"Are we just going to ignore the bear?"
Midsommar is a sunlit horror film that will make you never trust the daytime again - and is the exact opposite of director Ari Aster's 2018 directorial debut Hereditary. Where Hereditary is about a family falling apart after a tragedy, Midsommar is about finding a new kind of family after tragedy.
The first and last person we see and hear in the film is Dani (Florence Pugh) as she navigates through college after an unspeakable tragedy happens to her. As she grieves, her emotionally distant boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) plans a trip to Sweden with his grad school friends for a midsummer festival that only happens once every 90 years at their friend Pele's home village. He feels guilty for not telling her about it so he reluctantly invites her along, much to the disappointment of his friends.
Once they arrive at the festival, they meet Pele's family who welcome them all graciously, but as the American tourists begin to experience the strange culture of this small Swedish commune, they begin to realize that they may be in over their heads. The trip also puts a strain on Dani and Christian's relationship as they meet another couple who seem to get along better than they do. The film also has very funny moments mostly coming from Will Poulter's character, Mark.
Much like Alice in Wonderland, you don't know if what you're seeing on screen is real or not as the audience follows Dani down the rabbit hole of festivities. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong for Dani and her friends, but after the initial shock of some of the village's rituals, Dani seems to understand and accept her new role. She begins the movie as the type of girl that many people are familiar with or see themselves in - the girl who is overly apologetic and feels that everything is her fault rather than holding anyone accountable for their actions. By the end of the film, she is in charge for the first time.
Director Ari Aster adds little Easter eggs throughout the film, at first you may not notice but soon you will realize things in the film seem slightly off, so pay close attention to the surroundings of the film. He crafts a beautiful world that sucks you into the small Swedish village and transports you into a new world.
While this film may not be for everyone, those willing to open their mind to a different kind of fairy tale horror story will enjoy what this movie has to offer.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Recommended for fans of: horror, The Witch (2015), indies, Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Rosemary's Baby (1968), A24
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