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| The use of daylight sets Midsommar apart from other horror films that mainly rely on darkness for tension |
Midsommar is a 2019 folk horror film directed by Ari Aster, and the cast includes Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, and Will Poulter.
After the 2018 success of his first film, Hereditary, Ari Aster returned in 2019 with Midsommar, so i was looking forward to watching this one, which goes down more of a folk horror theme with cult elements.
Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart, but after a family tragedy keeps them together, a grieving Dani invites herself to join Christian and his friends on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village.
What begins as a carefree summer holiday in a land of eternal sunlight takes a sinister turn when the insular villagers invite their guests to partake in festivities that render the pastoral paradise increasingly unnerving and viscerally disturbing.
Midsommar has a similar feel to Hereditary, so if you found Hereditary’s high drama a challenge to watch, you might struggle with this film too. At over two hours long, you really need to be fine with slow burn movies as well.
Much like in Hereditary, grief and trauma in Midsommar plays a big part, and Florence Pugh, who plays Dani, captures this perfectly, as she balances the big, emotional scenes with more subtle moments, incredibly well.
Dani is nervous and eager to please, which makes her journey through the film an engaging and interesting watch and Jack Reynor, as her boyfriend Christian, handles his character’s uncertainty and manipulation well, too.
Aster has multiple activities happening in the background in many of the scenes, which creates a lively and active commune, and this effect is enhanced by the almost constant daylight, and the use of daylight sets Midsommar apart from other horror films that mainly rely on darkness for tension.
The bright light reveals everything, even the details we’d rather not see, contrasting with the darkness at the film’s start that makes Dani’s world feel small and some camera tricks change how spaces are viewed, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Midsommar is a movie that taps into the fear of being part of something you don’t understand, building tension through the detailed depiction of the commune’s practices.
Aster's style certainly won't work for everyone however, and some viewers will find the commune practices tiresome, and there are moments where the film’s melodramatic horror might elicit laughter rather than fear.
As you watch the film though, you feel like part of the commune, but Aster keeps you at a distance too, and this creates a disarming feeling of being both a participant and an observer.
It's is a powerful and unsettling film that divides audiences with its bold style, again, much like Hereditary, it’s an absorbing and intense nightmare with excellent performances and fascinating techniques, creating another film experience that if you connect with it, you will get a lot out of it.
But much like some of Aster's other films, the if you connect with it, is the key bit, because as said, his style is not for everyone, but for me personally, it's another Ari Aster master class.
I would rate this film 81% on my horror movie nerd-o-meter.
[Midsommar on IMDB] [Where to watch Midsommar]
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