What Happened To Peter In Hereditary? If you’ve found yourself pondering this question after witnessing Ari Aster’s chilling masterpiece, Hereditary, you’re not alone. At PETS.EDU.VN, we understand the desire to dissect and comprehend the intricate details of this film.
This in-depth exploration goes beyond the surface, unpacking the occult underpinnings, character motivations, and symbolic representations woven into Hereditary‘s narrative. Let’s delve into the disturbing fate of Peter, the tragic figure at the center of a terrifying occult plot.
1. The Harrowing Climax of Hereditary
Pinpointing the exact moment Hereditary‘s climax begins is a challenge, given the film’s masterful, slow-burn escalation of dread. However, for our analysis, we’ll mark it as starting immediately after Annie (Toni Collette), in a fit of desperation and rage, hurls Charlie’s journal into the fireplace, inadvertently causing her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) to be consumed by flames.
That same night, Peter (Alex Wolff) is jolted awake from a fitful nap. Still reeling from the traumatic incident at school where he repeatedly smashed his face against his desk, he notices an unsettling glow emanating from the treehouse outside. As he stands, a strange light flickers from the ground, and he witnesses the impossible: his mother, Annie, crawling on the wall behind him.
Drawn by an unseen force, Peter leaves his room and navigates the fly-infested hallway. The attic door, left ajar by Steve earlier, looms ominously. He descends the stairs, reaching the living room to find the furniture rearranged. By the fireplace lies the charred remains of his father, identifiable only by his wedding band. Peter turns to see a naked man smiling at him from the kitchen doorway – the same unsettling figure who smiled at Charlie during the funeral.
Suddenly, Annie appears, lunging from another corner of the room, and chases Peter up the stairs. He retreats to the attic, pulling up the ladder in a desperate attempt to barricade himself. He pleads with his mother to stop her relentless assault on the door. The banging ceases abruptly, leaving Peter alone in the candlelit attic. The space is eerily transformed. The body that Annie discovered earlier is gone, replaced by an outline and a yearbook photo of a teenager. Peter stares at the photo, noticing the eyes have been gruesomely poked out. Overcome with terror, Peter begins to slap his face, desperately trying to convince himself that he’s dreaming.
A sickening crunch breaks his focus, drawing his attention to the unimaginable horror unfolding before him: his mother, suspended from the roof’s ridge, slowly decapitating herself with razor wire. The scene is interrupted by the appearance of three naked figures in the attic with him. Driven by pure instinct, Peter dives out the window, crashing through the glass.
As Peter lies unconscious in the garden, the sawing continues, culminating in the sickening thud of a body hitting the ground in the attic. A luminous ball of white light descends, settling on Peter’s back.
Peter rises, witnessing the headless body of his mother ascending into the treehouse. Mimicking his deceased sister Charlie (Milly Shapiro), he clucks his tongue and, as if in a trance, walks toward the treehouse, passing a line of naked figures along the way.
Inside the treehouse, Peter discovers a gathering of strangers bowing before a disturbing display: a wood model adorned with Charlie’s decapitated head, wearing a wooden crown, and the symbol from throughout the movie carved into its chest. The headless bodies of Annie and his grandmother sit in front of it in a bowed position.
Then he sees a framed black and white photo of his grandmother sitting on a wooden chair, the engraved plate beneath it reading “Queen Leigh.” The calm voice of Joan (Ann Dowd) reassures “Peter” that he’s safe, taking the crown off Charlie’s head and placing it on his while saying,
Hey, hey, it’s alright. Charlie, you’re alright now. You are Paimon, one of the eight kings of hell. We have looked to the northwest and called you in. We’ve corrected your first female body, and give you now this healthy, male host. We reject the Trinity, and pray devoutly to you, great Paimon. Give us your knowledge of all secret things. Bring us honor, wealth, and good familiars. Bind all men to our will as we have bound ourselves for now and ever to yours.
Joan leads the group in praising Paimon’s name. The camera zooms out to reveal the treehouse as one of Annie’s art pieces. The film abruptly cuts to black, leaving the audience to grapple with the horrific implications of what they have just witnessed.
2. Unpacking Peter’s Transformation: Possession and Identity
Joan’s declaration wasn’t a slip of the tongue. By the end of Hereditary, Peter’s soul has been replaced. The cult has performed a ritual, transferring the souls of Charlie and the demon King Paimon into his body.
The first hint of Charlie’s presence is the tongue-clucking sound Peter makes after regaining consciousness. But why couldn’t Paimon simply possess Peter directly? This requires a closer examination of events from earlier in the film.
Through Annie’s revelations in funeral and support group scenes, we learn about her deeply troubled relationship with her mother, Leigh. Annie severed ties after Peter’s birth to shield him from Leigh’s influence. However, when Charlie was born, Leigh re-entered their lives, insisting on feeding Charlie as a baby. This marked the beginning of a sinister grooming process.
Subtle clues throughout the film hint at a malevolent force at play: Charlie’s lament that her mother wished she were a boy, Peter’s English class discussion about fate and tragedy, and the King Paimon symbol on the telephone pole that ultimately decapitates Charlie. Charlie’s penchant for re-purposing found objects can also be interpreted as symbolic.
The pivotal scene that reveals the core of the ending occurs when Annie discovers her mother’s occult journals.
After learning about the relationship between Joan and Leigh, Annie finds a highlighted passage stating that summoning King Paimon requires a vulnerable vessel and that the demon is “livid and vengeful when offered a female host.”
Based on this information, Peter was the ideal target from the start. However, Annie’s efforts to keep him away from her mother prevented his initial preparation for the ritual. When circumstances changed, Leigh and the cult shifted their focus to Charlie. Their ultimate goal was to transfer Charlie’s soul into Peter’s body, making him the perfect host for Paimon.
While the specific details of the occult ceremony remain ambiguous, evidence suggests that Annie’s participation in a séance was orchestrated to facilitate Charlie’s soul returning to the house. Additionally, the illustration of King Paimon in the book depicts him with three decapitated heads attached to his saddle. The cult obtains these heads from Leigh (presumably willingly), Charlie (killed by the telephone pole), and Annie (who self-decapitates).
3. The Mythology of Paimon: Unveiling the Real-World Inspiration
Hereditary doesn’t completely invent its mythology. King Paimon is not a fictional creation but a demon revered in real-world occult practices.
Ari Aster, known for his meticulous attention to detail, researched the history and stories surrounding Paimon. However, he stopped short of fully immersing himself in the occult. As he told Vox:
I did do a lot of research, especially into witchcraft and how one might cast a spell and how to conduct one of these rituals. It was very disturbing for me, and I had to move away from it once I’d gotten what I needed.
Aster acknowledged the possibility of inaccuracies in his depiction but reassured audiences that he is not a demon worshiper.
I’m sure that I’m going to be called out by occultists for taking liberty where I might have. But ultimately, I have no ties to the occult. In any way. I’m just a Jewish guy. I’m just a neurotic Jewish guy.
4. Hereditary as a Melodrama: Exploring Grief, Fear, and Fate
Beyond the horror elements, Hereditary functions as a melodrama, exploring deep-seated fears and the impact of grief on the family. Aster explained to Vanity Fair:
In true melodramatic fashion, I wanted a film that really honored the feeling of these people who are really suffering, where the fears that are being exploited and investigated are impossible to remedy. And they aren’t irrational. So, you know, a fear of death, or a fear of abandonment, or a fear of being responsible for something horrible that happens to somebody in your life that you care about, and having to live with the guilt of that… I knew if I wanted to make a horror film, I wanted to make one that really got to people. And I don’t know how to do that but to think about what scares me.
5. Analyzing the Key Symbols in Hereditary
Several recurring symbols in Hereditary deepen the film’s meaning and contribute to its unsettling atmosphere. Here are some notable examples:
5.1. The Miniature Replicas
Annie’s miniature replicas of her own life serve as a powerful symbol of control and manipulation. She meticulously recreates scenes from her past, attempting to exert control over her narrative and perhaps even rewrite history. This reflects the overarching theme of the film: the characters’ lack of control over their own destinies.
5.2. The Paimon Symbol
The symbol of King Paimon appears throughout the film, subtly foreshadowing the family’s impending doom. It’s etched on Charlie’s drawings, carved into the telephone pole, and present in the cult’s ritualistic objects. The symbol serves as a constant reminder of the unseen forces manipulating the family’s lives.
5.3. Fire
Fire is a recurring motif in Hereditary, representing destruction, chaos, and the unleashing of primal forces. From Steve’s spontaneous combustion to the burning of Charlie’s journal, fire marks pivotal moments of tragedy and signifies the family’s descent into hell.
5.4. Tongue Clicking
The distinct sound of tongue clicking, first exhibited by Charlie and later by Peter after his possession, becomes a chilling indicator of Paimon’s presence. It serves as a haunting reminder of the demon’s control over the characters’ bodies and minds.
5.5. The Treehouse
The treehouse, initially a seemingly innocent space for Charlie, transforms into a site of occult ritual and demonic worship. It symbolizes the corruption of innocence and the intrusion of malevolent forces into the family’s home.
6. The Cast and Their Performances
The power of Hereditary lies not only in its plot and symbolism but also in the exceptional performances of its cast:
- Toni Collette as Annie: Collette delivers a tour-de-force performance as Annie, capturing the character’s complex emotions, from grief and resentment to desperation and madness. Her portrayal is both terrifying and deeply human, making her one of the most memorable horror performances in recent memory.
- Alex Wolff as Peter: Wolff portrays Peter’s transformation from a typical teenager to a vessel for demonic possession with unsettling realism. He effectively conveys the character’s vulnerability and growing terror as he loses control of his own body and mind.
- Milly Shapiro as Charlie: Shapiro’s portrayal of Charlie is haunting and unsettling. Her strange mannerisms and unsettling presence contribute to the film’s overall sense of unease.
- Gabriel Byrne as Steve: Byrne provides a grounded and empathetic performance as Steve, the family’s patriarch who struggles to cope with the escalating chaos around him.
- Ann Dowd as Joan: Dowd delivers a chilling performance as Joan, the seemingly friendly neighbor who is revealed to be a key member of the Paimon cult. Her calm and collected demeanor masks a sinister agenda, making her a truly unsettling presence.
7. Exploring the Themes of Free Will vs. Determinism
Hereditary raises profound questions about free will versus determinism. Are the characters truly in control of their own actions, or are they merely puppets manipulated by fate and malevolent forces? The film offers no easy answers, leaving audiences to ponder the extent to which our lives are predetermined.
Annie’s family history of mental illness and trauma suggests that their susceptibility to the occult may be rooted in genetics and past experiences. The cult’s elaborate plan to summon Paimon implies that the family’s fate was sealed long before the events of the film began.
However, there are also moments where the characters seem to make choices that influence their destiny. Annie’s decision to participate in the séance, for example, could be seen as an act of free will that ultimately leads to the family’s downfall.
8. Hereditary’s Legacy: A Modern Horror Classic
Hereditary has earned its place as a modern horror classic, influencing the genre and sparking countless discussions among fans and critics. Its impact can be attributed to several factors:
- Subversion of Tropes: The film subverts traditional horror tropes, prioritizing psychological terror and character development over jump scares and gore.
- Complex Themes: Hereditary explores complex themes such as grief, trauma, family dysfunction, and the occult, making it more than just a simple horror film.
- Exceptional Performances: The cast delivers outstanding performances, elevating the film’s emotional impact and realism.
- Atmospheric Direction: Ari Aster’s masterful direction creates a pervasive sense of dread and unease, immersing the audience in the family’s nightmarish world.
9. What Happens After? Potential Interpretations
The ending of Hereditary is deliberately ambiguous, leaving viewers to speculate about the long-term implications of Peter’s transformation into Paimon. Here are some possible interpretations:
- Paimon’s Reign: The most straightforward interpretation is that Paimon will now reign supreme, using Peter’s body to exert his influence on the world. The cult’s devotion ensures that Paimon will have a loyal following to carry out his will.
- Peter’s Subconscious Struggle: Another possibility is that Peter’s subconscious mind may still be present within Paimon, leading to an internal struggle for control. This could result in unpredictable behavior and potential conflicts within the cult.
- The Cycle Continues: Hereditary suggests that the summoning of Paimon is part of a larger, cyclical pattern. It’s possible that the events of the film are just one chapter in a long history of demonic influence and family tragedy.
10. Frequently Asked Questions About Hereditary and Peter’s Fate
Here are some frequently asked questions about Hereditary and the fate of Peter:
Q1: Was Peter destined to become Paimon from the beginning?
While there are hints throughout the film suggesting Peter’s potential as a host for Paimon, it’s not explicitly stated that his fate was predetermined. The cult’s actions and the family’s history certainly point towards a manipulation of events, but the question of free will remains open for interpretation.
Q2: Did Charlie’s soul truly transfer into Peter’s body?
The film suggests that Charlie’s soul was a necessary component in preparing Peter as a suitable vessel for Paimon. Whether her soul remains within Peter’s body after Paimon’s arrival is unclear, but her influence is evident in Peter’s behavior (such as the tongue clicking).
Q3: Is there any hope for Peter after becoming Paimon?
Given the demonic nature of Paimon and the cult’s unwavering devotion, it’s unlikely that Peter can be saved or restored to his former self. The film presents a bleak and hopeless outlook for his future.
Q4: What is the significance of the decapitations in Hereditary?
The decapitations in Hereditary are deeply symbolic, representing the loss of control, the severing of family ties, and the ultimate sacrifice required for Paimon’s summoning.
Q5: Why did Annie kill herself?
Annie’s self-decapitation is a result of the cult’s manipulation and her own descent into madness. It serves as the final act of sacrifice, completing the ritual and paving the way for Paimon’s arrival.
Q6: Is Hereditary based on a true story?
While Hereditary draws inspiration from real-world occult practices and explores universal themes of grief and trauma, it is a work of fiction.
Q7: What is the meaning of the ending scene in the treehouse?
The ending scene in the treehouse signifies Peter’s complete transformation into Paimon and his ascension to a position of power within the cult. It represents the culmination of the family’s tragedy and the triumph of malevolent forces.
Q8: What is the significance of the miniature houses?
The miniature houses that Annie creates mirror her own life. By creating them, she is trying to control her life and the people within it.
Q9: What kind of mental illness does Annie have?
It is implied that Annie has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) because she has different personalities.
Q10: What does the name Paimon mean?
Paimon is one of the Kings of Hell. He is loyal to Lucifer.
Conclusion: Delving Deeper into the World of Pets
Hereditary is a disturbing masterpiece that lingers long after the credits roll. The tragic fate of Peter serves as a chilling reminder of the power of manipulation, the fragility of family, and the enduring nature of fear.
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