Midsommar Review

From the very beginning of writer/director Ari Aster’s Midsommar, feelings of mystery and tension instantly begin to loom. It’s not long for Aster to reinforce this with a plethora of grim and graphic events. The film entertains an ambitious and often unsettling narrative that manages to never go overboard into flat-out ridiculousness. Midsommar disregards the cheap jump scares that have become popular throughout the horror genre in order to create an atmosphere that produces moments and visuals that linger. The films script manages to balance the gruesome horror and chilling atmosphere with well woven black comedy elements that when mixed with Aster’s immaculate directing, oozes an originality and uniqueness that the average movie goer is not used to seeing from horror films that receive a wide release.

Ari Aster became a director to watch out for after the release and success of his incredibly chilling and arresting film Hereditary, a disturbingly pulverizing movie that’s highlighted by immaculate performances and a focused artistic vision. Ari Aster once again delivers the same successes of Hereditary in Midsommar, but through different ways. While Hereditary often feels dark and claustrophobic, Midsommar is bright and open. Aster’s ability to consistently build tension through scenes that take place in broad daylight is an achievement that is hard to replicate.

Midsommar follows anxiety-ridden Dani and her emotionally distant boyfriend Christian. Dani’s anxiety and emotional damage is the result of her sister’s murder-suicide of herself and parents. This trauma strains Dani and Christian even more, a relationship that Christian has wanted out of for a long time but stays with Dani because he feels obligated to do so. When Dani joins Christian and his friends Mark and Josh for a night out, she learns that the guys have been invited by their friend Pelle to attend a sacred midsummer celebration in an ancestral commune in Sweden. Dani scolds Christian for not telling her, who responds by inviting her to go with them, validating it as a way to get her mind off her issues. Dani hesitatingly agrees, sending her on a journey that quickly becomes more horrifically ritualistic than any of them could have ever imagined.

The entire film is dependent on the engrossing and radical arc of Dani played by Florence Pugh, who successfully projects a riveting array of emotions as she endures progressively more hellish events. Although the other characters in the film are not as significant, each are performed wonderfully and helps elevate each character’s well-written dialogue.

Ari Aster’s stylistic approach to Midsommar is one that deserves to be applauded. The bright and cloudless skies and landscapes add a stunning amount of clarity to each scene. Every aspect of the film is brought to life through gorgeous set and costume designs. Flowing white dresses with beautifully woven headbands of flowers and mesmeric drawings etched onto the sides of old architecture adds vibrant layers to the detailed world that has been forged. The effects become unpredictable as the film moves forward, what begins with some flowers pulsating turns into scenes where the trees numbingly bend and warp back and forth. There is so much ambition injected into every aspect of Midsummer that some moments fail to stand out and be as effective as others.

Midsommar is easily one of the most visually striking and existential horror films to be released this year, and cements Ari Astor as someone that exemplifies the type of originality and focus to be considered one of the most promising writer/directors in cinema today.

An intriguing and well executed narrative backed by incredible effects, diverse characters, great performances, chilling atmosphere and beautifully complex stylistic directing from Ari Astor makes Midsommar a must-see for horror fans.

Produced By: A24
Runtime: 147 minutes
Rating: R