Midsommar is an unsettling work of art

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2019)

Ari Aster left quite the impression on me with Hereditary as it was one of the most unique and well crafted horror films I've seen in a long time, making Midsommar one of my most anticipated films of the year. It is safe to say that Midsommar is a great follow up from Ari Aster making him one of the most creative and passionate film makers in the business. One of the things I noticed right off the bat was the realistic and relatable nature of the mundane conversations and the more intense moments with the characters. Dani is an extremely relatable protagonist as her struggles with mental illness and family ground her in reality making for a really engaging first act. The group of "friends" that are set up at the beginning travel to Sweden to attend the Midsommar festival where the majority of the movie takes place. Character motivations are paid off in great ways, and the events that transpire are so disturbing that I couldn't believe that this movie is being played in major theaters across the country. One of the most impressive aspects of the film was the set design. Buildings have cultish artwork and symbols carved into walls, and all the architecture has a unique look to the point where you can tell a lot of work went into the design of them and I commend the whole art department for doing a fantastic job. The only real problem I had with the film was it's running time. It was 2 hours and 27 minutes and definitely started to sag a bit in the middle so some trimming wouldn't have hurt it. Although I really loved Midsommar, I can't recommend it to everyone. The film is off-putting by nature and I can see some more casual film goers really hating it, but if you like slow burn thought provoking horror that really leaves an impact after seeing it then I would highly recommend Midsommar and I can't wait to see what Ari does next.