016 - Hereditary (Ari Aster) The Screenplay Lab podcast

5d ago 39:22

Content provided by Jeff Barker. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jeff Barker or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Ari Aster’s Hereditary – Prestige Horror Screenwriting

In this episode, Jeff Barker breaks down the Hereditary screenplay by Ari Aster, the 2018 A24 film that redefined modern horror. Whether you’re a screenwriter, filmmaker, or horror fan, this deep dive explores how Aster builds emotional horror through grief, trauma, and supernatural dread.

We’ll analyze formatting, structure, pacing, dialogue, and how this script balances psychological tension with occult terror. Plus: why Toni Collette’s performance deserved an Oscar, and how Hereditary changed horror screenwriting forever.

🎬 Topics Include:

Elevated horror & genre subversion
Ari Aster’s writing style & story structure
Emotional realism in horror
Screenplay statistics, POV, pacing, formatting
Character development & theme layering
The psychology behind Hereditary’s horror

Perfect for: 🖊️ Screenwriters 🎥 Indie filmmakers 🧠 Film students 💀 Horror lovers 📚 A24 and Ari Aster fans

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab: We study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

📢 Join the Conversation! 💬 Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review!

✅ Jeff Barker's Website

✅Video Podcast on YouTube

17 episodes