief. They both ultimately explore the same theme but from very different perspectives, allowing the main characters to contend with their pain in different ways. It makes them an interesting companion piece, showcasing the different ways the same emotional arc can play out.

Hereditary Vs. The Babadook – Which Movie Is Scarier

Hereditary Nails The Unsettling Atmosphere, But The Babadook Became An Instant Classic For A Reason

Both Hereditary and The Babadook are among the more critically acclaimed horror films of the last fifteen years, gaining particularly high marks for their thematic strength and impressive acting. Both films are also at their very core scary movies, with the grounded terror contrasted with bizarre supernatural threats. While Hereditary has a greater sense of atmosphere throughout its run-time, the movie doesn’t excel as well in the moment to moment frights. Those beats, like a character suddenly catching on fire or another one committing gruesome self-harm, can be unexpected but less effective than the unsettling tone around them.

By comparison, The Babadook succeeds in setting the tone but nails the actual jump scares and frightening beats. The movie isn’t afraid to simply let the scares play out either, with some of the most frightening moments seeing the Babadook slowly moving in an unnatural manner towards its potential victims. The Babadook‘s тιтular creature become a modern horror icon for a reason, and that frightening design plays into the best scares in the film. Audiences who liked Hereditary will find plenty to love in The Babadook.