Florence Pugh in Midsommar
30-second review: All the tools that Ari Aster used in his directorial debut Hereditary — a film I adore — are on display in Midsommar. It’s impeccably shot and directed with the same unflinching intensity and confidence. However, his sophomore effort lacks two things that prevent it from taking off: a compelling plot and an understanding of its core themes. Still, the movie has all the creeps and disturbing imagery you’d expect — plus an incredible sense of humor.
Where to watch Midsommar: Playing now in wide release. You can watch Hereditary on Amazon Prime.
Drink the Kool-Aid. Full review below ?
I hope Ari Aster is okay. Based on the movies he’s put out so far, he has some things he’s working through. No offense to him, but all the better for us. His directorial debut Hereditary is a modern horror masterpiece that both perfected and upended everything we know about the horror genre. The brilliance of that film comes from its central plot and themes. Strip away the absolutely disturbing and terrifying horror elements and you’re left with a kitchen sink family drama.
That expectation colors a lot my experience with Midsommar, his sun-drenched and beautifully saturated follow-up that is every bit as disturbing as his first film. And in the opening act, it’s clear that Aster had a perspective. We meet Dani (star on the rise Florence Pugh) mid-crisis. She’s received cryptic emails from her sister — who has a bipolar disorder — that make her think she might harm herself. She calls her boyfriend Christian (Sing Street and Detroit’s Jack Reynor) for support, however, he seems more occupied with his friends.
Aster wrote the film after a bad breakup, which is clear considering the central couple in the film is struggling with co-dependency issues. And while Christian is ready to pull the plug on the relationship, the revelation that Dani’s sister indeed committed suicide and took her parents along with her — in a stunningly captured but disturbing sequence — keeps the couple together.
Sometime later, Christian’s Swedish friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) invites him and their two other graduate school classmates Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter) to attend a midsummer celebration at Pelle’s home village in northern Sweden. Dani is upset that Christian kept the trip from her, so, out of guilt, he invites her along.
I don’t need to tell you that things aren’t quite as they seem. Though the villagers are welcoming, they all don cultish garb embroidered with flowers and the commune is just a group of disparate buildings that all seem to serve some ritualistic purpose. The film focuses mostly on the different odd and increasingly upsetting rituals involved in the nine-day celebration that continue to hint to the group that things are not right.
And Aster’s so assured in the way he captures these horrific moments.
He’s patient with his atmosphere-building and isn’t afraid to sacrifice a big scare for the sake of a slow, unsettling one. In particular, the imagery remains the most off-putting. Without moving the camera he can create dread. However, the film lacks a narrative structure like Hereditary to make those moments add up to anything really. Even the development of the central couple and their troubles are set aside for the pageantry of the rituals — a beautiful as they are, they become repetitive.
That’s not to say the movie drags. Even at 147 minutes, the movie moves surprisingly fast. That’s thanks to the unexpected humor, much of it delivered by Poulter, that will make you laugh along with the queasiness the horror elements will bring you. Still, though I didn’t regret the time, the movie ends a bit abruptly and without much satisfaction.
There’s not much to add because not much happens. There’s a build up and then the ending. There is a shocking moment in the middle of the film — and plenty more later — but as disturbing as it is, nothing really surprises you like Hereditary. That film keeps you guessing until the final moments. Midsommar lets you know what it is pretty early and tries to use that to its advantage to not much avail.
The movie comes close to finding the path to success, which involves a refocusing on the central couple instead of the well-constructed, but pointless moments of horror. Either way, it still proves Aster is a masterful horror director that has so much potential in him, he just didn’t access it this time.
Hey! I’m Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
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