Makenzie Morrow

Midsommar is a film that redefines horror movies. There are few horror movies that are set in the daylight, which makes this film feel eerily too real and yet still a fantasy. Directed and written by Ari Aster, the film comes only one year after his first feature length directorial debut Hereditary. Midsommar is considered a folk horror, and at the very base it is, but it also subverts this genre. 

After watching this film, my first reaction was, “what the hell did I just watch?” and I know this was a common feeling among other viewers. This movie is one that you think about hours after it has ended. 

In the beginning of the film, the viewers see a mural on the screen. At this point (if it is your first time watching) you do not understand the significance of the artwork. 

After watching the film, you realize this beautiful work of art that flashes on the screen is the whole plot of the movie. Ari Aster has told us the story of this film in a 30 second shot.

    To further explain, Midsommar begins with a tragedy for the protagonist, Dani. Her sister kills herself and her parents by carbon monoxide, leaving Dani famlieless. This incident brings tension in her relationship with her boyfriend, Christian. Christian and his friends were invited to a midsommar celebration in Sweden, by their friend Pelle who is originally from a commune there. The dark beginning stands in stark contrast of where the movie leads and ultimately ends. The plot relocates to this village just in time for the nine day festivities of midsommar to begin. The films Mise En Scene is communicated to the viewers through paintings, as well as set design and the beautiful costumes of the village people (Mise En Scene is a huge part of this movie). At this commune, strange traditions are being unraveled to Dani and her friends. Psychedelics are being used and the viewer gains access to their altered state through prolonged shots and pulsating visual effects. A lot of yelling among the commune members is shocking, and makes you even giggle. But after a particular scene, Dani starts yelling and the commune members join her, which is a realization to the viewer that she is not alone. What she feels, everyone else feels it too. She may be going through a crappy relationship, her family has passed away tragically, and she feels alone….but she is not alone here. I will not give away much more, as you should see it and get a better understanding of what this film means to you.

    One of the more remarkable and surprising aspects of this movie is just how funny it is. Something that would have seemed like an impossibility after the dark opening scene. Most of the humor lies on Christian and his friends that react and provide commentary on what is happening around them. For the viewer, it feels uncomfortable and awkward to be giggling at some moments, but the things that happen on this commune are just plain outrageous and silly.

    The bright, pastel colors runs counterintuitive to what we associate as a horror movie. Things tend to become spooky at night rather in daylight, but this contrast makes the film feel real and unsettling. The brightness lulls us into a false sense of security before leading us to the hard fact of life, awful things happen no matter what time of day. For me, seeing this sort of horror in the daylight made me feel anxious, which I have never quite felt watching any other horror movie. The bad psychedelic trips in particular, not much was said from the actors during these scenes but the way Dani dealt with it physically made me as a viewer feel her same emotions while watching it.

    I would also like to take a moment to highlight the films extraordinary score by mastermind Bobby Krlic. Krilic composed diegetic music in addition to the score, ritualistic chants that the villagers sing, written and performed with traditional Nordic instruments and a vocal language developed specifically for the film. https://youtu.be/fd014sIrTgM 

    Ari Aster explains this film as a breakup movie dressed in the clothes of a folk horror film. It is not a straightforward horror film, it has elements of a comedy, drama, and at the very end, a very twisted feel-good movie. It deals with grief, betrayal, breakups and more in a very unique way. In an interview he explains he likes the horror genre ‘guidelines’, which is still present in this film. There even is a ‘final girl’, but even though this film is set up as a horror, I believe he still subverts the idea of what a horror movie usually is. I believe Ari Aster has made his own subdivision of folk horror with this film, and I highly recommend giving it a watch to those that have yet to see it. 

Sources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772262/

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/07/ari-aster-midsommar-interview/593194/

https://www.michigandaily.com/section/arts/“midsommar”-mesmerizing-genre-bending-beautiful-nightmare