Director Ari Aster has put out three movies between 2018 and 2023, and each has been celebrated for its horror, deep thematic elements, and singular directorial style. It's enough of a resume to crown Aster the best director of all horror directors who've hitched themselves to A24. An American filmmaker from New York City, Aster began his career making short films, directing eight of them before getting his chance with a feature film, making it for A24. This film was Hereditary, and it altered the trajectory of Aster's career, A24, and modern horror.

One of the best horror movies of the 21st century, and with a good shot of eventually making the Beau is Afraid, may be his most divisive, there's no denying the incredible craftmanship going on and that he's a director with something to say. A24 has been collecting horror movies like Funko Pops and Ari Aster is the best horror director they have on their shelf.

Hereditary (2018)

An Oppressively Terrifying Family Drama

Aster's debut feature, Hereditary, is so exceptionally terrifying, that it's hard to describe exactly what makes it so frightening without giving a point-by-point recap of every scary scene, and there are many. A small film compared to what would come later, Hereditary follows the Graham family who suffer an unimaginable tragedy. From that tragedy erupts an unstoppable avalanche of horror that keeps you holding your breath until the very last moment of the film. Ari Aster puts the horror on display in his occult, haunted house horror film best (via Variety),

"One way that I pitched the film when I was first taking it out was 'it's a story about a long-lived possession ritual told from the perspective of the sacrificial lamb.' Ultimately we are with the family in their ignorance of what’s really happening. But I also wanted to imbue the film with this sinister, more knowing perspective. Even though we are with the family in their ignorance, the movie itself knows exactly where the story is going. And everything is inevitable. Throughout the film, things are just sort of clicking into place and all those things are driving this family towards one end."

From the moment "that" scene happens, which is one of the most shocking and draining deaths in movies in recent years, we, the audience, do know exactly where Hereditary is going, and it's nowhere good. Even without noticing the many hidden details laid throughout Hereditary, there's only one way for the film to end. That's a suffocating feeling. Most horror movies have you saying "Don't go in there!" or "Don't do that!" but there is nothing that the Grahams can do to prevent their fates. The fact their fates are painful and traumatic is just cruel.

Midsommar (2019)

A Disturbing And Shocking Examination Of Grief

Midsommar is very much an Ari Aster movie and yet it is far different from Hereditary. There are some similarities to be sure, but the differences are more numerous, both in obvious ways, like how the film takes place almost entirely during the day, and in less obvious ways, such as Midsommar examining one character's journey of acceptance rather than a group of characters' descent into madness. Midsommar is still plenty horrific and the type of movie you need to warn people about before seeing. Aster said about his sophomore movie (via Vulture),

"In the context of the film, I needed something that was bad enough, that was traumatic enough, to hang over the whole film. And that was necessary because I wanted to make this big operatic breakup movie where the breakup itself is not that special. He's not the worst guy in the world. And she's very needy. But she's needy because she’s navigating this unfathomable situation. And that's important because of where the film ends. You start with the unfathomable and you end with the unfathomable."

The opening act of Midsommar is gut-wrenchingly disturbing. From the walk-up shot showing tubes connected to the car's exhaust to Dani's (Florence Pugh) guttural howls of grief, it's an experience that washes over you like a bucket of cold water. Aster starts to play a little more with humor in Midsommar, but that touch of humor serves to make the film more surreal and, in turn, heinous, when there are moments of intense, in-your-face violence. Oddly, despite the gruesomeness, Midsommar is a movie you want to watch again and again, a calling card of great horror.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

A Dizzying, Surreal Tragic Comedy

Beau is Afraid is slightly more of a struggle, especially if you've never seen an Aster film before, but despite the difficult-to-describe plot, and surrealism of the filmmaking and horror, it's a fantastic showcase of Aster's anxieties and creative mind. Starring Joaquin Phoenix in one of the best performances of any A24 movie, Beau is Afraid is a sort of odyssey that tracks Beau's (Phoenix) journey to attend his mother's funeral. On the way, he encounters bizarre and unreal scenarios that range from ridiculous to horrifying. Aster has been more reserved when speaking about Beau is Afraid (via Vox),

"The movie is so obviously about guilt that it's not even worth saying that. It's about a guy who's really trapped in himself, really, really, really trapped. I'm somebody with a lot of ambivalence. Ambivalence is a very particular kind of hell. I really, really want to avoid saying much because I really feel that if you can get on its wavelength, then it's ... it’s a movie that I felt my way through. I have a feeling that's the only way to watch it as well."

There are a lot of ideas threaded throughout Beau is Afraid and, like Aster says, if you manage to grab a hold of one of those threads, you're going to have an amazing time. The least terrifying, but maybe most personally disturbing of Aster's movies, Beau is Afraid throws guilt and ambivalence in your face, confronting you with a life not lived and how horror, hate, and violence can come from anywhere. It's also about a giant anthropomorphic penis monster living in your attic. It's a movie that you're just glad exists.

Ari Aster Stands Above The Other A24 Horror Directors

Aster's Movies Are As Engrossing As They Are Nightmare-Inducing

A24 is a hotbed of horror. There probably should be some hipster backlash to it by this point, considering just how ubiquitous the brand is, but the films it puts out are so universally acclaimed, you can't argue with it. There's a healthy stable of directors who have put out horror films with the production and distribution company. Robert Eggers, Jonathan Glazer, Alex Garland, Oz Perkins, Jeremy Saulnier, Rose Glass, Valdimar Jóhannsson, Ti West, Halina Reijn, Danny and Michael Philippou, and Jane Schoenbrun have all directed eminently rewatchable movies for A24.

Ari Aster stands above them all. For one, he's made three films for A24, putting him on the upper end of quantity, an important statistic all its own. However, that's not the only reason his filmography is so impressive. Each one of Aster's movies feels different. There are certain similarities in the way he films things, and his colors, and how he uses violence, but Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau is Afraid are not copies of one another with a new coat of paint. Some directors can struggle to get out of one mode. Some don't want to.

You never know what you're getting in an Aster movie, and horror depends on a surprise.

Eggers is a good comparison. He's directed two movies with A24, and directed three horror movies overall, like Aster. Eggers has a particular style and sensibility he enjoys. Clearly influenced by Gothic horror, Egger's movies have a similar feel. It's a fantastic feeling and one that only he seems to be able to capture. Aster is surprising. You never know what you're getting in an Aster movie, and horror depends on a surprise. It's because of his consistent ability to surprise that Aster holds the belt for best horror director. Belts often change hands though.

Aster's Fourth Film, Eddington, Is A Contemporary Western Black Comedy

Eddington Will Star Joaquin Phoenix And An Impressive Ensemble

Now Ari Aster has a fourth movie on the way. Eddington is set to release sometime in 2025, and so far not much is known about it except that it has a fantastic cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, and Clifton Collins Jr. The film is supposedly going to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic and the main character is a New Mexico sheriff who wants to run for mayor of his small town for political reasons. That sounds more like a Coen brothers movie than an Ari Aster one.

Eddington is also being produced and distributed by A24.

This is a pretty vague plot description, however, and I would guess there's going to be something deeper going on in this New Mexico town. Whether it will veer towards Hereditary-style horror or Beau is Afraid-style surrealism, only Aster knows. It's sure to be off the wall though. As one Reddit AMA conversation with Ari Aster once went,

"u/Waffle2006: You ok?

u/Ari_Aster: Nope"

Director Ari Aster is not OK, and that's how we like him, at least while he's making some of the most memorable horror movies of the 21st century.