An honest review from an aspiring filmmaker.

Rating: 5/10 (19 November 2019)

I get it. Ari Aster makes movies for himself and for cinefiles, NOT the general masses, and I think that's fantastic. However, Ari Aster seems to be (at least to me), the George Lucas of slow-burn cinema. He has great concepts, and his films look great, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
Both Hereditray and Midsommar are self-indulgent, Midsommor especially. It felt like watching a more surreal, slightly less interesting Tarantino flick.
Aster seems to have a penchant for uncomfortableness, some of which he pulls off exceptionally well. Some of it, not so much.
With Midsommor, it's a mixed bag. I found myself intrigued and frustrated at the same time.
I know it's important to establish characters early on, but I feel the opening didn't really add anything to the movie. Most of what happens is just arbitrary and bizarre, which hey, not always a bad thing. In this case....
All I know is that tripping balls or not, I dont know if I could perform with random naked people standing around me, chanting. And believe me, I've been to an orgy or two (wink), yes, Tmi, I know.
Also, some of the characters seemed completely Ancillary, and once they disappeared, no one seemed to care or notice.
Again, this is a film targeted to a very specific audience, and I know that. I applaud Ari Aster and a24 for stepping outside the norm and delivering something that could/should have been something special, and I feel like cutting 45 minutes from the movie would have accomplished that.

Ok, NOW, for the GOOD.
It was a beautiful film. As a person who did my fair share of designer drugs (acid/ Ecstasy/shrooms/K), in the 90's, I can appreciate all the tripping sequences, but they also pissed me off,,, everyone knows NEVER drink the punch at the party. Basic party rule number one.
The cinematography was outstanding, as are the basic set designs and wardrobe. It all felt natural and right.
But I think my biggest issue is that after watching the people what they did at the cliff, and the community's participation in the process, that everyone didn't just bug out. If I saw that, I'd peace. Like, byyyyyyeeeee.
I think the actors all did a great job with the material they had to work with, and the setting and idea are hitting it on the head, but the execution could use some work.

However, I did enjoy this and the ending more than I did Hereditray (that ending pissed me off to no end).

I will state one more time that I know Ari Aster makes films for himself and a very specific audience, and i always try to say that something doesn't "suck" or "stink", but more that it is not my forte, but Midsommor is surely NOT going to be for the majority of people.
I'm not going to mention the Wicker Man comparisons, as that's a given, but it just felt like an unsatisfying ending.
I feel like if we saw the Swedish friend who brought them all there at another school or something, convincing more people to come to the festival at his home town or something, it would have bookended it nicely. It just seems completely arbitrary otherwise.
There just happens to be a Random Swedish dude at a Random college who ropes in people to go to Sweden to his home town for a weird mid-summer festival because on eof them is doing his thesis on European summer rituals? A little TOO convenient.
But if at the end they show that this is something he does, it would make a lot more sense. But hey, that's just me.

Should you see this movie? That's up to you. If you have 2 and a half hours to kill and like mind fucksfor no reason, then, yeah. Otherwise, no.