Midsommar

Whoa. Jesus. Fucking hell. 4 words that whooshed through my head as the credits rolled on Ari Aster's sophomore feature length offering 'Midsommar'. I really liked it but many others won't. But like it or loathe it, it's a film that will stay with you for a long long time. And you'll kind of want the Summer to be over too. It's disturbing stuff.

A brutal tragedy has broken Dani Ardor. Her grief isn't helped by her dying relationship with her boyfriend Christian. Christian is torn between helping her out and hanging with his friends who want him to go on a summer trip to Sweden. In an effort to feel closer to Dani he invites her along and to his surprise she joins him, Mark, Josh and Pelle on a holiday to Pelle's family commune in Northern Sweden. They arrive on the Summer solstice, a time of huge celebration. Midsommar is celebrated differently in this part of the world though.

Midsommar is 147 minutes long. It really doesn't need to be. Too many scenes go on way too long. Yet at the same time it feels like big parts of the story are missing. People seem far too worried about other people they've just met. Faces shown prominently in trailers and posters barely appear. Well known actors just disappear. The film has a disjointed feel as a result. Then there's the things that characters do that are so unbelievable your eyes will roll in your head. Hanging around a place after witnessing horrifying acts. Heading off alone, believing strangers, all the things your mammy warned you not to do are done. Midsommar is full of flaws and annoying plot points and then there's the fact that it all feels a bit too familiar. A certain UK masterpiece of the genre from 1973 really sticks out and how many times have we seen young yanks abroad being sliced and diced? Way too many times.

Yet for all of that, I really liked it. It's a full on ferocious horror movie with a very unique aesthetic. It's disgusting (jaw droppingly so in places), terrifying and insanely atmospheric. It delves into a culture rarely mined for scares and makes the most of what it finds. Swedes and their unique relationship with their country's wildlife, sacrificial runes, ritualistic artwork and ättestupa (i'll leave ye to find out what that is). Like Aster's first film Hereditary it runs with it's concept to the bitter end and never chickens out along the way. From it's traumatic opening scene to it's blistering close the sense of dread never once stops but it's most horrifying moments aren't the ones you'd expect. Two portrayals of grief, one unsupported and one very much supported are moments that will stick with you for an age after the credit's roll. Aster's a director who understands that true loss is far scarier than anything supernatural.

Midsommar is a rare horror movie that takes place almost entirely in bright blazing sunlight. There's nowhere to hide, no shadows for our characters to flee to and no darkness to hide the gory details of what we're watching. A lesser horror might use darkness to it's advantage but confident direction and storytelling let's us bear witness to everything. Everything. A rock solid cast helps too. Florence Pugh's Dani is a character you want to see survive to the end and Ireland's own Jack Reynor as Christian does emotionally distant very well. Watching their relationship crumble as the drama builds around them is nearly as tough to watch as the events that befall the others around them. Blood eagles huh? What a way to go.

Midsommar is a slog but it's a worthwhile one. You definitely won't seen anything else like it in the cinema this year. Two hints for prospective viewers btw, make sure you've a strong stomach and when there's artwork in the background of a scene, make sure you focus on it. It will all pay off.