MIDSOMMAR
Let the sunshine in…
Has it inherited any of Hereditary’s magic?
OUT NOW
Midsommar, the sophomore film from writer/ director Ari Aster, arrives barely 12 months after Hereditary, his calling-card first feature. Hereditary wasn’t just an arresting and confident debut, it was also one of the best (and scariest) horror films of the decade. So, naturally, Aster’s follow-up comes burdened with expectation.
Tense and stylish with a tragic twist, Midsommar’s 15-minute prologue is an absolute masterclass, and could even work as a standalone short. What it does in context, however, is set up the traumatic backstory of Dani (Florence Pugh), before she embarks on a trip to a pagan summer-solstice festival in Sweden. She’s reluctantly invited by boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor), CERTIFICATE 18 DIRECTOR Ari Aster STARRING Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren SCREENPLAY Ari Aster DISTRIBUTOR Entertainment Film RUNNING TIME 147 mins
who was anticipating a lads’ holiday with his academic friends.
The festival is the backdrop against which this toxic relationship plays out, the isolation and almost constant daylight becoming a crucible for the increasing weirdness. Dani, Christian and friends are the proverbial frogs in the pot, and it’s not long before the simmer becomes a rollicking boil, as the festivities escalate from quaintly odd to downright disturbing.
Aster draws a nuanced, multilayered performance from Florence Pugh, who walks a fine line as someone struggling to manage her own grief while also possibly being gaslit. The frequent hallucinogens the group consume add to the disorientation.
HEAVY PETAL
As in Hereditary, Aster showcases a unique visual style, one that feels like a fully formed trademark after just two features. From striking cuts, formal compositions and carefully etched background clues, he’s a devil when it comes to detail. It’s a bold move to set a horror film mostly in daylight, and green fields and flower garlands are made to seem impressively ominous. And once again, there are a couple of shockingly gruesome moments that puncture the pastoral idyll.
It makes for an immersive experience, if not an absolutely terrifying one. Midsommar doesn’t stay entirely true to its ‘sunny horror’ conceit, using the brief dusk period and shuttered cabins more than once. And what the extended running time gains in an enveloping, hypnotic atmosphere, it robs from the tension. It feels like a film that will reward future viewings. But on initial reflection, it’s not entirely clear what Midsommar’s trying to say – its meditation on grief is diluted somewhat by academic rivalry – and it lacks a final knockout punch. The biggest surprise is the lack of a huge surprise; it doesn’t quite sear itself on to the subconscious like The Wicker Man, or indeed Hereditary. Matt Maytum
THE VERDICT
Offers a standout turn from Florence Pugh and an expertly assembled atmosphere of dread.