Midsommar (2019)
What impressed me (well many things impressed me) is how this seems a bastard child from the unholy union of The Wicker Man (1973), Get Out (2017) and The Witch (2016) and it manages to bring out the best parts of each of these in what could have easily been otherwise an unintentionally comical B movie.
You shouldn’t focus on the plot holes - it’s a horror, there will be plot holes - but rather on the many themes touched; in no particular order:
- how we treat the elderly?
- what is a community?
- what is a family?
- what is the function of emigration and immigration?
- how is history preserved?
- how does culture evolve?
- are there absolute (moral) values?
- how weather conditions influence human and cultural development?
- what is the role of drugs in religious customs?
As you can see, there is plenty to reflect while a, mildly gory, well framed and masterfully edited American movie plays on the screen.
Was this Ari Aster peak? Time will tell, I did appreciate parts of Beau Is Afraid (2023) but it jumped the shark one too many times for me to take it seriously, there is indeed a balance to all things that are good and right.
Do I recommend it?
Yes - the gore might put off a shared viewing with more casual viewers, and definitely not a child friendly title, otherwise is worth your time.
Rewatchable?
Yes - there are plenty of nuggets to pick up, both in the illustrations and background, there is also the pleasure of picking up the clues before it happens; fairly layered movie that can get a couple of runs without being boring.