Masterful and truly horrifying

Rating: 9/10 (26 January 2020)

Midsommar lived up to the hype by a mile. Tension is established within seconds and never abates. But it's also the kind of movie that slips you into the horror before you've even realised it's happened. There are no jump scares here, just the feeling of impending doom, the enactment of which will impress even seasoned horror buffs. I'm also thrilled that they were able to use a pagan setting in a way that was truly respectful and awe-inspiring. The religion is not a gimmick here. It's essential to the plot and aesthetic. I marked down one star only because the beginning of the film shows detailed traumatic events in one character's life that, while relevant, didn't need to take up that much time. Other than that, the pacing, acting, artwork, music, honestly everything about this movie is top-notch. Word to the wise: you will be exhausted at the end of this. But it's worth it.