Ari Aster presents another haunting film that stays with you for days. Midsommar may not be your typical horror film, but its contents truly are horrific in nature.
“After a family tragedy, a young American couple joins some friends at a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. What begins as a carefree summer holiday takes a sinister turn when the insular villagers invite their guests to partake in festivities that grow increasingly unnerving and viscerally disturbing. From the visionary mind of Ari Aster (Hereditary) comes this dread-soaked cinematic fairy tale where a world of darkness unfolds in broad daylight.”
Ari Aster made a household name for himself in the horror genre after releasing his first feature-length film, Hereditary. A perfect blend of chilling sequences filled with a slow building sense of dread that permeates throughout the entire film. His next, Midsommar, was going to be the true test for fans to see if he had what it took to rise to the same level, setting the bar so impossibly high. What you get from Midsommar is a takeaway that will surely be different for every person. It’s a tough film to watch, not because of the quality, but because Aster knows how to make his audience unsettled even in the most serene of settings.
One of the first indications of abandonment of the typical genre tropes is the fact that once we reach Sweden, the film takes place almost entirely in the daytime. Darkness has no bearing on the horrific nature of the film, nor is needed to paint a haunting picture that will stay with you for days after finishing it. Things are done entirely out in the open and in the light, and if you can recognize the symbolism that’s scattered throughout the film, this won’t be a surprise. Speaking of symbolism, what’s immediately apparent is the intense use of color throughout. The entire film is crafted so artistically that every tiny nuance of it makes you think, makes you talk to your friends, keeping you guessing until the final sequence.
In the genre of horror, it isn’t always the priority of filmmakers to craft such a genuinely smart story, but try to squeeze in as many scares as possible to create a false sense of fear. What Aster has succeeded in creating, for a second time, is a fear and sense of dread so real, that the audience can’t help but be entangled in this story that seems much more plausible than a masked serial killer taking out co-eds one at a time. As layered as the story as a whole is, meeting this closed off community in Sweden with strict and ancient traditions, the basis of it is quite simple if you are able to decipher the true meaning behind it or decide to research the intentions of Aster behind his writing. While I won’t get into the film’s true intent, as it’s better to navigate it yourself and find your own meaning, it does one thing for certain: create a queasiness in the pit of your stomach that doesn’t let up until the credits role. That’s Ari Aster’s greatest quality, his greatest gift to the genre: a relentless film that refuses to give the audience a break, creating something truly horrific to witness.
Florence Pugh is by far the standout in the film. Although the rest of the cast do a fantastic job, Pugh’s performance permeates your very core, with an emotional depth you can’t help but feel as she does. There are scenes of her screaming in agony due to emotional pain, a pain that feels so real it’s unnerving. Given Aster’s alleged reasoning behind making this film, it’s a unique stylistic choice to feature the point of view of the woman in that scenario, furthering the discussion on the film’s meaning and intent.
Video
Midsommar is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.00:1. The film itself is visually breathtaking, with every shot, every background significant in the deeper meaning of the story. Color balance is exceptional, with the contrast between the darkness in the beginning of the film and the light during the rest of it all the more striking.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The track is haunting, with an impressive array of dreadful sound that surrounds you in some of the most horrific sequences. Balance is good, with that score providing most of the surround use, with a clear and concise center channel for dialogue.
Special Features
Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of extras on the disc to appease fans that may want a deeper look into the story.
- Let the Festivities Begin: Manifesting Midsommar
- Bear in a Cage Promo
Midsommar is definitely not your traditional horror film, and in a majority of ways nothing like Hereditary or what you’d expect. Ari Aster has proven himself to be an engaging storyteller, creating some smart films that create discussion among all those who see them. I for one can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
