Midsommar

Midsommar is art. It is sublime, and no words can do it justice. There is so much to celebrate about this film (the intricate costumes, the astonishing cinematography, the beautiful set design, and so much more) but I just have to focus on the two parts that turn it from a brilliant film to a masterpiece of epic proportions: the score, and the performance of Florence Pugh as Dani Ardor. When the music and Florence Pugh's acting come together, Midsommar becomes an unbeatable portrayal of absolute emotional and mental turmoil. From the first shot of the film to the very last, it captures such naked feelings of grief, panic, and distress like no film I have seen before or since. The fact this film was neglected at the Oscars (not receiving so much as a nomination!) is a true injustice.The soundtrack (composed by British musician Bobby Krlic) is flawless from beginning to end, but a few tracks stand out even among a complete set of beautiful (yet harrowing) pieces. 'Gassed', which plays early on in the film, is a feeling of total distress and loss put into audio form. It is the music of a person whose live has been changed irrevocably for the worse, and it is as if the instruments themselves were wailing. Further on in the film, we hear: 'Attestupan', a piece that captures a feeling of sheer resignation and surrender. When everything is already terrible and is only getting worse - 'Attestupan' is that sensation of powerlessness and of the body and mind shutting down to save itself. Finally, there is 'Fire Temple', which plays at the very end of the film. This is a very long piece which goes through several phases as if they were the seven stages of grief themselves, before finally climaxing in a cacophony that represents an utterly destroyed mind that has completely surrendered to insanity.Then, there is Florence Pugh, who I believe is one of (it not *the*) most talented actresses alive on this Earth today. Any snapshot of her expressions in this film capture a million and one emotions without her having to say so much as a single word. Incredulity, crisis, defeat, shock - and so many others - Florence Pugh is the heart and soul of this film, and as fantastic as it is in every way, it would not have been the same without her. The cadence in her voice and rawness of every utterance she gives make this among the most convincing performances I have ever seen in cinema (and I have watched a lot of films!). If for no other reason, watch this film for Florence Pugh.If I have not made it clear enough yet: I adore this movie. It will forever be one of my absolute favourites, and I have long since lost count of the number of times I have returned to it. It is the most painful emotions a human can suffer brought to life on the silver screen. I simply cannot wait to see how Ari Aster 'wows' us cinephiles next. There is nothing about this film I would change and I have no doubt that I will return to it often for as long as I live.

Love it

Ari Aster is not the first director to tackle the unsettling horror of what we call folk horror; films about esoteric pagan rituals that dwell upon the dark hell at the heart of these supposedly idyllic communities. That distinction would probably go to Blood on Satan's Claw, the 1973 feature that began a minor fad in such films. In 1974 came The Wicker Man, the one pagan horror that is considered the yardstick by which all other such films are measured. Midsommar is a worthy successor to that classic, both in form and content.The story is simple enough: Dani, a young girl ( a bravura performance by British actress Florence Pugh), loses her family to a suicide and travels to Sweden with her boyfriend Christian (sombrely played by Jack Reynor) and his friends, to take her mind off the horror. They arrive at an idyllic pagan community in rural Sweden that is about to celebrate Midsommar, a festival that takes place every nine years. Dani, Christian and his pals are invited to stay and be a part of the celebration. From then on the visitors are slowly plunged into a vortex of horror that only takes them deeper and deeper into its blood-soaked maw. The ending is unforgettable and will linger in your memory for a long time to come.With Midsommar, Ari Aster has shown that he is a horror director to be reckoned with. It is a worthy follow up to his 2018 feature Hereditary. Much darker and deeper than Hereditary, Midsommar may not be everyone's cup of tea but I suggest you give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

This is Ari Asters best film to date,a pastiche of the Wicker Man.

Shows the main character crying which completely ruined the movie for me because the entire time I watched it I was like “well any minute now she will start crying”, when she did start crying I was completely unshocked because I knew she was going to cry so it had no emotional impact.

A true horror film

I watched this movie when it was released in cinema in 2019. The theatrical version was disturbing and it leaves an impression on you, enough for you to go back to the internet the next day and google the story to answer the question why did the characters act the way they did? Is there such a cult in real life or fiction? I did recommend this move to friends but i cautioned them before going to the cinema.I found the directors cut blue-ray on amazon and despite the effect it had on me in 2019. I asked myself how is it possible that this movie could get any better or worse? I bought the directors cut and I was not disappointed, there are scenes here cut out from the original version that add to the story and i could not sleep the night after watching this. I would thoroughly recommend this movie. Horror movies these days dont scare people anymore but this one will and the directors cut certainly will.

Saw it in theatre; loved it then, but you miss so much. Really just wanted to see it again, like we did with Hereditary and the disc was cheap enough. The Directors' Cut is worth it, to us, for a re-view. We loved it. Can't wait to see what he and A24 release next.Though many would say this is not horror, per se...it's essentially about grief, loss and just for fun, the breakdown of a relationship. Against the backdrop of a peaceful, nearly Amish-like Swedish commune and its every 90-year re-birth festival...think sort of May Day/Wicker Man-ish...flowers, dancing, music, games...and I felt a very subtle, nagging dread throughout. And though its subtle and very understated, it's absolutely shocking at turns; all the more for its lack of jump scares or threatening, ominous music cues.I don't want to give anything away, just two peoples' opinion on the writer/directors' brilliance. It's a bit of a masterwork, in our humble opinions. The actors are again, very well chosen. As in Hereditary.

I have to say, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. For me, the stranger the better - and this one is bizarre! I love movies about alternate cultures that us Americans have no real idea about. Also, this was the first Blu Ray I have ever owned and the quality of it is really top notch. This one, to me, begs for a sequel maybe on a mid-winter event. Highly recommend!

La vi en el cine y.... quiero verla otra vez. A ver qué sensaciones me despierta..

Came here on time and is a great movie

Gruselig, verstörend. Toller Stimmungstransfer. Die helle, offene Darstellungsweise macht den Inhalt noch grotesker. Bemerkenswerter Film!

An exceptional film, looks beautiful in its cinematography. The unease is there from the very beginning. It plays fine on my multi-region player.