Midsommar - where the line between dream and nightmare blurs

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2019)

Midsommar is one of the rare movies that is extremely good at what it does. It completely captivates the audience with an immersive experience of summer at a Scandinavian countryside. The beautiful visuals and the warm hospitable natives only intensify the sensation of horror that slowly creeps forward as the movie progresses. This is horror at its finest. Ari Aster has once again proved his expertise in arguably the hardest genre of cinema. A good horror does not rely on jump scares or gore to be successful. It requires a tight plot complemented by appropriate atmosphere led by convincing acting and finally pieced together by smart direction. Midsommar excels in all these elements. Florence Pugh had already impressed me with a stellar performance in and as Lady Macbeth. She takes it up a few notches in Midsommar. Unlike most other movies of the horror genre, the director Ari Aster focuses on impressive acting to elevate the viewer immersion. Pugh deserves an oscar for her performance in this movie. She drives the movie right from the start as we experience pain, solace, suspicion, hatred and madness through her very eyes. Music and cinematography are in perfect sync with the atmosphere of the film as evident in a few scenes that are captivating and revolting at the same time.
As someone who had watched his own share of horror movies, I can testify "Midsommar", just like its predecessor "Hereditary" is a must-watch for any horror fan out there. Even if you are not a huge fan of the horror genre, give 'Midsommar' a watch because it is a pretty unique experience by itself.