The creepiest break-up story ever told?
For today’s “Film in Review,” I’m going to be discussing Ari Aster’s Midsommar.
Midsommar
Midsommar immediately sets itself up as a melodrama with a dark atmosphere. However, by the end of the movie, it turns itself on its head and unravels as a creepy, fairytale of sorts. The premise of the movie is that a group of Americans travel to Sweden for the summer traditions known as “Midsommar,” and unsettling events start to take place upon their arrival.
Of the group, two are a couple who are experiencing tension in their relationship, which becomes a vital element to the film. After seeing this movie this weekend, my initial thought is that it was a gorgeous film. I would equate it to the sound of music on acid in the way it was shot and the scenery of the rolling grass hills and vast landscape. Accompanied by the score, the cinematography of the movie manages to transport you into this almost never-never land-esk setting, which is quite literally being experienced by the main characters in the film; happy, melodic sounds are sometimes layered over deeply horrific scenes, which has parallels to what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship.
“Midsommar for me was my breakup movie—it felt as big, consuming, and cataclysmic as breakups tend to feel,” – Ari Aster
Vice
If you were a fan of Ari Aster’s 2018 Hereditary, I would suggest going into this with an open-mind, as the films differ in more ways than they relate. Hereditary was very dark in its nature, quite literally with very dark shots. However, Midsommar takes an opposite approach where most of the movie is shot during the day, letting the darkest horror unfold in broad daylight. I don’t believe this is a film for everyone. It’s slow and melodic in its approach and lacks structure at times. For this, I am giving the film 3.5/5 stars.