Midsommar (2019)
A mid horror movie for the summer.
Presentation:
How does Ari Aster go from Hereditary to this? Midsommar is not a bad film, actually probably his most iconic and popular film, but it is nowhere close to his previous masterpiece. It almost feels as though he made this film before Hereditary because the filmmaking feels more inexperienced. It’s less subversive with the upfront shock factor and the modern dialogue is painfully uncinematic. I get that he is trying to relate this film to younger audiences and play with the idea of gaslighting but it felt like Aster was regressing into earlier inexperience for writing. What the film does have going is the uncanny cinematography, the best contemporary example of contradictory bright, colorful horror. Jordan Peele is known to pilot this concept, but Aster may have perfected it.
Conclusion:
This is ultimately one of those viral provocative films about trauma, which I didn’t really care for because the emphasis is placed on cinematography. Aster abandoned his depth in writing in favor of emulating the cinematography of one of his influences Roy Andersson, which has a unique surrealism for sure. One thing you can’t deny, when you think of A24 films, Aster’s Midsommar carries the flag for contemporary filmmaking.
Recommendations
A mid horror movie for the summer.