Movie Review: Midsommar

Midsommar

Director: Ari Aster

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe

Rating: R

Runtime: 147 minutes

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD 

At the end of Midsommar, I sat there for a solid five minutes, not saying or doing anything, just absorbing what in the name of hell I had just witnessed. What I’d just seen was one of the most bonkers, disgusting, disturbing, brilliant, terrible films I’d seen in the last year.

Midsommar is about a couple who are having relationship troubles who travel to a Swedish festival with their friends. While there, everything that seems bright and wonderful turns out to be harbouring a dark and incredibly disturbing secret. Ari Aster writes the festival amazingly, with the seemingly happy atmosphere always feeling off, like there’s something wrong about it. And inevitably, as it turns out, there is. I kinda want a horror film where it turns out the village is actually just as nice as it says it is, it’d be an interesting change of pace.

The performances are also great all around, but particularly from Florence Pugh, the lead of the film. She plays Dani Arbor, a woman suffering from severe emotional trauma following the murder-suicide of her sister and parents. She tags along on a getaway to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends who are visiting the family of one of the friends for enrichment and research. The sheer range of emotions that she has to go through in this film is amazing, but what is more amazing is that Pugh pulls every single one off immaculately, The other performances in the film are equally brilliant, with Jack Reynor playing Christian Hughes, William Jackson Harper (Chidi from The Good Place!) plays Josh, Will Poulter plays Mark and Vilhelm Blomgren plays Pelle. All are great performances, but Pugh’s is easily the highlight of the film.

The direction is absolutely incredible too. I haven’t yet had the chance to watch Ari Aster’s directorial debut Hereditary, but if the cinematography here is anything to go by, I can’t imagine I won’t love it. The long, panning shots, the overhead shots, everything here is absolutely breathtaking. And the colour palette is so bright, so vivid, in sharp contrast to what the subject matter of the film actually is. It’s just a beautiful thing to look at.

Midsommar is an incredible film, a horror film to define a generation and be admired for decades to come. It’s stunning visually, sounds amazing and has brilliant performances throughout. It’s also disturbing and thought-provoking for the entirety of its runtime. You’ll never feel comfortable watching this film.

So put aside your troubles, join the fun and let the celebrations begin.