If you like your gory paganism delivered at a stately pace, then this might be your film.

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2020)

It maybe a bit unfair to define this film as gory paganism as described in the header. It is however hard to ignore those few but important moments of gore, because they are genuinely gory moments, and yet it doesn't destablise the film. The gore comes at the just the right moments and brings with it a necessary menace. This film might have been a long 2 hours and 20 minutes otherwise. .
Ari Aster's direction is skillful,but a little distancing at time. He does get away with it, because the acting is often excellent. Florence Pugh plays a damaged woman, whose tragic loss of her family, forces her to be both fascinated and horrified by the unfolding pagan ceremonies in a remote Swedish village. Her portayal of Dani is complex, and demanding. She reacts subtly to the horror, even though you know exactly how she is feeling. It is difficult acting,but exactly in keeping with the films overall mood.
Jack Reynor's performance as her boyfriend is very good as well. He had wanted to break-up with her but her tragic circumstances forced him to invite her to a midsommar festival. He hopes that she won't go therefore leaving it to be a jolly with him and three of his male friends..
Will Poulter is good as the ass-hole character who is one of those friends, and you kind of know and hope that he's going to get his. .William Jackson Harper is another friend,and he is possibly outside the two leads the most interesting character. Obstensibly someone who has integrity, but who takes risks he knows he shouldn't. It doesn't end well.
This is more of a pyschological horror film, although the gore does pervade your thoughts during the film. The film is beautifully shot, and yet I found it slightly disappointing. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe a tighter film would have been a better one. I know Aster has said this film is a break-up in pyscho-drama form. I do get that point in retrospect. There are also allusions as has been pointed out by critics to the wicker-man. I'm not a great fan of that film, which might annoy some people, yet strangely I think I preferred the Wickerman.
I accept Midsommar is a good film, which is why I rate it seven, and yet I'm not sure it went any where really new. Perhaps it tried to too much, and slightly missed the right emphasis on both the pagan horror,and the modern pyschological take on Dani's emotional struggles.
I don't need to see this film again,which means something is missing from it. I don't quite know what it is which puzzles me. Maybe the minor characters are not detailed enough to keep your attention in the many quiet moments. A good film, but not for me an enthralling one.