Like most of the horror world, I liked HEREDITARY, the Ari Aster feature that featured a meditation on family and loss with some cult shenanigans injected in for good measure. I wouldn’t say I am dying to watch it again, but I was certainly intrigued when Midsommar [Blu-ray]
, his next film, was announced. I didn’t get a chance to see it in theaters, so I was thrilled when it arrived at my home in Blu-ray form. Trading in the claustrophobic doll house for the wide-open spaces of Sweden, MIDSOMMAR isn’t exactly the stunning masterpiece I expected, but a fine enough film for Aster’s next outing.
Dani’s life is thrown into turmoil when her sister kills her parents and herself in a horrific murder-suicide. Trying to put the pieces back together, Dani turns to her boyfriend, Christian who is, unbeknownst to her, on the verge of breaking things off. To help her through this rough time, she embarks on a journey with Christian and his college friends to a remote commune in Sweden, where they are about to celebrate a festival that only occurs every 90 years. Surrounded by gruesome ancient traditions, magic mushrooms, and lots of paranoia, Dani begins to lose her grip on reality. But of course, the villagers are hiding some more sinister secrets.
Not one to pull any punches, Aster’s eye is on the trauma from the very start, showcasing the horrific way Dani’s family is killed in full view of the camera. The grief it causes in Dani and having her run into her boyfriend’s arms, is key to the story of MIDSOMMAR, as it sends the entire story spiraling. A slow burn to the Nth degree, the film is deliberately paced to take its time and make you take everything in. Wide shots showcase the beautiful and sweeping landscapes, taking our breath away even before the terrible things begin to unfold.
The film soon becomes a series of unfortunate events, with more and more awful things taking place around the festival, with people disappearing and suspicions being raised. Despite their bright and cheery exterior, the villagers are clearly hiding something sinister beneath that even the constantly shining sun can’t hide. Plenty of close-ups of ghastly bits abound, as Aster wants us to see every last thing to really bring us into the ceremonies.
Florence Pugh gives a fantastic performance as Dani, really going through the gauntlet of emotions during the entire film. She definitely made me root for her and want what was best for her in the end. She carries the film on her grief, essentially, and we ride that wave with her. Truly an amazing role for her. Everyone else is serviceable enough, but a special nod to Jack Reynor for making me despise his Christian.
Coming in at 140 minutes or so, the movie feels a bit superfluous at times, and could have done with another edit to bring it down to a manageable size. That said, even with a longer running time, some plot threads seemingly drop-off with no explanation, and it’s frustrating to witness. The writing was mostly okay, but “clueless Americans” only goes so far these days in Cinema.
The Blu-ray comes with sparse special features, including only “Let the Festivities Begin: Manifesting Midsommar”, a featurette that is more standard EPK that doesn’t give us a deep dive we really want, as well as the “Bear in a Cage” promo which has about as much screen time as the bear in the film. It leaves a bit to be desired.
Overall, the film is fine. It’s not ground-breaking and not what I expected, but still a serviceable way to spend an evening.
MIDSOMMAR comes out October 8th on Blu-Ray and is available now for digital download.
