AT THE MOVIES

by Isy Jordan

Midsommar
Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, and more.

A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown's fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Okay, I'm reviewing a new-to-me movie called Midsommar and I've got to be honest. When it first came out, it really didn't seem like the type of horror film I'd enjoy. At the time it was released in the theatres, I gave it a pass.

Now, having given it a view, I'm here to say I love Midsommar.

I'm going to start by saying writer/director Ari Aster has a style all his own and I watched it a second time just to pay attention to all the careful details and foreshadowing I found in this film. It's incredible. Actually, if you pay attention to the murals and pictures and prompts in the film, it can get a little spoilery. But no worries. You're trying so hard to figure out what's going on, you're not paying attention to the little details. Not the first time.

The films starts in the bleakest winter. Dani (Pugh), is worried because of the cryptic messages she's getting from her bipolar sister. She can't reach her. She can't reach their parents. Her boyfriend tells her not to worry, that it's what her sister always does to get attention. We learn her boyfriend is trying to end the relationship. We also learn Dani's sister has killed their parents and herself leaving Dani desolate.

Moving forward to spring, Christian (Reynor), Dani's boyfriend is still around but only because of the awful trauma she experienced. He's planning a trip to Sweden for several weeks to work on his thesis with his friends Josh, Mark, and Pelle. Dani finds out at a get-together. It's awkward. He ends up inviting her along on the trip, hoping it will help her, and our real story begins.

Between recreational mushroom trips, a quaint Swedish village where Pelle is from with Disney bright colors, and a ceremony that only takes place once every 90 years, Midsommar is a horror film unlike anything I've ever seen. I loved it. Instead of relying on standard horror tropes, it turns everything on its head.

Sweden starts out so pure and ideal and turns into a literal nightmare for most of our characters. The acting was decent with the acception of Pugh who did the heavy lifting in the film and did an amazing job. The story was long but moved at a good pace and kept you engaged. The effects were pretty good.

The twists and turns leading up to a controversial ending that I personally liked very much make you feel like you did recreational mushrooms. But hey, no side effects, and it's really worth it.

It's rated R for drug use, ritualistic violence, suicide, graphic sex, nudity, and other grisly images. 2 hours and 28 minutes seems like an eternity for a horror film but trust me, it works here. You can't make this up and you need time to get to the finale. It's a disturbing little film and one that you'll be thinking about a while after the credits roll. I recommend it.

Isy