Midsommar Review

Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary may be one of the greatest folk-horror films of all time. It also is one of the most deeply unsettling and disturbing films I have ever watched. Aster’s sophomore effort shows an amazing amount of thought, innovation, and sheer talent. The film opens up with our main character, Dani, played by Florence Pugh (The Commuter, Lady Macbeth) making several phone calls, including one with her friend discussing her disintegrating relationship with her boyfriend, Christian, played by Jack Reynor (Free Fire, On the Basis of Sex). Meanwhile, Christian is similarly talking to his group of guys about their relationship, as well as a potential trip to Sweden. On the verge of an inevitable breakup, Dani suffers an unimaginable tragedy, in a scene that I can only describe as one of the most empathetic scenes I have ever seen in a movie, which forces the precarious relationship to persevere.

In an attempt to maintain the relationship, Christian invites Dani to the Sweden trip, against the wishes of Christian’s friends, Josh, played by William Jackson Harper (Patterson, The Good Place), and Mark, played by Will Poulter (We’re the Millers, Detroit). Christian, Josh, and Mark are all anthropology majors and the purpose of the trip to Sweden is to observe the commune their foreign classmate Pelle, played by Vilhelm Blomgren (The Days the Flowers Bloom, Min papa Marianne), grew up in. As soon as they arrive the group of friends quickly ingest psilocybin, aka hallucinogenic, mushrooms after meeting Pelle’s brother Ingemar, played by Hampus Hallberg (The Inspector and the Sea, Flykten till framtiden). From here on out the film is as if the audience ingested the same mushrooms as the protagonists. Concurrently their observations of the communes’ inhabitants, known as the Harga, become more and more unnerving. 

Just like his first film, Hereditary, the less you know, the better experience you will have with Midsommar. I will be very clear that this movie is not for the faint of heart. It may not have as many jump scares as your average horror film, but it makes up for that with an ever-constant feeling of dread which gets more and more intense as the film carries on. The imagery in this film still hasn’t quite left my mind, and while it is definitely visually creative and, dare I say, artistically beautiful, it is also some of the most grotesque imagery I have ever seen. 

The biggest draw to the film was the fact that Aster deliberately wanted to create a horror movie that exists in all-natural daylight. The film embraces the natural phenomenon called the midnight sun, which occurs during the summer solstice in polar regions. Due to this phenomenon, the sun is essentially always out, eliminating the common nighttime tropes in the majority of horror films. No, this film has all of its’ scares, and there are many, out in the beautiful, sun-filled countryside. The film also dives into the paganistic origins of the summer solstice, with the anthropological students digging deeper and deeper into the communes’ twisted set of beliefs, which are all the more terrifying because they originate from real life.

The films’ cinematography is astonishing, to say the least. Pawel Pogorzelski (Hereditary, Tragedy Girls) returned to collaborate with Aster once again, bringing his daylight horror film to life. Unlike most horror films, there is never any ominous weather, only beautiful, bright colors, provided by the beautiful landscape of Budapest, Hungary. The cinematography, combined with unique special effects, serves to create the visual equivalent of being on a hallucinogenic trip, as many of the characters are on. A very creative camera move early on in the film signifies the moment when the group of friends/lovers leave the proverbial Kansas and enter the horrific land of Oz. There were plenty of long takes which also help to create the sinister tension which broils beneath the surface through the entirety of the film. For critics of Pogorzelski’s work on Hereditarybeing too dark to see what’s going on, trust me when I say it is a non-issue in Midsommar.

Another artistic decision by Aster is the unique musical choices he and his composers create. For Midsommar Aster chose to work with Bobby Krlic, who also goes by the cryptic name, The Haxan Cloak. One of the first compositions early on in the film uses so many strings on multiple levels that combine with the imagery we are being shown to create the aforementioned empathetic scene. The amount of sorrow I felt with the main character was so intense I was fighting back sobs myself. This scene sets the tone for the entire film and to be honest I would go see it again purely for that scene. Luckily there are many other fantastic scenes filled with Krlic’s masterful score, which has immense depth. As in most folk horror films, there are ritualistic chants, which Aster and Krlic also created for the film. The oddly joyous, celebratory compositions can be heard at times when the most amount of horror is slowly unfolding on the screen. 

However, easily the strongest part of the film is Florence Pugh’s performance. Her character Dani essentially suffers an emotional breakdown throughout the entire film, and Pugh is so convincing that I cried with her at multiple times. Her mixed emotions are so well played as she wills her grief away while she is around others, often seeking out solitude to release her anguish, which is so utterly realistic and all-consuming. After two and a half hours of that (yes, it’s a bit of a long film) I was completely emotionally wiped out. As the film continues, so does her grief, and Christian is more concentrated on studying the Harga to be bothered with it. The film deals a lot with shared emotions/empathy, which in a unique twist is exactly what cinema is for the viewer. The other actors all do a wonderful job in their supporting roles. Harpers’ Josh is the intense scholar with a chip on his shoulder, who serves to help the viewer better understand the Harga. Poulter’s turn as Mark is definitely the comic relief throughout the film. He keeps the film moving after some of the more disturbing moments with his utter American-ness. This unique balance could only be concocted by Ari Aster, as he wrote and directed the film. Blomgren nailed the role of Pelle, our unofficial guide who essentially holds our hands as he takes us through the Harga’s many different rituals.

Aster proves he is a brilliant writer/director worth paying attention to. He completely redefines the genre and opens the door for all sorts of wonderful and nasty horrors. Both of his feature films, especially Midsommar, have been incredibly dense, worthy of multiple viewings. If you are a fan of horror films, it is a must-see. The only requirement is an open mind and a strong stomach. 

MPAA Rating: R for disturbing ritualistic violence and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Running Time: 147 Minutes
Released by B-Reel Films, Square Peg, & A24