Ari Aster mortified audiences and satisfied old school supernatural horror fans with his first feature Hereditary. With the new film Midsommar, Aster expands to European traditions and folk tales, balancing commentary on relationships and human nature in general with horror-fantasy.
Dani (a sensational Florence Pugh) is an emotionally and mentally distraught woman who has just faced a horrific life event. Unfortunately, her longtime boyfriend Christian (a comically nasty Jack Reynor) is a self-centered soul who looks at the situation as an inconvenience he has to bear. Christian wanted to break up with Dani and spend the summer partying with his grad student broskis.
Eventually, his friends have to accept that she's coming with them on what ostensibly is an anthropological and social studies trip to a remote Swedish community by the "scholars" (including Josh (William Jackson Harper), who is actually trying to get thesis work done). However, for rude American tourist bros like Mark (Will Poulter), it's a Burning Man-like opportunity to get high and get laid. Their admission ticket is Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren), a graduate student who is a community native and has a deep interest in Dani.
Once the group arrives at the pagan community, the mechanizations of ritual and the horror ride begin both for characters and audience members. Aster featured family dissolution and loss of loved ones as prominent plot points in Hereditary. In his second outing, he's much more ambitious, including academic honesty, commitment in relationships, elder care, and societal norms in its wide scope. All is presented with choreographed flair by cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, from hallucinations and floral-colored dances around the Maypole to the ritualized violence and bizarre sexual practices of the final third. It's an achievement in general by director and crew to generate so much dread in the bright light of the midnight sun.
Midsommar is a non-franchise, challenging experience that also delivers haunting imagery and multiple scenes of terror. With his continuing development as a filmmaker, Ari Aster may join Jordan Peele as a new brand name for quality in suspense/horror. Weaker hearts and stomachs beware, but those willing to endure a long and wild ride will be richly rewarded.
Rating: **** of ****.
Midsommar. An A24 release. Length: 140 minutes. Written and directed by Ari Aster. Cinematography by Pawel Pogorzelski. Starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, and Vilhelm Blomgren. Rated "R" for grizzly violence, graphic nudity and sexual situations, and profanity.
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