Rating of
3/4
A Nightmare in Broad Daylight
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/30/19
Ari Aster is fast becoming one of my favorite horror directors. He doesn't take the easy route, his horror is a slow burn, crafted so that little moments of unease get under your skin and, like a splinter, just works its way in deeper and deeper, until that sense of dread overwhelms you. If Hereditary was about family - Midsommar is about relationships - more specifically, toxic relationships. It's also about folklore and horror too - and there is plenty to digest.
The core of the film centers around Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) who have been dating for a couple of years, but are clearly not "together". Dani has family issues - and things quickly come to head when her sister and parents die in rather gruesome fashion. Out of a sense of guilt or grief, Christians, who has been thinking about breaking up, stays with Dani during this tragic time. Christians friends, the outspoken Mark (Will Poulter), academic Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Swedish student Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) have varying degrees of interest when it comes to Dani - with Mark being the most vocal about the two of them breaking up.
When Pelle invites the boys to visit is small hometown for a very important festival that happens once every 90 years, Josh jumps at the chance to write a thesis on Midsommar rites, while Mark just wants to enjoy himself and Christian is reluctant to leave Dani - but when he invites her on a whim, she also joins the group. Thus the five of them arrive in the small commune for nine days of revelry and pageantry - all made more vibrant by the inclusion of several mind-altering concoctions the group is given.
The film also takes place during a period where the sun barely sets - so it is light all the time and the movie beams with color - which makes the creeping horror all the more unnerving. Dani, still reeling from deaths of her sister and parents, is prone to bursts of sudden crying - and the holistic drugs only seem to compound her emotions. Meanwhile, Christian becomes the target of Maja (Isabelle Grill) who is soon casting love spells to try to ensnare him. Both Josh and Mark run afoul of the elders for various reasons, while another couple who have joined from London, Connie (Ellora Torchia) and Simon (Archie Madekwe) seem to suddenly disappear following a particularly gruesome custom.
Every day spent in celebration is leading to something big - while also driving a further wedge between Dani and Christian. This culminates when Dani is proclaimed the May Queen while Christian completes his own ritual with Maja. I can't describe the film better than unsettling - the bright, idyllic setting is juxtaposed with sudden violence and just a general sense of anxiety lurking under the surface.
Aster does an excellent job of crafting the folklore for this small commune - from tapestries and paintings, to their sacred text to the clothes the villagers wear - it is all finely done. Granted, pretty much ever horror folklore tale owes a debt to the classic Wicker Man - and Midsommar is no exception. While Aster also drew inspiration from other films as well, anyone who has seen Wicker Man will no doubt see a few similarities - not that it's a bad thing.
The only major complaint I have is that, aside from Dani and Christian, most of the other characters are given very little in the character development side of things. Poulter and Harper do their best, but just aren't much more than cookie-cutter personalities. Likewise, most of the villagers are just there - creepy stares and smiles - with very little else to go on. Still, it's the setting, not necessarily that characters, that make this film work so well. The music is also quite well done - setting the scene with the tone.
If you enjoyed Aster's Hereditary, certainly Midsommar will be right up your alley. It's not horror in the traditional sense, but it's my kind of horror and I really hope Aster shows us more.
