Midsommar (2019) – Film Review (some spoilers)
I watched Midsommar a short while after posting my ten favourite horror films of the last decade and did think that perhaps should I have waited with the chance of placing a new entry. But upon watching it I can safely say that no, it would not have been a new entry.
I’m loathe to be too mean because I appreciate that something different was done here and I loved director Ari Aster’s previous movie Hereditary – ironically one of my favourite horror films of the last decade. I liked the 18 rating with thus more option for gore. And I enjoyed the set-up to the story. The whole idea is pretty darn cool – the mysterious ‘Midsummer Festival’ – a folky horror with a plot surrounding paganism and creepy behaviour.
And there’s something very pretty about it all too – an evil that masquerades underneath gorgeous blue skies and beautiful flowers – I like that idea a lot and even the film posters are really cool. I’m sad I didn’t like it more but the problem for me really was that I never found it scary or disturbing – so somewhat missing the entire point.
(I think I felt more creeped out when I saw a night-time surveillance video of a moose recently and realised just how bloody huge they are! Seriously, it almost looked like an alien).
Maybe I’m immature – which my last sentence does testify towards – but many of the ‘most disturbing’ scenes in Midsommar I found to be amusing and also slightly embarrassing.
I couldn’t take the weird cult behaviour seriously (sorry) – it just made me laugh. Aside from the mental sex scene and the bloody racket all those women make after Dani finds out about the mental sex scene, I generally just found all the constant chanting and rituals a bit silly and cringe. I honestly do wish I could have sunk into it and felt the dread and darkness as intended but for me, it definitely didn’t happen.
Even the ending went over my head. I realised about half way through I wasn’t exactly loving it but because of the age rating and screwed-up feel that Aster was aiming for I truly believed that something SUPER fucked up and repugnant would happen at the end. And I was looking forward to a very grim finale. But really, it wasn’t that bad.
Okay so being forced into a disemboweled bear’s body and burned alive isn’t good enough for me. I’m sorry. Look it wasn’t that it was tame, it just wasn’t……..well I guess I had no tension left in me by this point. Most of the films funniest scenes had occurred and it was just yet another hurdle to get through.
Dani was the only person in the film I liked. She’s the main character you see on the posters covered in flowers or screaming. I actually felt sorry for her as she seemed like a nice person yet had a rather bellend, wimpy boyfriend. She suffers a VERY screwed up family tragedy (woah) at the start which is how she winds up going on this ill-fated trip to Sweden with her crap strawberry-blonde fella and his friends – even though he wants to break up with her and the friends all bitch about her. I like that eyebrows guy Will Poulter. No offence but he’s great at playing a dick.
And so they embark on the worst trip ever for a group of young twenty-somethings. Really guys? Couldn’t you just have gone somewhere with beer, nice food and a few museums. Though beautiful surroundings I did start to wonder just how long I could stomach staying at this place and that’s before you take into account all the actual scary stuff.
No privacy or being ‘allowed to do what you want’. For example eating when the community does (at an uncomfortable looking banquet table where the portion sizes do not look adequate). So no restaurants, buffet breakfasts, on-the-go hot-dogs, on-the-go pizza slices OR ‘let’s stop for a quick coffee and cake’ or ‘just the cake’.
Accommodation is really no more than a youth hostel and despite the pretty doodlings on the wall (no doubt actually EVIL doodlings) there is no way in hell I’d want to sleep in a massive shed with a load of hippy, unwashed strangers in a tiny bed with no electric, only to be woken up early to watch more annoying weirdos chant a lot and then being forced to dance around in a field whilst wearing weird clothes and I just kept thinking…….
THIS IS A HOLIDAY????
On the plus side the group are given hallucinogenic mushrooms on arrival.
In a way I’m sad I didn’t like Midsommar more but maybe I’ll re-watch it one day and see the light. I’m not ashamed to admit I found it funny, it’s just my sense of humour.
To be fair The Wicker Man was funny at times. Remember Christopher Lee in the long black wig, lurid dress and face paint? Come on. But I still found the film horrid. The ending where they all sing happily around the Wicker Man whilst Woodward faces an awful death is both horrific and bizarre. The ending to The Wicker Man is forever burned into my memory (all puns intended) but sadly I never got that ‘horrific and bizarre’ thing from Midsommar. I’m still glad loads of you loved it though and hands up who’s looking forward to Ari Aster’s next horror!
emmakwall (explains it all) 
A very crazy and out there movie, parts of it really stuck in my mind ages after watching it. Anchoring it was Florence Pugh who I adore and who is clearly on a roll at the moment. Wonderful review Emma
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Loved Midsommar, but found Hereditary super-overrated… This is the beauty of art… we see the same artwork differently! 🙂
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That’s right and it’s pretty darn cool!!!!
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cool stuff
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Funny, I didn’t think much of “Hereditary” after the hype but this one crept into my year end Top 10 of 2019. Did you watch the Director’s Cut or the Theatrical Cut?
Talking about shocking and horrific – did you not squirm at the old people committing suicide by jumping off the cliff onto the rocks? Or the old an getting his head caved in with the sledgehammer? That was disturbing as hell for me!
I have to say the US cast were annoying but then again I find all US teens/20 somethings in cinema to be obnoxious and annoying so I was glad when they were offed in brutal fashion! 😛
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I’m not sure, I watched whichever version was free on Amazon Prime so I presume the theatrical cut. I liked the scene where the oldies threw themselves off the cliff, it was shocking! That’s why I liked the 18 Rating, it gave the chance for some really cool scenes that might not have made it into a 15.
Overall I can honestly see why people like this film, but I couldn’t take it seriously enough to get onboard. I’m still very keen to see Aster’s next work, he’s a very interesting director!
Ha ha, agree about the US teens!!!
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I’m starting to worry about the things you like…. 😮 You’re not a psychopath are you? 😉 😛
The Director’s Cut is 170 minutes and the theatrical cut on Amazon is 147 minutes. Not sure what was missing for the latter as I saw the long version but it made for a very immersive experience.
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Ha ha……..ummmmmmm. No I’m not, promise!! It was definitely the theatrical cut yes. I wish I had been immersed too! I’ll give it another go one day.
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Still to see this so glad I read your always funny and honest review on this. Thanks Emma
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Thank you Gill! Means a lot 🙂
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It’s great to get your take on this, Emma.
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Thanks Jay!!! 😀
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Terrific insight. I loved the film except for when I didn’t, if that makes any sense…for the reasons you mention – and when the most shocking thing had no suspense, just unpleasant shock (cliff), well that’s not really “horror” to me…the fate of two of the people we spent almost 3 hours with was handled offscreen, which felt like a cheat…you can be moody and unsettling as a setup, but a horror film needs to deliver the goods as they say…sorry, rambling a bit but this is a great review!
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Thanks John that’s very kind, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Not a ramble at all! You know exactly what I mean, though parts didn’t appeal, I do appreciate the overall film. I am looking forward very much to the director’s next offering!
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Still on my to-watch list. Been putting it off for a while now as there are other things I would rather see first. Sounds interesting though. 🙂
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Exactly the same as me, plus when I saw it was over 2 hours it put me off a little more! It’s definitely worth a watch 🙂
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Nice, I wasn’t much of a fan of the film either, I got put off by the upside down camera early on, I will stick up for Christian slightly more, because he was left in an impossible position after Dani’s tragedy, but it was also lazy they just turn to the idea the group would only be attracted to the event because of some mushrooms, i don’t care what happens to stupid students who would rather waste time getting high over achieving something
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You’re right about Christian, he was OK sometimes…. 🙂
Yeah that does seem a pretty far out reason just to travel all the way to Sweden ha ha, I’m sure they could have found some drugs closer to home and avoided the plane ride! Did you like Hereditary?
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I did, though I always find the satanic ideas too similar
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Sounds to me like a classic case of ‘style over substance’ . I don’t usually mind that, as I likes me style, I does. So I might give it a watch. Probably when it makes it onto Film 4.
As ever, Pete. XXX
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Pete, he is definitely a Director to watch…but Emma makes some really great points that are worth pondering as you watch it!
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Give it a go when you can Pete, worth a watch! You may well really like it xxx
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