Promising start, but becomes dull, derivative and ridiculous

Rating: 2/10 (6 February 2020)

Self-described horror fans have been telling me to see this since its opening weekend. I finally gave it a shot (the theatrical version), knowing that it was inspired by THE WICKER MAN (1973). I went into it prepared for it to be reminiscent of that film, but I didn't expect it to steal from other horror movies that most fans of the genre are already well aware of. This bothered me a great deal, and shattered the spell the filmmakers hooked me with in the beginning.
It starts very well. The characters are nicely drawn, much of the acting is uncommonly good, and the pre-credit sequence establishes a horrifying reality-based tone that sets the stage for what is to come. I was hooked. Lead actress Florence Pugh is quite good, as are the Swedish characters who provide the source for most of the film's horror elements.
I won't say much about the plot, except that it concerns a group of young Americans who are invited by their Swedish friend to a commune in Sweden where ancient rituals could put foreign visitors in danger. A premise like that can either lead to genuine suspense and scare scenes, or it can provide a series of laughable, clunky attempts at horror. Sadly, as this film progresses, it manages to fall into the latter category, especially for horror fans who have any memories of the well-trodden classics of the genre.
*SPOILERS*
The first real moment of on-screen violence is straight out of the original THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974). It's not only lifted from that film, but isn't even reinvented in any way to conceal the fact that it's copied. It's just a blatant rip-off of the first kill scene in that film. I was shocked by director Ari Aster's nerve in doing this, especially since just about anyone interested in horror cinema has seen Tobe Hooper's classic. Aster was already leaning heavily on THE WICKER MAN, which in itself begs for some forgiveness on the part of the viewer, so the theft of the killing from Hooper's film is - in my view - unforgivable. It shattered the impact of everything the film was accomplishing, and it's so jarringly shameless that I couldn't get back into the film.
As the movie approaches its finale, director Aster's primary influences become more than apparent, as he hurls elements from SUSPIRIA (1977) and especially the third act of THE WICKER MAN at the viewer with reckless abandon. Are there potentially affecting moments that didn't remind me of pre-existing movies? Sure, but again, Aster blew it for me by alerting me to the fact that he's not only a big fan of popular horror classics, but that he isn't afraid to pick key scenes from them. A shame, because MIDSOMMAR wouldn't be a bad film if Aster had been more concerned with making a unique experience. That said, moviegoers who haven't seen '70s horror movies - or who don't mind cinematic theft that transcends the notion of "paying homage" - will likely have a rewarding experience here.
Some say Ari Aster is a filmmaker worth watching. I strongly disagree.