Hail Paemon! Hereditary has found its way back to Netflix US, so what better way to mark the occasion than to examine the shocking true story behind its most disturbing scene. You know the one.
Ari Aster proved himself to be the most exciting horror filmmaker of the decade when he dropped his night-and-day occult collection, Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019).
Sure, they’re not technically connected, but the parallels are undoubtedly there – family tragedy, cult control, and dark prophecies unravel with the same slow, suffocating sense of dread.
Hereditary is undeniably the strongest entry – we even rated it the best horror movie of all time. If you’re revisiting the film now it’s on Netflix or it’s your first time, read on to find out the true story that mirrors its grisliest scene. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Charlie’s death in Hereditary happened in real life
If you’ve seen Hereditary, no doubt the moment Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is decapitated by a telephone pole has been seared into your brain. What makes it even more chilling is Peter’s (Alex Wolff) reaction – or lackthereof.
He’s clearly in a state of shock. Rather than call the police, he simply drives home with Charlie’s headless body in the back, parks the car, and goes to his room, leaving his mom Annie (Toni Collette) to discover her dead daughter the following morning.
Although Aster is yet to confirm if this incident was inspired by a true story, there are undeniable parallels with a real-life incident.
In August 2004, John Kemper Hutcherson, 21, drove his friend Frankie Brohm, 23, home from a bar in Marietta, Georgia, after the pair had been out drinking together. Brohm was feeling sick and so he stuck his head out of the window.
However, the vehicle accidentally grazed a telephone pole guy wire, decapitating Brohm immediately. Like Peter, Hutcherson drove more than 10 miles to his parents’ home and fell asleep. A neighbor found Brohm’s body the next morning.
The following month, Hutcherson was released on bond after pleading from Brohm’s family, who acknowledged it was an accident. The following year, he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide.
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Hereditary scene had lasting impact on horror fans
When Hereditary was released, viewers noticed the similarities between this incident and the horror movie scene, with many sympathizing with Peter’s reaction.
“The first time I watched Hereditary I felt like I understood why Peter just kept driving home and didn’t act on it at all,” said one on Reddit.
“It would be so hard to deal with in the first place that you would do anything to pretend it didn’t happen, like pretending it didn’t happen and just going home.”
Another agreed, “And the mother’s scream when she looks in the car? Knowing how much it was going to f**k her up to find that? Yeah, I think panic, shock and fear of that and other repercussions would have made me silent and catatonic too.”
Others expressed the impact the scene had on them. One said Annie’s screams were “definitely equal, if not more horrific, than everything else in Hereditary.”
“This part was, by far, the scariest of the movie,” commented another. “The rest of it was all magical silliness, but that part… man… that could actually happen.”
“Feeling the weight of that moment, when your entire life is ruined and the people you love most are gone (or responsible). Just horrifying,” they added.”
“That scream is the most realistic scream I’ve ever heard from a horror movie,” wrote a third.
Hereditary is streaming on Netflix US now. Be sure to check out the scariest-looking 2025 horror movies, and the new movies coming to streaming this month.
