4.3/5.0
An emotionally mortifying slow-burn dripped in blinding sunlight, exposing the horrors of a toxic relationship. Ari Aster has enhanced his craft of devising a chilling horror film in the most non-traditional sense. With Aster’s previous Hereditary making it as one of my personal favorites of 2018, I was skittish about my expectations for Midsommar. Hereditary perfectly portrayed the dread of the characters onto the audience leaving you speechless and out of breath. Midsommar does not disappoint also leaving the audience dreadful, breathless, and perplexed as the film reaches its end.
Deeply tortured Dani grieving over the recent morbid loss of her family turns to Christian, her emotionally unavailable boyfriend of four years. Although hesitant Christian is on the verge of breaking up with Dani, but finds himself guilt-tripped into putting off the breakup even longer after the tragic news of Dani’s recent loss. In doing so Christian drags the dying relationship even further by inviting her to Sweden with him and his friends. The group is invited by their friend Pelle to his hometown to attend a culturally invoking summer solstice ritual that only takes place every 90 years. The complexity of the high-tension relationship between Dani and Christian is exacerbated once arriving in Sweden. While the Swede community is far more welcoming than necessary and the scenery is beautifully bright, there is something much more dark taking place.
Spoilers Below
Midsommar is not for the faint-hearted, in this bright folk horror piece the traditional elements of horror are not used, but rather in its place you find the pain of grief and bad relationships. Ultimately the unsettling dynamic between Dani and Christian is what sets off the film and is what brings the film to an end.
Like Hereditary the characters dance around their feelings to avoid confrontation of the truth rather than to address them directly. Midsommar similarly, dodges the harsh reality that Dani and Christian are no longer in a thriving relationship which neither are willing to accept. Initially we are introduced to the relationship between the two via an early phone call where even over the phone the tension runs high. As the film progresses the uneasy dynamic intensifies leaving the audience dreading each interaction that presents itself. Watching Dani and Christian interact is so uncomfortable you almost want to look away, but also find yourself drawn to it as they are. It’s a broken relationship and by the time we’re introduced to Christian, his friends are clear on their agreement that he should leave Dani. Although Christian remains silent for majority of his friends opinion to break up with Dani, he is hesitant to accept the reality of the situation. During the aftermath of the gruesome deaths of Dani’s parents and sister, Christian is sucked back into the crippling relationship out of guilt. Dani becomes highly dependent on Christian and longs to be able to turn to anyone since the recent death of her family practically leaves her “orphaned” as Pelle stated.
One of the most distressing interactions between the pair occurs after a party, when Dani comes to find through Christian’s friends that he is heading to Sweden for a month as Christian tries to cluelessly play it off. Upon returning to the apartment Dani expresses her unease about the trip to Sweden and attempts to explain that she would like to have been told about the trip by Christian himself. Christian continues to apologize, but Dani expresses that his apology wasn’t really an apology (which it wasn’t), then Christian tries to explain himself which then leaves Dani to say that she doesn’t need an apology. Yikes. The constant pointing fingers in this conflict could have been better communicated between the two had it been a healthier relationship with people who were willing to actually communicate. The argument turns into manipulation from both sides and ultimately Dani ends up apologizing for even having brought it up. Following the argument Christian is fed up and wants to leave, but Dani pulls on his arm almost begging him to stay. This exhibits Dani’s fear of losing Christian although she’s upset with him. In retrospect, Dani has just lost her entire family and losing the last link she has to anyone can be more devastating than to stay with someone she is unhappy with. This is the troubling issue with toxic relationships, where it seems much more painful to let go than to continue being miserable.
Thus follows the trip to Sweden where the intricacies of the relationship become further and further exposed. The pair undergo various instances of uncomfortableness to the point that it is almost comical. Such as Christian’s neglect to remember Dani’s birthday and Dani’s irrational excuse that “It’s not his fault I should have reminded him.” Through the dark rituals taking place by the Swedes a shift between the two’s relationship takes place. Initially Dani is hesitant to speak up for what truly bothers her for fear of confrontation or losing Christian. But as Dani precedes to become the May Queen she slowly finds assurance to ultimately letting go of Christian.
The Midsommar rituals follow upon the arrival of the group and a few other newcomers. As characters inexplicably disappear the Swedes fail to stay consistent in their fabrications as to where they have gone. As each new ritual takes place the visitors are appalled by the extreme to which the Swedes take their rituals. Slowly, (and I do mean slowly) the group begins to be pulled apart at the seams. With the constant intake of multiple psychedelics the group becomes uncoordinated and detached from the reality of the horror happening around them. The characters are so lost in it all it leaves them doubtful if this is all happening or its all just a bad trip. With each sedative and lie they are fed, the audience has difficulty finding their footing in what is actually happening, leaving them just as puzzled and disoriented as the characters.
Midsommar is a fairytale nightmare, while it is horrifying just as much as it is entrancing. Filled with impressive hysterical performances from Florence Pugh in the execution from grief to slowly losing all sense of reality. It is a refreshing take on the horrors of bad relationships and to the level of insanity it can take you if you’re pushed too far. Taking into account the uneasiness between Dani and Christian, disappearances of friends, and slowly losing all reason, enough dread has built up that it is almost satisfying watching everything go into a frenzy. Correspondingly to Hereditary the film is a slow burn and likewise Midsommar achieves the same dread that Hereditary does. Although Midsummer accomplishes the dread of the slow-burn effect at a much slower pace than Hereditary. Aster has pulled off another singular non-traditional horror film with success. Midsommar is the film of the summer in all its translucent lighting and alluring setting in the open airy fields of Sweden, there is darkness lurking beneath the surface.