When it comes to the type of movies that tend to top the US Netflix charts, the pendulum usually swings towards sci-fi, fantasy and action thrillers. This is not surprising, as these genres have a lot to offer the French knock-off of Taken, which became a huge hit on Netflixof the fresh love for Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic Interstellar.

Every once in a while, a horror title manages to capture the collective imagination or unnerve streaming audiences, like the Taiwanese thriller "Incantation," which takes the curse-contagion metaphor to a whole new level. A quick look at Netflix's current trending movie rankings in the US puts Ari Aster's Hereditary at #7, as the critically acclaimed A24 horror gets a second life on the streaming platform (via FlixPatrol). Success is well earned; Astaire's film paints an uncompromising portrait of grief and terror while sidestepping the genre's pitfalls of cheap shock tactics or knee-jerk feelings.

Our subconscious, collective attraction to "Inherited" is not too difficult to understand. It's an experience that can't be summed up in words alone, with visuals that pull the strings of our most visceral reactions to a story. An almost indecipherable, ominous phrase scrawled on wallpaper evokes horror as much as the direct supernatural events to which the film builds - but the horror of losing a loved one trumps everything else. As the Grahams navigate events that veer between the real and the surreal, we are forced to dig deeper and come up with no clear answers. After all, what is scarier than vague, unknowable truths?

Let's take a look at what makes Hereditary so special.

"Creepy" doesn't even begin to describe Astaire's "Hereditary," which opens with the death of the matriarch of the Graham family and the complicated emotions it stirs in her daughter, Annie (Toni Collette). There's a touch of discomfort mixed with sadness: a taste of something unsavory beneath the surface, which no one is yet talking about openly. As Annie channels her grief into painstakingly crafted dioramas depicting her personal life, her children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Millie Shapiro), deal with the loss as best they can. However, on deadly consequences of fun plunging the Grahams into an even darker vortex of grief.

Astaire makes an unforgettable diorama of his own, elevating Hereditary beyond what we've come to expect from demonic possession in horror movies. The supernatural elements of the plot are underpinned by themes of generational trauma and cycles of abuse. As we watch a dark family tradition unfold, we gradually understand why Annie always seems to be on the verge of falling apart. Even for those who have already seen the film, Hereditary rewards rewatches to seek it out clues that were hidden far in the corners or exist in plain sight for you to go back and review.

Hereditary is currently streaming on Netflix.