Ari Aster roared onto the scene in 2018 with Hereditary. That film was a word-of-mouth success.
I watched it last month and I have to say that I was impressed. I wrote a fairly gushing review of it, too. I said it was one of the best horror films in the last decade.
Then I watched Midsommar (2019).
I. What Is It?
This is the story of Dani (Florence Pugh) and her grief. She goes on a summer trip to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends. What she finds there will force her to come to terms with her trauma, and indict her relationships with the people around her. Midsummer, after all, is a time of rebirth.II. A Powerful Meditation on Grief and Enduring Trauma
I will start with generalities before moving into spoiler territory.
Writer and director, Ari Aster, has crafted a deep psychological horror film that leans into the horrors of our own minds, as opposed to demonic or supernatural horrors, like he did in Hereditary (2018). Midsommar explores Dani's past traumas and her emotionally dependent relationship to her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor). The movie is about coming to terms with hurt, staring it in the face, in the light of a summer's day, and owning it. As much as it is also about a folk cult committing ritualistic murder of innocent travelers. If a horror film that roots its terror in the psychological is something that appeals to you, go and see this movie.
Now, I will dig into the story proper. Here there be spoilers.
It could be said that Dani is an underwritten character. We don't know much about her, except for her tragedy. But I think Aster has done that on purpose. We don't know about Dani because her grief has consumed her. We only know the details of her tragedy, the suicide and murder of her sister and parents (her sister killed her parents and then committed suicide), because those events have become her life. She's a shut in. She's emotionally dependent on her boyfriend. She's dropped out of college. This pain has become her.
And, instead of helping her through this pain, her boyfriend, and his circle of friends, shame her and shunt her emotions away. She grieves in quiet, away from the group. They view her has an emotional anchor, weighing them all down.
It is interesting, then, when she finds support in the cult. During one of her panic attacks, Dani attempts to flee to safety, and collapses to the ground in primal tears. The women of the cult surround her, and then begin to mimic her. They scream with her. They cry with her. They tear at their hair and clothes with her. What they don't do, is tell her to stop. They support her. They encourage her. They help her ride the panic out. They show her that her pain isn't shameful.
Can you believe that? Dani finds self-actualization amid a murderous cult. And you know what? I was cheering her at the end. I know they killed her "friends," but the smile emblazoned on Dani's face right before the credits rolled had me nearly fist-pumping.
There are other themes at work, too. This is a feminist movie; it's about a woman reclaiming her happiness and finding faith. This is a movie about gaslighting; it's about the damage we do to others when we deny them their pain, when we belittle their grief, and it's about the power of facing that grief with people who love and support you. This is a movie about imperialism; it's about outsiders who seek to fetishize ancient cultures and steal their secrets for profit. There are so many things to talk about. More than I can do so here.
- It's a provocative film that will have you thinking and discussing and debating long after the final credits roll.Writer and director, Ari Aster, has crafted a deep psychological horror film that leans into the horrors of our own minds, as opposed to demonic or supernatural horrors, like he did in Hereditary (2018). Midsommar explores Dani's past traumas and her emotionally dependent relationship to her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor). The movie is about coming to terms with hurt, staring it in the face, in the light of a summer's day, and owning it. As much as it is also about a folk cult committing ritualistic murder of innocent travelers. If a horror film that roots its terror in the psychological is something that appeals to you, go and see this movie.
Now, I will dig into the story proper. Here there be spoilers.
It could be said that Dani is an underwritten character. We don't know much about her, except for her tragedy. But I think Aster has done that on purpose. We don't know about Dani because her grief has consumed her. We only know the details of her tragedy, the suicide and murder of her sister and parents (her sister killed her parents and then committed suicide), because those events have become her life. She's a shut in. She's emotionally dependent on her boyfriend. She's dropped out of college. This pain has become her.
And, instead of helping her through this pain, her boyfriend, and his circle of friends, shame her and shunt her emotions away. She grieves in quiet, away from the group. They view her has an emotional anchor, weighing them all down.
It is interesting, then, when she finds support in the cult. During one of her panic attacks, Dani attempts to flee to safety, and collapses to the ground in primal tears. The women of the cult surround her, and then begin to mimic her. They scream with her. They cry with her. They tear at their hair and clothes with her. What they don't do, is tell her to stop. They support her. They encourage her. They help her ride the panic out. They show her that her pain isn't shameful.
Can you believe that? Dani finds self-actualization amid a murderous cult. And you know what? I was cheering her at the end. I know they killed her "friends," but the smile emblazoned on Dani's face right before the credits rolled had me nearly fist-pumping.
There are other themes at work, too. This is a feminist movie; it's about a woman reclaiming her happiness and finding faith. This is a movie about gaslighting; it's about the damage we do to others when we deny them their pain, when we belittle their grief, and it's about the power of facing that grief with people who love and support you. This is a movie about imperialism; it's about outsiders who seek to fetishize ancient cultures and steal their secrets for profit. There are so many things to talk about. More than I can do so here.
III. A Fairytale
This is less of a horror film and more of a fairytale. Obviously it is set in an idyllic Swedish village, replete with gorgeous wooden cottages, wonderfully illustrated folk-tale pictures, and beautiful hand-sewn frocks and dresses. But the trappings of the story also mimic a classic fairytale.
The movie opens with a large illustrated diorama that shows various ghoulish sacrificial rites. These are, in fact, the deaths and rituals we will see in the movie, but you don't know that going in. The movie also constantly drops hints and clues throughout the villages buildings, activities and the delicate illustrations that are all over their walls. If you look close enough, the story is being played out for you in the background. I love that attention to detail.
But Aster is not done there, either. He builds his character archetypes into the archetypes of a fairytale. There is the May Queen; there's the Fool, who dies for his indiscretions; there's the coward who dies because he wants to have everything both ways, and refuses to commit to anything; there's the interloper who seeks to profit off of the village and their rituals.
And then there are the drugs. The drugs help Aster establish a dreamy quality to the whole thing. Songs and dances freewheel between fantasia and nightmare. The drugs unlock all the ghoulies Dani has buried, and the cult drags them out into the midsummer light.
The story has a moral, too. Confront your grief, find your home, and be held by those you love.
The movie opens with a large illustrated diorama that shows various ghoulish sacrificial rites. These are, in fact, the deaths and rituals we will see in the movie, but you don't know that going in. The movie also constantly drops hints and clues throughout the villages buildings, activities and the delicate illustrations that are all over their walls. If you look close enough, the story is being played out for you in the background. I love that attention to detail.
But Aster is not done there, either. He builds his character archetypes into the archetypes of a fairytale. There is the May Queen; there's the Fool, who dies for his indiscretions; there's the coward who dies because he wants to have everything both ways, and refuses to commit to anything; there's the interloper who seeks to profit off of the village and their rituals.
And then there are the drugs. The drugs help Aster establish a dreamy quality to the whole thing. Songs and dances freewheel between fantasia and nightmare. The drugs unlock all the ghoulies Dani has buried, and the cult drags them out into the midsummer light.
The story has a moral, too. Confront your grief, find your home, and be held by those you love.
IV. Florence Pugh is a Star
You may have heard of Florence Pugh. She's been in a few movies, and is quietly making a career for herself. Her performance as Dani is a revelation. It's in the pain slathered across her face that never touches her voice in a conversation over the phone with her boyfriend. It's in the way she lets out primal, haunting sobs when she experiences triggering events throughout the film. It's in the way she tells you her entire story with looks and movement.
In a just world, Florence Pugh would get an Academy Award nomination for this movie. She just might. If there's a horror film in recent memory worth rewarding an actor for a stellar performance (other than Robbed Queen Toni Collette for Hereditary, of course) and transcending mere genre boundaries, this one is surely it.
Jack Raynor deserves some credit, too, for committing to playing a particular brand of cowardly man: Christian is the kind of man who wants to want manly man things, but has trouble accepting how hurtful those things are. He wants sex; he wants out of his relationship; he wants to fuck that beautiful Swedish girl. But he won't pony up, take a stand and do the right thing. If you want to be an unrepentant ass, go forth and be one, but don't whine about YOUR conscience, and how it makes YOU feel. Will Poulter is a right shit: you'll want this dude dead. He is here to do drugs and have sex, and makes no bones about it. He is disrespectful, mean-spirited and an all-around caustic human being. Poulter takes to the role with zest. William Jackson Harper plays a man who is obsessed with knowledge at all costs. He doesn't care what these people want; he wants to study them, and write his thesis on them, and is willing to shirk all of their rules to do so. Vilhelm Blomgren's Pelle is interesting, too: he genuinely supports Dani's journey, but also plays the skillful manipulator with delicate care. Everyone is pulling their weight.
But the star of the show is clearly Florence Pugh.
In a just world, Florence Pugh would get an Academy Award nomination for this movie. She just might. If there's a horror film in recent memory worth rewarding an actor for a stellar performance (other than Robbed Queen Toni Collette for Hereditary, of course) and transcending mere genre boundaries, this one is surely it.
Jack Raynor deserves some credit, too, for committing to playing a particular brand of cowardly man: Christian is the kind of man who wants to want manly man things, but has trouble accepting how hurtful those things are. He wants sex; he wants out of his relationship; he wants to fuck that beautiful Swedish girl. But he won't pony up, take a stand and do the right thing. If you want to be an unrepentant ass, go forth and be one, but don't whine about YOUR conscience, and how it makes YOU feel. Will Poulter is a right shit: you'll want this dude dead. He is here to do drugs and have sex, and makes no bones about it. He is disrespectful, mean-spirited and an all-around caustic human being. Poulter takes to the role with zest. William Jackson Harper plays a man who is obsessed with knowledge at all costs. He doesn't care what these people want; he wants to study them, and write his thesis on them, and is willing to shirk all of their rules to do so. Vilhelm Blomgren's Pelle is interesting, too: he genuinely supports Dani's journey, but also plays the skillful manipulator with delicate care. Everyone is pulling their weight.
But the star of the show is clearly Florence Pugh.
V. Absolutely Gorgeous Design
This movie is beautiful from top to bottom. The Haxan Cloak's score is haunting and beautiful, and turns on a dime; the triumphant swell at the end of the movie is undercut by discordant strings. The music challenges you to feel empowered and scared at the same time.
Pawel Pogorzelski's camera work is clean, and smooth, and lovingly shows us all of the details of this beautifully ugly world.
Henrik Svensson's production design is immaculate, and wonderful to behold.
This film eschews the dreary shadowed palette of modern horror, and instead charges into broad daylight, resplendent in technicolor flowers. It is, perhaps, the film's willingness to indulge in its own beauty side by side with the gory violence that drives home its message, too. These villagers live in a world where life and death are side by side. In order to appreciate the beauty of life, one must also face and accept the horror of death. And Aster pulls no punches.
Even the sight of a flayed body, bedecked with flowers and vines, is nearly as gorgeous as it is deeply unsettling.
There are details and clues all over the place. I have an idea that this is the kind of film that rewards extra viewings. And I can't wait.
This is horror that strives to be beautiful. And ugly. All at once. And succeeds.
This film features scenes of suicide and runs headlong into the aftereffects and emotional toll such a thing takes on the people left behind. Be warned. It is intense.
Pawel Pogorzelski's camera work is clean, and smooth, and lovingly shows us all of the details of this beautifully ugly world.
Henrik Svensson's production design is immaculate, and wonderful to behold.
This film eschews the dreary shadowed palette of modern horror, and instead charges into broad daylight, resplendent in technicolor flowers. It is, perhaps, the film's willingness to indulge in its own beauty side by side with the gory violence that drives home its message, too. These villagers live in a world where life and death are side by side. In order to appreciate the beauty of life, one must also face and accept the horror of death. And Aster pulls no punches.
Even the sight of a flayed body, bedecked with flowers and vines, is nearly as gorgeous as it is deeply unsettling.
There are details and clues all over the place. I have an idea that this is the kind of film that rewards extra viewings. And I can't wait.
This is horror that strives to be beautiful. And ugly. All at once. And succeeds.
VI. Not Everyone's Cup of (Drug Infused) Tea
Look, this movie might not be for you. If you are a horror traditionalist, you might take umbrage with Aster's decision to avoid the supernatural, or his preoccupation with how pretty all of this is.
Or maybe you don't like long movies. This one clocks in at just under two and a half hours. It's hard to say that it should be cut, because Aster allows the slow burn story to take its time, building momentum and tension like a lit fuse on a firecracker. A long fuse. But that is part of what makes the bonkers third act sing: we have spent time getting there. Details and clues and machinations have all been set on the board like a chess game. And then the third act explodes.
Or maybe you'll dislike the moral relativism of the whole thing. Are these cultists murderers? Absolutely. Did they help a woman find a new home where she can face her past and embrace a new joy? Absolutely. Did the wayward cultist go out and become friends with a group of people only to sacrifice them on the alter of his people? Or did he go out and specifically become friends with rotten people who might deserve to die? And did they die because they broke all of the rules, or because they were set up for murder by the community? That's one I'm still struggling through. Most horror films will reveal the sinister side of the cult to ease the audience into understanding that they are the villains of the piece. But Aster doesn't do that. These people aren't even really a cult. They are a society that has rituals and rites that are ancient and alien to modern society. When they love and care and support, those are all true things. It just so happens that every 90 years, they have to sacrifice some outsiders in some really nasty way.
Either way, I bet there are people who don't care for such challenging ideas, and muddied morality. I am certainly no fan of long movies, with exceptions. However, I love that Aster is willing to serve me something that doesn't go down easily. Something that needs to be reckoned with.
Or maybe you don't like long movies. This one clocks in at just under two and a half hours. It's hard to say that it should be cut, because Aster allows the slow burn story to take its time, building momentum and tension like a lit fuse on a firecracker. A long fuse. But that is part of what makes the bonkers third act sing: we have spent time getting there. Details and clues and machinations have all been set on the board like a chess game. And then the third act explodes.
Or maybe you'll dislike the moral relativism of the whole thing. Are these cultists murderers? Absolutely. Did they help a woman find a new home where she can face her past and embrace a new joy? Absolutely. Did the wayward cultist go out and become friends with a group of people only to sacrifice them on the alter of his people? Or did he go out and specifically become friends with rotten people who might deserve to die? And did they die because they broke all of the rules, or because they were set up for murder by the community? That's one I'm still struggling through. Most horror films will reveal the sinister side of the cult to ease the audience into understanding that they are the villains of the piece. But Aster doesn't do that. These people aren't even really a cult. They are a society that has rituals and rites that are ancient and alien to modern society. When they love and care and support, those are all true things. It just so happens that every 90 years, they have to sacrifice some outsiders in some really nasty way.
Either way, I bet there are people who don't care for such challenging ideas, and muddied morality. I am certainly no fan of long movies, with exceptions. However, I love that Aster is willing to serve me something that doesn't go down easily. Something that needs to be reckoned with.
VII. Playful
You will laugh at this movie. You will laugh because there are moments of genuine humor, and you will laugh because you aren't fully equipped to handle the savagery on display. Aster imbues his film with a trickster's edge of black humor. It acts a pressure release, gently alleviating the brunt of the visual onslaught. It's a welcome, and necessary, feature.
Trigger Warning
Why You Should See It
- It's an absolutely gorgeous piece of film. It is as good an argument for cinema as art as anything on the market today. And it does so utilizing the trappings of genre to boot. Wonderful.
- This is the performance that will shoot Florence Pugh into the stratosphere.
- This could be the future of the horror genre. We don't have to settle for the same old jump scares and ghost stories. There are scarier things lurking in our own minds. Aster is a new voice that just might be able to drag the genre kicking and screaming into a new phase.
Why You Shouldn't See It
- It unsparingly shows the ugliness of murder and suicide.
In Conclusion
Miscellany
- Ari Aster originally intended this to be his first film. The film was greenlit in May 2018 and premiered in June 2019. That's a film going from preproduction to finished product in a little over a year. Impressive.- Aster has stated that this is his idea of a "breakup movie."
- They shot the film in Budapest, Hungary. The days are shorter there, and caused the production to "chase the light every day." According to Aster, he and cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski were worried that the changing light would cause audiences to notice continuity errors. After the film was edited together, he was actually pleased with the way the light helped add an unsettling feeling to the entire movie. He his hid mistakes in thematic cohesion. Brilliant.
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