Ari Aster has officially stagnated himself into his own ego

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 2019)

Nonetheless, I can't say this movie is bad either. But this is often the problem with Ari Aster (the director of this movie): the guy usually gets intoxicated with his own style. Don't get me wrong, his movies show some talent, some skill and some directing style: his zenital shots, his unique composition of the frame or his strange sense of humor are some of the cards that always brings up to the table. Pity that the guy is so full of himself that these elements appear even when the narration doesn't need them to.
I have to talk (MASSIVE) spoilers in this one folks because the movie requires to, sorry. Basically you got these friends and this couple who take a trip to Sweden to make a research about a "midsummer festival" and (why not) to have a good time in summer... and what a surprise! It's actually a cult. We the audience and the group of friends find this out when the people in the cult sacrifice two guys because they ended their "circle of life" at the age of 72. Now this scene is really gruesome and shocking as we find out the way these people function, and thereafter we know that something bad it's going to happen to all of them. The movie has a really good job of building that tension, a good atmosphere and a good sense of dread, I have to admit that.
The problem of the movie (scriptwise) comes out later when every one of them ends up being murdered (except the couple). THEN is when I realise that these characters don't have a brain. They MUST know by then something is really off and that this cult is extremely dangerous, but as every cliche horror movie they act as stupid people because the script need it to. And yes, I know that I always talk about character development, but God these people are bland! Let's take for example the main character, the blonde chick. I don't understand her at all. I know that everyone is been drugged and all but, I'm sorry, this girl is completely retarded! She witnessed horrible things, she presences two suicides and she still stays there! Not only that, but none of her friends think that it's enough, that they should go! They want to make a thesis about the place they say. Dude, are you kidding me? Don't you see all the crap around you?
Another thing that the writing should have made better is what relates to the cult. In the beginning it was fine: the life cycle, the stoicism in their actions, all the craziness that define a pagan cult. But at,the end of the movie it just became too outlandish and bombastic, to the point it just feels unrealistic and artificial, just for the visual insanity. For example, all that dance contest was too much in my opinion, it just feels off. And speaking of that, the protagonist wins?? What a coincidence! But what condition does she have to win? She is not that strong, or mentally stable. No, they obviously didn't let her win in any way, even one chick at one point throws up! She CLEARLY wins by her own merits. These contrivances and conveniences are everywhere in the movie, and I found myself wondering"why? why? What is the reason behind this?" several times while watching this.
What makes me sad the most is that there is a great great movie within Midsommar, somewhere. Take for example the scene when the girl freaks out in a panic attack when she finds out that his boyfriend is mating with a really gorgeous ginger and all the girls start panicking with her. Wouldn't it have been great if this showed how these girls do this to psychologically help her and condicionate her inside their group in a way a cult usually does? But nothing, this idea is not touched ever again in the movie.
And what about the ending? It's fine I guess. It has some mentioned problems, like what about the bear skin? What is the purpose other than being weird? It could have been much clearer if we knew a thing about these traditions or the "train of thought" behind the cult. Also it seems to me that the girl has become crazy? I don't know, it's too much vague for me to understand this girl and her motivations. And speaking of motivations, what about the Swedish friend (Peele was his name I think)? In the end it seems that this is all he wanted all along? Killing all of his friends? None of them did see it coming? How insane has a person to be in order to plan to kill 9 people and drag all to Sweden? Again, if the characters were better developed I might understand it but as we were shown in the movie we don't have any clue about his personality, his motivations, or anything. We just have to assume he's a crazy religious fanatic and that nobody noticed it ever before.
This movie was going to be a 7 until the second third of the movie, but as a whole the problems amount to a really considerable pack. I give it a 6/10.