Midsommar

A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown’s fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Cast

Florence Pugh – Dani

Jack Reynor – Christian

Ellora Torchia – Connie

Will Poulter – Mark

Vilhelm Blomgren – Pelle

William Jackson Harper – Josh

Isabelle Grill – Maja

Henrik Norlén – Ulf

Gunnel Fred – Siv

Holiday Horror

Midsommar is definitely one for people who have a direct personal experience of the Swedish festival or similar events. Its use of natural setting makes a gorgeous backdrop for the actors to play against; huge sweeps of bright green grass lay a foundation for quaint model-like dwellings. The residential area is dotted with gorgeous flowers and plant life. It’s a breath of fresh (pine) air from fast cars racing around city skyscrapers like recent movies. The set is beautiful and captures that classic sense of tradition as activities take place.

This movie is like a piece of performance art, and it’s not just the the main cast who deliver this either. The backing actors do a superb job at holding up the screenplay (some of the Swedish people are brilliant with their stern characteristics). One scene is a beautiful contradiction; an all-female group where each person is dressed in a gorgeous outfit but they’re all screaming tragically as they rock back and forth in unison. This sinister scenario sends a chilling wave through the story as the undercurrent of mental health shines through.
Midsommar might be the twisted tale of a young adult’s break-up holiday gone wrong, but it touches on this deeper emotional theme as it progresses – especially the ending scene. What Dani (lead female) eventually takes part in is both tragic and vengeful at the same time. Regret and relief. And horror. And you see a massive character development happen within a matter of seconds, it makes for a gripping watch. This is where Midsommar mixes mental health with a sense of dread as the story is brought to a ‘didn’t see that coming’ finale.

Certain scenes are also powered nicely by synchronised dancing and traditional music too. In addition, there are some eerie pieces of artwork to keep an eye out for (one of them is a big clue as to what direction the movie will take). And the more sensitive viewer (I.E. dislikes seeing people being disfigured or tortured) should be weary that a good chunk (pun intended – you’ll see why) of this movie is extremely graphic both violently and sexually. You see EVERYTHING. Every smash, every pulp, every miniscule detail of bodily wounds – up close. I’ve personally sat through the three Hostel movies and yet even I had to look away during one or two scenes of Midsommar. Parts of it are bloody disgusting, but fortunately there was one scene which (sort of) brought some light relief..

Someone tell me I wasn’t the only viewer who found the insemination scene really horny.

Without trying to drop a spoiler one of the male characters drops his pants in a dark scene which blends sex with a high level of emotion. It begins with the man, hands in his lap, rocking backwards and forwards as though busting for a piss but becomes obvious he has been drugged. When he finally gives in to the temptation he performs in a sex ritual with one of the cultists, which is strangely erotic. Legs are opened, grinding takes place, and we even witness the ejaculation. Good god, it’s horny.
Thankfully I didn’t leave the cinema completely solid due to the scene shift where our lead female continues making an extremely dramatic impact. Right here is where Midsommar proves its worth; by incorporating every single mood on the human scale. The movie excels in opening up and attacking the human psyche with oodles of raw emotion. It is everything, every possible feeling.