MindFuck much! am i right? This is Genre-Redifing shit. (Though i hope this directing style isn't copied by amateurs)
I feel that I have lost years off of my life from watching this film.
Be warned Midsommar is not a horror movie, it's an art film covered in a thin veneer of gore. It is not scary, it's not frightening, just long with a few gross-out gore scenes sprinkled in.
The movie spends most of its run time showing you scenes of people eating, drinking or singing. These are really pretty scenes mind you, the cinematography is on point, but they are also excruciatingly long. The movie could easily be trimmed by 30 minutes without affecting the barebones plot at all.
The horror element is supposed to be the cult rituals but most of them were so absurd that I and the rest of the (few) people in the theater laughed instead. There was especially one scene with a bunch of nude older women that was downright hilarious, although I very much doubt that was the intent.
If singing Swedish people frightens you then this is a must watch, otherwise don't bother.
Visually impressive. Nothing else is though.
Tries hard to be deeper than it is.
Any more pretentious and it would have an art degree.
Don't waste your time
I meeean...
It was unsettling and gross. But scary? There's nothing scary about this movie. Mainly, the only creepy thing is the dissonant string music. I like horror movies, but more of the subtle, psychological kind. This one was too artsy and pretentious for me.
I guess the takeaway is don't consume weird shit strangers give you. Also, stay away from cults.
The kind of film where you say, "I liked it....................." and then add tons of dots after.
While I loved the overall ambiance of the film and impending sense of dread, I could've done without the moments which were so jarring they were comical, and so absurd the felt silly. These scenes dragged me out of the film and doused my fear.
If "what the hell did I just watch" had a category, this movie belongs there. The characters are unrealistic analogs and extremely stupid. The plot felt forced and that "love scene" was an awkward mess.
A big piece of shit, if it had a negative note I would give it.
It's a horrible film. Please don't watch it unless you like horror cult movies that just suck the happiness from you. Not worth the watch. Watch better movies instead.
What a bunch of doo-doo kaka pretentious artsy bs. Extremely predictable, slow, and comes of more like a comedy than a horror movie. If I could give this 0 stars, I would. Anyone that tries to make something out of it than what it really was, has way too much time. There's nothing to 'dig deeper'. Spoiler alert: Friend invites other friends to a remote location for an experience. Everyone gets drugged. One by one the friends get killed by the cult. The end.
This was so awful it was almost physically painful to suffer through.
The only thing keeping my attention is that is was all so completely absurd that it was unintentionally funny, I have never laughed so much at at horror film in my life and there is not one intentional joke in there.
Watching Pugh give a classy performance throughout this train wreck of a script was like watching a gold medallist swimming through a septic tank.
The fact that they shot most of the film in Hungary would explain the fact that they managed to fuck up any and all reference to Swedish culture and traditions as they could have asked a five year old about some of the things if it'd been actually shot in Sweden.
But shame on me for getting to the point that I didn't think it could get any more ridiculous or stupid because enter blood-sacrifice bingo stage left.
1/10. Have been more scared by Shaun the Sheep episodes.
2 hours into this movie, I saw some tits. So, I guess it wasn't a total waste of time.
I give it 3/10 because of cinematography and editing, the story is complete garbage.
One of the worst movies ever created. Stay away if you value your time.
[8.0/10] I have to admit that I’m a little mystified by Midsommar, albeit in a good way. There’s a decent amount that goes unexplained (or at least under explained) in the climax of the film. The pieces are there to put a good amount of it together, but the close of the film is still a bewildering, unnerving experience, as it should be under the circumstances. But if I had to pinpoint what Midsommar is trying to say, I would center it on two big ideas: empathy and emotion on the one hand and life and death on the other.
The former comes through in Dani’s relationship with her boyfriend Christian. From the moment we meet her, Dani is clearly going through something difficult and feels like she can’t lean on her long-term boyfriend for emotional support for fear of scaring him off. When she tries to express her frustration or grief or anything other than “I’m cool,” he either begs off or turns it back on her to make it seem like she’s the one with the issue. And as the film goes on, we see Christian evincing a deeper lack of empathy, acting nonplussed at horrific scenes, stealing his friend’s work, and feigning only fleeting concern when acquaintances go missing.
At times Midsommar lays some of this Bad Boyfriend material on a little thick (especially him forgetting her birthday and how long they’ve been dating, which feels like something out of a sitcom). But it works to draw a contrast between Christian on the one hand, and Pelle and his “family” on the other. While Christian pays desultory lip service to Dani’s feelings, Pelle sees her is attentive to her and responds to how she’s feeling in a given moment.
So does his whole enclave, the small Swedish community whose midsommar ritual our cast of newcomers is experiencing. In one scene, an elder describes their scripture as “emotional sheet music.” Their society is built on emotion as a free-flowing, communal thing, with the climactic scenes involving the adherents of his culture imitating the expressions of joy or pain or horror until it crescendos into one crowd-wide emotional wave.
For most of the film, Dani is still grieving without even fully realizing it, having this well of pain and mourning she’s been unable to express given how her prime emotional outlet constantly deflects and shuts her down. It’s not until the end of the film, when she firmly discards him, that she can fully express that grief she’s had bottled up for so long, with a catharsis and a rejection that gives her the first genuinely smile we see in the whole picture. Through this lens, Midsommar is ultimately a story of emotional expression, where open processing of one’s feelings is encouraged, snuffing out those expressions is punished, and the consequences of both can be severe.
The other big theme, and this one is admittedly fuzzier from my vantage point, is the cycle of life and death. We witness elders commit suicide at a given age, with it treated as a blessing and a choice, with the idea that their names will be passed on to children not yet born and their lives lived again. One of the movie’s strangest interludes involves a ritual centered around conception. And the climactic set piece and lingering undercurrent of horror upon which the whole movie rests is a ritualistic killing to banish away the dark spirits and invite happiness and prosperity to their community.
I’ll confess my inability to fully articulate what all of this means, but the biggest takeaway I have is this. Dani is laboring under an unspeakable tragedy, with the suicide and murder of the rest of her family, with no good emotional support to help her get through it. This community offers a welcome alternative to that, not only its emotional openness, but in its treatment of death as part of that liberating cycle of nature. Dani sees herself more and more a part of both nature and that community (as represented by her “flower volcano”, as my wife put it, in the closing sequence), and that view of death as something both spiritually freeing and not cause for grief is uniquely inviting to her.
But that’s the great thing about Midsommar. Even if you’re not inclined to grapple with emotional repression or cultural views on mortality, it works as pure slow-spun, unnerving horror. The film shares a vibe with past horror classics like Rosemary’s Baby and Get Out with our protagonist ensconced in a warm and welcoming atmosphere and community, with subtle hints along the margins that something is wrong here.
Frankly, some of the film’s best moments come when you have a vague sense that something is off, but can’t put your finger on what. The film does a good job of escalation, introducing peculiarities that can be written off as foreign cultural practices, until it becomes undeniable and terrifying how this is not just a different society’s ways and rituals but something darker and more sinister. For a film that is not only long, but also languid in its pacing, Midsommar is never boring, gradually bringing the simmering horror to a boil.
Still, the gradualness prompts a confession -- if you could somehow scrub away all the horror elements, I would totally stay in the Harga enclave. Part of the way the horror works is by making their commune seem so warm and inviting, to where you relate to Dani’s feeling so content and at home there.
Much of that owes to the cinematography and beautiful images that director Ari Aster and director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski put together. The location itself is gorgeous, full of sweeping greenery and eye-catching structures strewn about their little grove. It’s a film rich with color, as Dani’s Mayqueen getup exemplified. The look of handsomely-set tables and maypole dances embodies the warm communal feel of the place before things turn deadly, as does the way the Harga seem to be one organism, always moving and feeling in stereo. Aster and Pogorzelski frame the images beautifully, playing with symmetry, different depths of field, and close-ups to convey the grandeur and intimacy of even the most horrifying moments. And there’s even some superb impressionism, with wavy backgrounds to subtly convey the effect of the drugged tea the main characters imbibe.
But part of it is just the smiling, empathetic atmosphere created by the Harga. The film uses that sense to its advantage, by both wrapping the strangeness up in “Well, I guess it’s just their custom,” and by luring Dani and the audience in with the slightly unnerving, unfailing friendliness of the whole thing. So by the time it becomes clear this is a death cult and not just a culturally unfamiliar enclave, both the protagonist and the audience are too wrapped up in it to turn back.
That transformation and relatability rests on the shoulders of star Florence Pugh, who does fantastic work here. The shift from low-key naturalism to over the top emotional exhortations could be jarring, but feels right coming out of her. More to the point, much of the film requires her to be bottling up her emotions until they explode, which in the hands of a lesser actor, leave Dani feeling flat. Instead, Pugh conveys the layers to the character, the internal roiling that makes the choices made in the end feel organic to what the viewer hasn’t seen, but feels through her, until it becomes expressed with lethal consequences.
There’s a lot of weirdness and even opaqueness to Midsommar. That makes the film a little baffling and hard to get your hands around at times, even when its cards are on the table. But it also uses that uncertainty to its advantage, lending an unknowable atmosphere to the Harga and their rituals, and a greater unspoken terror when their practices are laid bare. I’d be lying if I told you that I fully understood Midsommar, but that only heightens, rather than detract from, its horror, its themes, and its final exorcising transformation.
This movie sucks, just like The wicker man. Waste of time
I watched this film. I found it, unlike anything I have seen before. I don't have much else to say other than that this film is quite the ride. For some, this film is a boring art piece that looks nice but lacks any real substance. For others, like myself, I found this film to be an eery, thrilling, insightful, and most importantly, surreal film to watch. The ending is where the film gets a lot of discussions since it can either be interpreted as a bad or good ending. For myself, I think that the protagonist herself thinks it's a happy ending, since she finds a new community that will embrace her. However, from an observer's perspective, she's now integrated herself in an isolated rural cult that has separated her from the outside world, practices horrific customs that can be described as insane, and has ultimately given up with trying to comprehend the absurdity of her predicament, but instead embraces it. I remember watching a video that showed the final page of the script for this movie, with the final lines being: "She has surrendered to a joy known only by the insane. She has lost herself completely, and she is finally free. It is horrible and it is beautiful."
- I found this to be chilling since this woman whose life had fallen apart at the beginning of the film seemingly finds happiness by the end, which should theoretically be a fairy tale ending. But, she surrenders herself to a joy "known only by the insane," losing herself to something that is both "horrible" and "beautiful." This, and her eery smile at the final frame of the film, truly shows that this film's ending is not a happy one. It's simply the protagonist giving up and accepting the insanity around her, which can be "beautiful." since it is a type of "joy," but it's also insane because the cult murders outsiders and disregards societal norms. It can be considered a subversion of the fairy tale genre, which might have some being puzzled, but for myself, I found it quite inventive and enjoyable.
What. The. Hell. I love it. I hate it.
Shining a light on one of Sweden's annual festivals, this documentary will thrill you, enthrall you, and remind you never to visit the country. I'm joking, of course. This is another imaginative horror from director Aster that, like Hereditary, will give you more to think about than the average cookie cutter genre outing.
Here's one lesson I've learnt from this movie: if I ever have a Swedish friend who invites me to celebrate the sun solstice in his hometown, I will have to respectfully decline.
When I start a film, I always try to finish it no matter what. However this was tough.. I struggle to understand positive reviews, and found it one of the most slow burning films of the last decade, struggled to keep up with the story line, literally nothing happens until the last 20 minutes apart from a couple of disturbing scenes.. I had to actually re-read the plot on Wikipedia so I could get a better understanding of what I’d just watched. Watched on the back of a recommendation from a friend, who I will soon be asking questions as to why, I’m almost certain he just wanted to waste my time. Not my type of film at all.
This movie was made specifically for white women.
Disturbing, but dumb. It's 2 1/2 hours long. If it were 90 minutes or so, it's worth the watch, but as long as it is, you're glad when it's over. [spoiler]It's essentially The Wicker Man.[spoiler]
I think this just isn't for me. Not sure if if is supposed to be a horror film, but the only time it scared me was at the end because I have a fear of that. I remember predicting a lot of what happened. Some of it was unintentionally funny (the part where Christian runs around naked for instance). I was mostly just uncomfortable the whole time. I guess there is some kind of other meaning based off what I've seen in reviews and comments and there's more to it, but I don't really get it.
I confess that I became a big fan of the director when I watched Hereditary and was very anxious to know what his next job would be.
I put a lot of expectation on your new movie and I can say that it did not disappoint me.
Ari Aster handed me a movie that deals, between the lines, the relationship is worn out.
I like the beginning of the movie, because it uses time well to establish the relationship of the characters, both the main and the supporting.
The movie is also in no hurry to start acting like a thriller and horror.
The scenes that claim to be shocking take time to happen, but when they happen it is chilling.
While in Hereditary the dark environment prevails, here in Midsommar we have daylight remaining for much of the film.
For thinking that in horror movies bad things happen only at night, in this movie, it doesn't matter if it's clear.
Things happen the same way and have the same impact if it were overnight.
I loved the final scene and found it a bit like the Hereditary ending.
The triangular geometric form appears again here and the symbology it may have is quite understandable.
An ending that may not be seen as a happy ending, but in the eyes of the protagonist, is a perfect ending.
This is almost a disgrace to our beautiful tradition Midsommar, but it's a beautiful movie yes. I will give it an honest opinion without all the ''Im a swede and I know how we celebrate midsummer''. This has the same kinda vibe as Hereditery but also completely different. I like how the movie was made specifically with real swedish actors that spoke real swedish. A lot was put into this movie and it was watchable. How on earth can you make a horror aspect movie that is so bright and with so many colors? I just don't get it. I enjoyed every second of this movie, even though the beginning kinda was slow it built up the story very good.
The death scenes of the elders when they jump off the cliff, is both a distrubing and a very well made scene. I kinda liked how they muted pretty much all the screams at the mans death. On a personal level I love when death scenes are muted cause it brings out so much emotions.
It is a film that follows the everyday actions of the characters in a slow-paced style, with panoramic landscape framing, a pastel tonality, and a sense of eeriness for the viewer (in the sense of "weird" scenes and insanity, not in the traditional "horror movie sense"). The story is well told and includes folklore elements appropriately.
Over all it is a film to watch more for its artistic aspect than to enjoy the usual action or horror scenes (since it doesn't have them).
This movie is shot extremely well and has some amazing grotesque, gut wrenching scenes but unfortunately some of the characters actions really pulled me out of the experience. The movie seems like it's trying really hard to justify the fate of the boyfriend brought onto by the main character and set up how awful the boyfriend is but the whole time I just felt terrible for his situation. Imagine staying with someone you don't want to because she has mental health issues and is going through an incredibly traumatic phase of her life then you get raped, your girlfriend blames you for it assuming your cheating on her and then she decides to burn you alive in spite choosing you over others who actively volunteered to be sacrificed. If the movie would of focused equally on what the boyfriend is going through I felt the ending would of actually been tragic but as it is now it just reads as incredibly sadistic while attempting to come off as empowering. The rest of the cast don't fair too well either as most of them come off as one dimensional while all the characterization is focused on our main character.
Ari Aster definitely has established what type of movies he likes to make and he's incredibly good at doing so but Hereditary is the better choice for a watch because it decides to sympathize with most of its main cast instead of demonizing them for a twisted sadistic self fulfilling payoff.
Well, they don't show that in the IKEA commercials...
holy cow if this movie was trying to be deep it missed the mark it is utter trash!
One of those movies that, even if it's not your type and you didn't particularly enjoy watching it, it still stays with you and you think about it for days. For that, I give it a 6.
I gave this movie 6 not because it's bad but because the censor institute in my country cut all the important part and I understood nothing other than this movie is beautiful and men are trash
this movie is disgusting and completely wasting my time plus making me sick. im so glad i didn't watch it with my family like i originally planned to.
Story: 9...clearly Sweden's warning to any American who hints that life would be better in "one of those Scandinavian countries"
Script: 7
Performances: 7
Misc.: 9...GREAT cinematography and editing. Beautiful and creative.
Overall: 8
Florence’s portrayal of grief felt very realistic, definitely hit close to home, and was absolutely the highlight of the movie. Seeing Dani smiling as she’s watching her abusive boyfriend burn alive was also pretty great. But the rape scene was completely unnecessary, and coupled with the ableism throughout it ruined what could otherwise have been a great movie.
You either love this movie or hate it so much. It was an awful experience watching it, and I hated every minute. Yet it kept me intriguing and want to see more and where all of this madness will lead to. The death\suicide scene was so fucked up and so triggering! like why? Why would you do that!! the only scene I liked was when Dani was screaming and crying in agony and the girls were crying and screaming with her. It looks like she was in a labor of some sort, and she was finally delivering and getting rid of the pain that haunted her. Even if I liked this scene, I will not be recommending this movie to anyone! This movie should come with a trigger warning, though.
Wasn't scary. It was a tad unsettling. Watched the wisecrack and foundflix reviews on youtube, to see if I missed the meaning or the bigger picture. Nah. It's just an elaborate cult inspired movie. I was expecting a lot after hereditary. I was disappointed.
Not only the worst imitation of M Night Shyamalan, but it dragged on forever. The longest hour and 45 minutes ever. The story went terribly slow and became grossly predicable after 15-25 minutes. There's no moral to it like Shyamalan's works either. It was ridiculously unclear what happened in certain instances. I don't want to explain further in case you decide to watch this crappy movie. Suffice to say, it's not worth watching to find out.
Brilliant film! A horror that doesn’t take the usual route, same story told with different actors. It was original and horrifying, it made my heart race with suspense and fear. It’s someone’s nightmare!
That’s Sweden off my list of places to visit! Lol.
I’d seen clips and in honesty, I had zero intentions of watching it, it didn’t look very interesting or fall in to the horror category. I only watched it because one of my children insisted I should. I’m glad I did; I was so wrong, it was horror and something so different.
Extremely well done too.
I thought at times I knew where the film was going, and although some suspicions were correct, there was so much I didn’t expect and took me by surprise.
Highly recommended!
The film gives the impression that it can offer much more than it finally offers. Missed opportunity. A pretty predictable ending.
At least 90 minutes too long. Stronger emphasis on random ritualism and arthouse for the sake of arthouse than horror.
A must watch when on shrooms dmt and acid.
Unnecessarily long considering the barebones plot. Visually stunning, but much more shallow than it wants you to think.
Somewhere between ok you're using a lot of symbolism to describe grieving and community so that's cool and wow this was really boring and weird for the sake of that symbolism. That felt forced. A lot of out there who don't like this move that much than the people who just like films just because they're artsy. The story was weak and overly simplistic.
Director Ari Aster's follow-up to the success of Hereditary in 2018 is the horror film Midsommar. The movie is a folk horror film, and has been compared to The Wicker Man, known for its slow burn and unsettling atmosphere. The story follows a struggling couple, Dani and Christian, as they travel to a mysterious midsummer festival in rural Sweden, where they soon discover that the local festivalgoers have a far more sinister side. Aster skillfully amplifies the human emotions and drama, particularly through Florence Pugh's portrayal of Dani's grief, sadness, terror, and anxiety. The supporting cast is also solid, and the majority of the film takes place in bright daylight, adding to the tension and shock of the grizzly and explicit violence and sexual activity. While the pacing is not always perfect, the music and cinematography are detailed and beautiful. Though Midsommar may not be as good as Hereditary, it is still a disturbing and unsettling film that establishes Aster as a talented and noteworthy filmmaker. Florence Pugh shines in the lead role and the film will stay on the viewer's mind long after it ends.
Tras el éxito de Hereditary en 2018 del director Ari Aster es la película de terror Midsommar. La película es una película de terror popular y ha sido comparada con The Wicker Man, conocida por su atmósfera inquietante y de combustión lenta. La historia sigue a una pareja en apuros, Dani y Christian, mientras viajan a un misterioso festival de verano en la Suecia rural, donde pronto descubren que los asistentes al festival local tienen un lado mucho más siniestro. Aster amplifica hábilmente las emociones y el drama humanos, particularmente a través de la interpretación que hace Florence Pugh del dolor, la tristeza, el terror y la ansiedad de Dani. El elenco de apoyo también es sólido, y la mayor parte de la película tiene lugar a plena luz del día, lo que aumenta la tensión y la conmoción del oso pardo y la violencia y la actividad sexual explícitas. Si bien el ritmo no siempre es perfecto, la música y la cinematografía son detalladas y hermosas. Aunque Midsommar puede no ser tan bueno como Hereditary, sigue siendo una película inquietante e inquietante que establece a Aster como un cineasta talentoso y notable. Florence Pugh brilla en el papel principal y la película permanecerá en la mente del espectador mucho después de que termine.
I waited for the right time to watch this only to find that there is no right time. I do not understand the love this movie gets. It has it's moments (rock diving anyone?) but it's mostly arty garbage. I was very disappointed. Especially considering how much I enjoyed Hereditary. Hopefully his next one is better.
Besides the horrific relationship the main couple has, pretty much all of the horror in this movie relies on shock exposures to gore that you can count on one hand. Admittedly, the gore is well done, but other than that - the movie is just weird.
Drug use visuals are well done, but if you aren't interested in waiting a couple of hours for just a couple of scenes where you can see them, you can skip this film. Certainly skip director's cut and save at least half an hour.
It's not exactly a terrible movie but it definitely had way too much hype when it came out, it isn't the most immersive one out there. The main thought running through my mind was 'wtf am I watching?'
BullShit ! Pretencious and Idiot ! DOn't see this Crap !
It may be a horror movie, so a fiction as well. How many people will actually believe that somewhere in Europe they practice such things? I would have some doubts as to whether a certain cultural heritage of much of Europe was rightly blended with such a dubious quality ritual murder.
This movie has impeccable acting, especially for it being one of Florance Pughs first roles in a film.
I couldn't stand whatsherface, ugly crying the majority of the movie. I don't understand why this movie is classified as horror, the most horrific thing about this movie is the time you waste watching it.:rofl::wastebasket:
That was possibly the longest two and a half hours I've ever experienced, and I've had to wait my turn at a Social Security field office multiple times.
I liked it a lot more than Hereditary, and I can't even pinpoint why. I knew all the spoilers going in, so nothing really shocked me in terms of the plot. I felt some hardcore secondhand embarrassment in the first 40 minutes or so. I likely will never watch this movie again, although I'd be more willing to do so with this than Hereditary, which was largely sad and depressing. Midsommar, by contrast, feels a bit like if Wes Anderson made Swedish horror. I laughed a couple of times, I smiled, I agreed with all of the decisions that were made by characters, and I'm not sure why I'm not rating it 10. I guess it's that it's not a super accessible film, emotionally. Its weirdness is offputting to a lot of people, I imagine.
oh my god. i'd read reviews which is how i knew about the Ättestupa scene, which i had to skip (can't handle gore) but they was nothing compared to the actual experience. florence pugh was absolutely amazing, and i love all the details. definitely one to rewatch if i ever feel prepared to do so
do you feel held by him? does he feel like home to you?
Well, that was ... something. Although the movie is mostly very pleasing to watch I did not really enjoy it. It was way too graphic for my taste and somehow I don't really get what it's trying to tell me except "look at this fucked up culture they have up there". Yes, there is a part of me that wants to discuss whether it's okay to judge other cultures for there morals and everything but for me the movie did not make me interpret it as thought provoking by itself. I did like that it broke the boundaries of standard horror cliches, though.
what the fuck did i just watch. i mean, i just didnt see that coming. started off like your run of the mill american teen film. where it went... jeez!! this is not for everyone, your average horror fan will most likely hate it. not even sure if you can call it horror, in fact im not quite sure if they have a catagory for this movie. i loved it and was left with my chin on the floor for at least an hour after credits. All the craziness aside this is thought provoking, filmed beautifully, original, shocking, believable and deffinately a must see. 8/10
I found Jack Reynor performance mediocre, the plot was weak : Who stay at a place where suicides and murders are ritualized when your own sister kill herself and kill your parent ? And, a group of cultural anthropology PhD students and Psychology student don't even see there's something odd about this community (there's plenty of : the tapestries, the murals, the inbreeding oracle, and most of all the story with the couple and the truck...).
a group of young people travel to a Swedish village to study their behavior and very bizarre belief
I don't know what I just watched. But I know that I didn't like it.
The most WTF-movie that I have ever watched. How can someone like and dislike this movie at the same time? I was speechless watching this. Somehow it grabbed my attention to see where the story was going. I don't know if I can recommend this to someone. I don't know if I cannot. I'm confused.
Why did a Wicker Man remake have to take two and a half hours? They could have easily trimmed half an hour.
The dead family seemed to have no impact at all on the second half of the movie.
So she killed her boyfriend because he was a douchebag? Did she not realize he was tripping the last hour of the movie?
Were they going to murder the visitors anyway? Did them committing illegal acts against the cult cause them to be murdered, or that was merely a nice excuse they could use?
They were clearly other cult members over 72; why were they still alive?
Did they kill 9 people every 90 years, or was this an every year thing?
Had Ingemar brought back others before this group? If so, how often?
They were a lot of unanswered questions. And no, I don't think it's mysterious, I think it's lazy and inefficient.
Having said all that, the movie looked great in terms of cinematography and production design.
I'm in, pass the shroominade brother
Must confess. Not a big fan of hereditary. The first time I saw it, was on the big screen of a country which
heavily censored it. Weeks later I watched the intact version of it. At first I was really pissed that they didn't
affect me because i already knew the story. But later it made me realize how heavily it relied on the scares to
push the narrative. And hence my conclusion that it works as just another horror story and nothing more(Colette is
gold though).
So when this one opened with that disturbing shot, I was a bit apprehensive about the path that it would take and
whether it would just be an extension of Hereditary. But I was in for a surprise. Midsommar is unconventional in
that it changes its theme every half an hour or so. It's a road movie at one point, a Get Out like thriller the
other and so on. Normally, this kind of a setup shouldn't work. But guess that's what Ari Aster is best known for.
To find the unconventional in the unconventional.
What I really like about the movie is that it deals with loss and a sense of belonging in such a refreshing way.
It gives you an understanding as to why someone would choose to live in a commune and willfully sacrifice one's
need for privacy and space.
It's been a while since I watched such nonsense. Also half an hour or so into the movie it was already clear where it was going and how it's gonna end. Time wasted. BTW, who thought of putting Horror to genres list? There was exactly zero of it.
Thrilling slow-burn, but not as strong as Hereditary. The visual style is striking, and incredible at times. The color pops nicely. The storyline straddles that line between weird enough/disturbing to be unsettling, and believable. It didn't feel overly-long, and some of the more gore-ific moments will stick with you long past the credits. A cult version of a girl finding a family for herself after losing the one she has, and realizing that her boyfriend is a dirtbag all along. 3.5/5
Ari Aster is the master of horror. Not only does he know how to make a bright spring day feel haunted and creepy, he's an expert at bending space and time for his transitions. It will be a while before something catches me off guard like this movie did.
Not quite as scary as Hereditary but does a great job at making you feel uneasy the whole time. It's shot beautifully. Florence Pugh is terrific. She was really the only character I cared about. It is very slow and I'm still not entirely sure what happened.
As creepy, bizarre, confusing, and unsettling as this movie was, it was really well done. I don't think I'll be watching it again though...
A unique, disturbing and quite beautiful horror film with trippy visuals, grotesque violence and graphic moments that once you see them, YOU CAN'T UNSEE THEM. Ari Aster continues to shock and amaze with a detailed exploration of pagan rituals, mysterious communites and heartbreak inside a dying relationship; through the running time, this film bringing cathartic moments of psychological (and at times physical) pain, delusion and insanity. At its very core, Midsommar is a perfect nightmare experience that gets even better once you unheart the demented horrors hidden in plain sight.
I am so confused..It makes you feel uneasy since the first minute and it's disturbing as hell..I think it had to be less sick than it was..Ari has something unique..I can't compare it to hereditary because hereditary was pure horror film..But this one..This one was sick..Superb directing,brilliant photography and all the scenes were beautifully shot..I suggest you to see this unique movie but be prepared for tough 2.30 hours..
Gosh was that disappointing... I watched about 80% of the movie waiting for something interesting to happen, until finally giving up.
Good disturbing movie but the ending leaves too much to interpretation and I believe there should be more insight into what this cult believes / why it does the things it does. Some side characters disappear and we never learn what happened to them and why, except for one.
Great acting by the protagonist.
I think ig edits are better than the movie.
because the movie was reaaaally bad, what was it?
all of them raving bonkers.
Thought provoking, but never really goes anywhere plot wise. Like the outsiders in this movie, it will make you feel trapped and lost to the strange things these people do.
Creepy and bizarre
Characters 8/10
Story 7/10
Pacing 7/10
Visuals 8/10
Rewatchability Factor 5/10
Enjoyment or Emotional Value 6/10
Average Score 6.83/10
Florence Pugh is one of the most promising up and coming actresses
Definitely one of the strangest movies iv ever watched. Ari Aster really needs to tell us what he's on when he's thinking of this. Insane. Insanity. It's just insane. The acting is insane. The story is insane. The opening, middle, and end is insane. The messages are insane. The cinematography and set design is insane. The score is insane. Nearly every scene is insane. Florence pugh is insane. A.J. Soprano is insane, my bad i mean Jack Reynor.
This was wild, interesting but wild
The second time watch, let me notice the suicide, colonization and religion declarations that this movie use. I love even more now this movie.
Who needs therapy when you have a cult to help you deal with your pain?
“He's my good friend and I like him, but... Dani, do you feel held by him? Does he feel like home to you?”
I watched the theatrical cut when it first came out in 2019, and I thought it was good, but man, the extended version made me like it so much more, as it gives us extra time with Dani and Christian relationship.
Midsommar is just as disturbing as Hereditary. It is true that through a director's vision, we get somewhat of an insight into what he thinks and feels. But with Ari Aster's movies, I feel uncomfortable for different reasons because I find it impossible to comprehend where all this disturbing material is coming from.
this movie is sooooo creepy. but the visuals are very beautiful
I wouldn't necessarily call myself a huge fan of Ari Aster's work. His films tend to be overlong and self-important. But you have to give him credit for the fact that his works are always interesting, and "Midsommar" is no exception. Already with the first scene, the director pulls off a brilliant feat; it is consistently atmospheric as well as harrowing, and for me, it is by far the clear highlight of the film. Florence Pugh is fantastic from the start; her character is layered and complex, and she is more than up to the challenge. The rest of the cast, on the other hand, remains a bit flat, but they all still do their jobs well overall. The toxic relationship between the main character, Dani, and her boyfriend, Christian, in particular, causes a lot of discomfort.
From the filmmaking perspective, Aster can't be faulted either. He creates some stunning visuals, and the editing is bursting with creativity. Despite the daylight setting, which is unusual for a horror film, Aster also manages to provide genuine, if rather subtle, horror on a consistent basis. "Midsommar" is definitely not nearly as chilling as "Hereditary," but then again, some moments are quite shocking. Despite its length, the film also rarely gets boring, mainly because the plot escalates as the runtime progresses. I can certainly understand if you don't like Aster's films; this one can also be exhausting. But at the same time, they are also so refreshingly out of the ordinary that you kind of have to appreciate them. I certainly do.
horrible and very boring, made no sense.
Too weird, long, and predictable but, held my curiosity till the end. It should have had more ominous and gripping tone. Missed opportunity!
This here is some weird shit and I just could not get on board with it. I thought it was bareboned in terms of plot and that some of these actors gave very 2 dimensional performances. There were some gross depictions of bodily harm but I feel like they were out in there for shock factor.
I appreciate that this is a film in the horror genre that doesn't rely on a single jump scare but I would have appreciated it more if the plot was more gripping. This was just very disappointing.
If you’re after weird, this has you covered…and then some.
This is horror done well. There is no darkness, no creepiness and, (thank the lord), there isn't a cheap jump scare in sight. This type of horror is made up of…well…pure horror. Horrific ceremonies, horrific traditions, horrific visuals, horrific drug misusage, and no escape in near-constant broad daylight while your friends drop off around you one-by-one.
It doesn’t sound scary, but if this film doesn’t leave you with a sickening feeling of horror, I don’t trust you.
One last mention - I love how effortlessly this film makes me feel someone else’s pain. Especially so early on after the first tragic event.
This review is for the director's cut, I haven't seen the theatrical. This movie is clearly very divisive. The audience typically hates it or loves it. I thought the cinematography was spectacular. Gorgeous setting and the acting was top notch. Very intense symbolism and shots of extreme violence (though not many of them) in parts. A unique viewing experience. 7.8. Pugh is magnificent as usual.
I guess if I learned anything from this movie, it's to not visit communes in the middle of nowhere... Would I recommend this to others to watch? Mmm, probably not. It doesn't provide much horror since you can pretty much infer everything that's going to happen before it happens anyway...
No one should ever watch this movie
This movie is definitely worth watching. It’s a art film with really cool visuals.
The expression “holy s***” is appropriate. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Ari freaking Aster, and I can see why.
Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” is remarkable in that it’s unsettling and compelling in equal measure.
Even though it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, the atmosphere he creates in this film is distinct. Degeneracy permeates the entire film, and it’s about as batshit as possible—almost as if the writer was on Shrooms while penning it.
In addition to Florence Pugh’s solid performance, the rest of the cast does a fine job as well. If you’re looking for a film with sympathetic characters, you’ll have a tough time here. In “Midsommar,” it’s not the characters but the story as a whole that stands out.
It’s masterfully presented, with every frame serving a meaningful purpose and evoking emotion. Despite the slow pace, I was utterly engrossed and unable to look away from the screen.
Brilliant work by both Ari Aester and the DP Pawel Pogorzelski. While watching “Midsommar,” you can feel the amount of effort that went into making the film, which is rare. The striking cinematography, dreamy colours, and eerie score all come together to create something truly unique.
A film like “Midsommar” is not something you come across often; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience, certainly not for the faint of heart. That’s all I can say.
Midsommar (2019): 7.8/10 (Impressive)
After Hereditary, my expectations of Ari Aster’s midsummer were very high and I was not disappointed. How he manages to create a depressing mood interspersed with horror and tension with bright and fully illuminated images impressed me and carried me away. The whole thing even though the movie :asterisk_symbol:SPOILER:asterisk_symbol: reveals its whole plot at the beginning
Masterfully directed, shot and acted, but underwritten. These characters aren’t much deeper than your usual, commercial horror fare protagonists (they fit a lot of those same stereotypes, in fact), and there’s not a story beat you can’t predict. It plays with some interesting ideas in its subtext, but generally I think it should’ve taken a lot more risk.
6/10
Very poorly advertised as something it isn't; will be sure to frustrate and impress in equal measure
whilst the characters are grossly underwritten, and the film is painfully predictable (if you're familiar with Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973), chances are that everything you think is going to happen in Midsommar does happen), it's beautifully crafted, brilliantly shot almost entirely in glaring sunlight, and vastly ambitious in scope (it runs 147 minutes). Indeed, it's the type of film where you can tell the director was given an unusual amount of freedom to fulfil their vision. And whilst that can often result in unmitigated disaster, much like Jordan Peele's Us (2019), Midsommar avoids the dreaded sophomore slump without necessarily knocking it out of the park.
For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/KTRIz
Ari Aster can find horror in everything. Even break ups.
Has the most shocking scene I've ever seen :flushed: Took me a while to understand it all and definitely needs a second watch. (Her sister's face on trees while they were lifting her WOW)
Review by XiofireBlockedParentSpoilers2019-07-05T23:51:00Z— updated 2020-01-24T05:24:03Z
Midsommar is a complicated beast. Those going for something as linear as Hereditary will be immediately disappointed by Midsommars somewhat convoluted plot elements and meandering pace. I sat in the cinema as the credits rolled by, deep in thought about what I just watched, and if it was any good. Nothing really sat well with me, and the film didn't really connect upon immediate completion, but I gave it time to digest.
Ari Asters two movies are very much at odds with each other. Hereditary slaps you with it's excellent presentation, pace, sense of dread and quality of acting on display. Then, upon further inspection, it's woven plot elements and symbolism shine through on subsequent viewing.
Midsommar is very much the opposite. The film almost dawdles in it's presentation and doesn't fully attack you with it's acting chops or narrative (although Florence is simply stunning in her portrayal of Dani). Midsommar more presents it's parts in a very matter-of-fact fashion, and then leaves it up to you to connect the dots of both the plot and what's on display. While there is far too much to unpack in this small comment section, I'd just like to detail some of my favourite themes on display in Midsommar, and why it went from a 6/10 during my cinema viewing, to a solid 8 - 8.5/10 upon reflection.
--- LONG DISCUSSION OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT ---
One of Midsommars central parallels is the individualism/selfishness of Western life and it's stark comparison to the commune we are introduced to. Examples of this are: During the intro, Dani is going through the trauma of a suicidal family member and her boyfriend, Christian, is encouraged by his friends to abandon her in her time of need telling her to see her therapist as it's not his problem. Christian echos these sentiments directly to Dani about her sister, telling her to leave her alone as she is just doing this for attention. Upon arriving at the commune in Sweden, Mark is unwilling to wait for Dani to be ready to take shrooms. Josh, knowing of Dani's recent trauma involving death, subjects her to the suicide of the elders for his own thesis and research. Christian uses the situation to further his own academic efforts, much to the annoyance of Josh. Everyone is acting in their own self interest regardless of the emotional toll this takes on their friendships. This is a stark contrast to how we see the commune deal with distress, emotion and personal issues. When Dani sees Christian cheating on her, the female members of the commune bawl, weep, scream and cry along with Dani, literally experiencing her burden with her to lessen the load. As described by Pelle, the commune "hold" you during your distress, helping you cope and living through those emotions with you. This is further cemented by the scene earlier in the movie, shortly after Dani's sister commits suicide. We see Dani hunched over Christian's lap overcome with emotion, screaming out the pain of the loss of her sister. Christian is anything but present however, his eyes vacant as if he weren't there with her at all. This is possibly my favourite theme of the movie, as it really paints how alone we are in modern society regardless of how many people we surround ourselves with. How many people are actually there for us in our time of need? Sure, they might be physically present, but are they actually there, sharing our pain? It's truly terrifying to think about.
My other favourite theme is who is and isn't a bad person. I've seen many people online say they think Christian is a horrible boyfriend for how he treats Dani. While I can understand their position, I struggle to see how Christian is the bad guy for his actions. Christian finds himself in a dying relationship which he is mentally checked out from but decides to stay to help her through the grief of losing her parents and sister. Christian even goes as far as to bring her on vacation with him to help her through her trauma, even though he wants to split up with her. Would the audience have prefered Christian leave Dani right after she lost her family? That would have been MUCH worse. Do these actions warrant what happens to Christian? I don't think so at all. Christian is so misunderstood in this movie, I can't wait to see it again to draw more conclusions on his character. Is Josh a bad person for wanting to fully envelope himself in a foreign culture? Although we know it is largely for academic gain, Josh does seem to love learning about the culture of these people, wanting to see how they operate and know every intricacy of their faith. Does this warrant his murder for trying to document their sacred texts? Should an outsider be murdered for enjoying and absorbing someone elses culture and customs, or should they be thanked for their interest and passion? (Sidenote, I see Josh's character as a direct reflection of the usual racial stereotypes we see in movies of this ilk. Usually we see the white academic researching the savage native/minority tribe, but Josh is the exactly flip of this, which is a nice touch). Were Connie and Simon wrong for coming into another culture and expressing disgust at their customs? Should they have been so outwardly disgusted and vocal about their disapproval while being welcomed in by the commune? Sure it didn't warrant their ultimate fate, but this small subplot asks an interesting question about outsiders attempting to shape and alter other cultures and customs as it doesn't sit with their ideals.
Other small details:
While it's directly conveyed to the viewer that the red haired girl is attempting to cast a love incantation on Christian via pubes in his pie and runes under his bed, very little attention is given to the fact that Christians drink is a slight shade darker than everyone elses. From the tapestry we see at the start of the festival, we know exactly what the red haired girl has slipped into his drink :face_vomiting: Fantastic subtle horror/grossness.
Pelle talks about how his parents died in a fire and the commune helped him through the trauma of that loss. After the ending, it's pretty clear the fire wasn't an accident, and they evidently died for some kind of ritual.
Artwork above Dani's bed at the beginning shows a girl with crown kissing a bear. While direct foreshadowing to latter events, it also asks the question if this was all fate. Dani's sister's final message reads "I see black now" (potentially a reference to The Black One) before killing herself and her parents. Were Dani's parents 72 and this was the end of their cycle? Was Dani's sister already a distant member of the commune?
Runes are scattered all throughout the film to foreshadow certain character arcs or add more meaning. My favourite hidden rune is the doors to the temple, which when open, make the rune for "Opening" or "Portal". Amazing attention to detail.
Yeah, this movie is much MUCH better on reflection and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. I really hope Ari's 3 hour 40 minute directors cut is released so there is more to dissect. While not as immediately impressive has Hereditary, Midsommar definitely has the layers and complexity to be a slowburn horror classic.
EDIT: I am now 4 days out from my first viewing and I've not stopped thinking about this movie. I've become a frequent visitor of the films subreddit and have even purchased/listened to the films dread-inducing yet somehow joyous soundtrack a number of times throughout the days. I've been reading up on runes and their meanings, reading up set analysis for hidden meanings and any other small details others can find. A movie hasn't vibed with me like this for a long long time so to reflect this, I think it's only right I bump my score from an 8/10 to a 9/10. When I can get my hands on the digital download/Blu-Ray, I'm sure this might even go higher.