Martin Scorsese Praises One Horror Movie as Wonderful Filmmaking

Martin Scorsese is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in film history, so when he offers high praise for a modern horror movie, the industry tends to listen. During the 57th New York Film Festival, while promoting his own crime epic The Irishman, Scorsese shared his admiration for Ari Aster’s 2018 film Hereditary.

He noted that while he often sees many films, it is truly amazing when you find something that genuinely stands out from the rest. Scorsese explained that while some plot details might fade over time, the memory of the family in Hereditary stayed with him long after the credits rolled.

He described the core trio of actors as astounding and was deeply impressed by how the film functioned as a powerful metaphor. To Scorsese, the movie was more than just a supernatural story; it was a dynamic exploration of familial bonds and inherited trauma.

The director was particularly moved by the performance of Toni Collette, who played the grieving matriarch, Annie Graham. He suggested that Aster’s ability to work with his cast is what’s important for a developing filmmaker. One specific scene that caught his eye involved a moment of peak hysteria for Collette’s character, which Scorsese praised for its brilliant editing and wonderful filmmaking.

Even though the legendary director agreed that the movie was undeniably disturbing, he argued that it offered much more than simple scares. He concluded that the film captured the very best of the horror genre, a sentiment that undoubtedly meant the world to a young director like Aster. This kind of endorsement from a master of the craft proves that Hereditary has earned its place as a modern classic.

As of February Ari Aster has continued to move away from pure horror to explore more experimental territory. His most recent film, the satirical neo-Western Eddington, was released in the summer of 2025 and featured an incredible cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Austin Butler. Set during the 2020 pandemic in a small New Mexico town, the movie followed a couple whose road trip turns into a nightmare after they run out of gas.

Toni Collette has been active with several high-profile projects throughout 2025 and continuing into this year. She recently starred in the Netflix limited series Wayward, playing the leader of a reform academy for troubled teens, and was part of the ensemble cast for Kate Winslet’s directorial debut, Goodbye June.

Do you think Ari Aster will ever return to the “pure horror” style of Hereditary, or has he permanently moved on to more surrealist and satirical stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.