Midsommar - Review Thread

C- cinemascore

Slight improvement over the D+ that Hereditary got.

The set design and camera work, once again, are masterful.

The slow burn only briefly feels too much, but you're invested from the beginning of the film and never quite at ease with everything around you. At a certain point you truly feel as disoriented as the characters.


Florence Pugh and the guy who plays her boyfriend turn in empathetic performances as well.

I think I want to rewatch this movie on mushrooms.

8/10

I must have seen a different movie than the rest of you. I got it. I hated it.

Filmmaker debuts and their subsequent followup films is a topic I've discussed quite often throughout my various reviews on this site. We're all quick to jump on the train of proclaiming a director as the next big thing after they create a first project that excites, innovates, and is distinctly their voice, but the real test comes with what they do next. Are they a one-trick pony, or are they a true talent destined to create films for decades? One of those names is certainly AFI-alum Ari Aster, who certainly got people's attention with his first film, Hereditary. Hereditary was one of my favorite films of the year, and there was much to admire about it. Aster elicited an incredible performance from Toni Collette (who was duly snubbed of any Oscar consideration), displayed tremendously fluid camerawork and blocking, and delivered on the horror movie trope goods while also revealing these tropes in such a unique way that pulls the viewer into an almost trance-like fascination with the grotesque situations occurring onscreen. He's an uncompromising filmmaker who clearly delights in shocking his audience and subverting our expectations, perfect for anyone operating in auteur horror such as he is. For his next film, Midsommar, Aster again dips into the art horror sphere though this time with more prudent pacing and less of the visceral shocks that Hereditary had. But that's not to say that Midsommar doesn't deliver plenty of the grotesque imagery, absorbing character drama, and nasty twists that Aster is making a name for himself on. It's a wonderful companion piece to Hereditary in that despite being quite a different film certainly has Aster's craft and voice all over it. I can't say that anyone who liked or didn't like Hereditary will like or dislike Midsommar, but I found it to be wonderfully absorbing and odd and for me has cemented Aster as an auteur that will be hopefully making more of these twisted films for years to come.

Midsommar begins in true Aster fashion where our protagonist, Dani (Florence Pugh), undergoes a horrible family tragedy and is, understandably, deeply traumatized by it. To make matters worse, her long-time boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynolds) has grown tired of her and wants to end their relationship, but it's clear that despite his selfish tendencies can't go through with it out of more pity than actual empathy. During a party, Dani finds out that Christian is planning on going with his friends to visit a remote village in Sweden that will be having a ritualistic festival they're eager to partake in, commissioned by their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blogrem) who is from the village and urges them to attend. Christian is directionless, attempting to figure out what his thesis will be about and feels the trip could give him inspiration and also a much needed break from Dani's demanding nature. Along for the ride is anthropology student Josh (William Jackson Harper), who is going to write his thesis on the ritual, and Mark (Will Poulter) who is largely interested in partying and trying to seduce as many Swedish women as possible. Christian, out of more moral pity, invites Dani to come along, and they all travel to Sweden together. After taking some hallucinogenic mushrooms, Dani has a panic attack under the midnight sun and it's clear that no matter how hard she tries the tragedy she's endured is impossible for her to shake. Christian and the others view her as spoiling their good time, but are too "polite" to overtly say so. They reach the idyllic village, which instantly has the vibe of too good to be true, of which we of course know to be correct and are just waiting for the darker secrets to emerge. There are some very comical moments of the Americans attempting to fit in with the pagan Swedes and their traditions, such as how the hierarchy at the dinner table works or how the sleeping arrangements are carried out, and Mark in particular has some great moments that echo what the audience is thinking but would probably never say out loud in fear of offending the Swedes. Other issues begin to surface however, including an incredibly barbaric ritual that the group witnesses that basically sets the stage for everything to go downhill as a result. While it's not the intense horror movie Hereditary was from this point on, Midsommar slowly builds and builds until we reach the culmination of Dani and Christian's crumbling relationship that plays out differently than one would expect from the trailers and posters. It may not stick in your head in the disturbing fashion Hereditary did, but Midsommar's climax is certainly worth the journey.

An element anyone has to admire about Aster's work with Midsommar is his incredible attention to detail and ability to place the viewer right into the setting with his fluid camerawork and brilliant artistic touches. There's a lot of drone work being done here, and it pays off immensely as we sort of float around the settlement and its adjacent fields like we're locked into this trance that we know we should break away from but just can't. There's a neat sequence where the camera tracks upside down along a stretch of road as we delve closer to the village that was just really cool to see, as well as a fiendish tracking shot in the opening of the film that's just so expertly done. The biggest standout however is how well Aster nails the feeling of being on a bad trip whenever the group is exposed to hallucinogenic drugs and has the background and objects in the mid ground moving, swaying just enough. Unlike films that overdo these elements with extremes, Aster incredibly pulls off the feeling of the bad trip that won't end while never being outlandish with any of it. It all plays into this idea that this idyllic world is there for you to let your inhibitions down if only you submit, but there's nothing more terrifying than refusing to do so yet being unable to shake it off either. It's not easy to make a horror film that takes place almost entirely in direct sunlight, and while I can't say any moments in the film are particularly scary, it's pretty impressive what Aster has accomplished here.

And yet for all of Aster's impressive touch on the film, the most applause has to go to lead actress Florence Pugh who gives an absolutely dynamite performance as Dani. She's so in command of how to play her emotions, from big exhalations of sorrow to the strained struggle of attempting to hold everything in that's just exhilarating to watch. A scene near the beginning in particular where Aster holds an uncut closeup on her face as she politely attempts to coax Christian to comfort her is such a powerhouse of acting that I was immediately floored by her ability. This is now two films in a row that Aster has directed his lead actresses to amazing performances, and for all of the well garnered attention we give to his fluid camerawork and sinister narrative structures, his work with Toni Collette and Florence Pugh are his most impressive accomplishments. It's wonderful to sit back and sink into performances as strong as Pugh's in Midsommar, and if she doesn't get award consideration for her role then it would be a serious shame. We feel her anguish at the uncomfortable situations she's putting herself through in order to save the relationship we all know is over, and the incredible range that she displays in her face at attempting to hide these anxieties should be used as an example for acting classes everywhere. She's seriously that fantastic in this film.

While I think that Hereditary holds the slight edge due to delivering more of the horror thrills in the third act that you come to expect and is a more disturbing affair all around, Midsommar is a wonderful followup for Ari Aster that shows off his numerous abilities as a director. He's just one of those filmmakers that clearly gets it, from knowing just how to stage the action to how to reveal crucial plot details, and it's more than enough to make up for any shortcomings the film may have. It's a long film, and yet I never found myself even the slightest bit bored or wondering why scenes were included at all. Rather it's a slow burn that develops so many interesting themes on its way to a uncompromising climax. It's all here, from religion to relationships to how we handle trauma, and while not all of it pays off in the most profound of ideas, there's still a lot to unpack and one has to admire the many ambitions that Midsommar has on display. It's likely to be more divisive than Hereditary and is probably more in line with most of the A24 offerings of horror films, but Midsommar is an absorbing piece of auteur horror that hopefully Aster can continue to disturb viewers with for years to come.

8/10

It’s A24 Land

Will Poulter was absolutely hilarious in this movie.

"I think we should lie down now. Yeah, yeah, everyone lie down."

That was MESSED UP

I don't know if I can write a review for this after having seen it just once, and having been extremely high when doing so. This movie fucked me up a bit, has given me continued nightmares, and I can't stop thinking about it. I think it might just go down as one of the greatest horror films of all-time, and will be considered a true classic once the dust settles in cinema a bit. Hereditary certainly showed us what Ari Aster was capable of, but I think this was his Empire Strikes Back.

I'll circle back after a second viewing, but for now I'm inclined to give this a 10/10. I had zero issues with it.

Spoilers ahead for people who haven't seen the movie at all. You've been warned.





So the directors cut is good fun. It's much more overtly funny and the sarcasm is absolutely dripping, even more so than the original cut. You really fucking hate Christian in this cut, repeatedly his motivations and the movies overall jabs at acceptance culture are more pronounced and obvious. Pelle takes on a more menacing role as 'leader' instead of guide from the og cut as well which is established early on in the car ride with an extra scene.

If I'm honest I think I enjoyed the og cut more. It has more menace and things are left unsaid and implied as opposed to being laid out (in particular there is a night scene with Dany and Christian that is infuriating from anyone rooting for danys perspective). The directors cut does produce all the bodies however (even though I'm not sure why the fuck the one guy gets burned up... Who did he bring? They count everyone and it's only the people ingmar and pelle brought, Olaf or whatever does not have any names to his... Name so why is he burning?)

And some scenes are extended and you can see why they cut out the one girl from London's death altogether as it wouldn't have made sense in the og cut without one scene in particular.

If you hated it before you'll hate it even more, but fans will appreciate some closure on some things, but I found the directors cut to make it too sarcastic and shallow in scenes they added, extending some scenes was appreciated however so really I want like a 2 hour and 40 minute cut.

Is the Director's Cut theater-only, or will it be included on the Blu Ray?  Gonna be out of town for a week on vacation starting tomorrow.

Good to know.

Well in a major fuck you to physical media... The directors cut will be released exclusively in apple tv.

I can imagine some people here have strong feelings.