Film Review: Midsommar (2019)

Review

2019 was a quiet year for me as far as scary movies were concerned, this is primarily because I have a love hate relationship with the genre that stems from knowing full well that they will provide a sleepless night or two, and yet they continue to entice me with their siren song, promising to satiate my curiosity for the darker creations of the imagination. And so I find myself with Midsommar, a film I would describe as equal parts psychedelic horror and mystery thriller. Directed by Ari Aster, a man more known for creating short films, Midsommar marks only his second full length film. The film starts with Dani, a young university student who receives a disturbing email from her sister who suffers from bipolar. Its only later on that Dani receives the devastating news that her sister committed suicide and took their parents with her to the afterlife. Dani is distraught by the news, feeling understandably sad, scared and emotionally vulnerable. In this state she leans on her boyfriend, Christian, for support. Christian is an anthropology major who, before these new events, was having his doubts over the future of his relationship with Dani, something that slightly changes given recent circumstances. In an attempt to find inspiration for his thesis, Christian decides to join two of his other friends in visiting the home village of their mutual Swedish friend, Pelle. However, given his girlfriends current emotional state, Christian decides to invite her along for the trip, an appropriate word for more reasons than one.

The group arrive in Sweden and drive to the peaceful countryside where they eventually get to the village, a beautiful settlement that is a picture of serenity. The group are in awe of the buildings, the interior, the artwork and the white attire adorned by the locals, and are given a warm welcome to what marks the beginning of an important festival that only comes around every 90 years. But beneath the happy and peaceful exterior lies something unnerving that the characters and viewers will find difficult to shake. For at the heart of the festivities lies the enacting of very archaic practises that the foreign visitors may not be ready for. For unbeknownst to them, their role is not just as curious observers to the events and rituals, but very crucial parts of it.

The group takes part in activities, they join in with the dancing and consume mysterious beverages and food which seem to enhance their experience as a whole. But as the events move forward, a greater sense of confusion and discomfort is created from a lack of understanding of the proceedings and the overall method behind the subtle madness. The locals accept the rituals with a placid calm that creates a prevailing uncomfortability that is difficult to get rid of. It makes audiences want to reach in an shake some of them just to get some kind of response, as the silences are deafening and sometimes more disturbing than some of the other acts that follow.

This is as far as I would like to go in describing the film without giving too much away. What Ari Aster has done well is to create a film with a very unique and rare premise that seems to involve the audience in unique ways. The editing distorts the visuals to the point where one feels as if you are on a psychedelic trip with the characters, which brings with it feelings of wonder and paranoia. The creepiness of the film is well juxtaposed with beautiful and bright set pieces that works to almost amplify it, and Aster presents only enough at certain parts to allow for good foreshadowing and inference.

Midsommar is an original and well executed film that feels like watching an Amish community host Burning Man during Halloween. Its a films that allows the audience's imagination to do all the hard work as opposed to presenting something outright scary. Its a cloak and dagger film that raises genuine moral questions with regards to cultural customs and practices. While the anthropology majors accept and equate the activities to cultural relativism, the others feel that there is genuinely something wrong with most of whats going on. Good production, the stunning cinematography and hypnotic score of the festival are a few others reasons why I would recommend this film to anyone looking for a chilling cinematic experience. Happy viewing, and don't drink the coolaid :).

More Info:

Watch the Film Here: Midsommar

Score: AA

Out of 10: 7.5