The horror genre is changing for the better

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2019)

My mind is blown. If the 2010's are not remembered as the horror film renaissance I will be surprised. Midsommar proves that you do not need shocking and clever twists to create a phenomenal film. It's strength lies in its sound design, cinematography, and chilling score, which all serve to highlight the truly unsettling moments that director Ari Aster creates. None of these aspects is nearly as potent without the other. As an example, let us look at the scene where our female lead is kneeled on the ground crying, surrounded by handmaidens. Director and writer Ari Aster can be credited with creating the situation which has our protagonist in so much pain, but also with working the actress to convey the most realistic agony and grief I have ever seen on screen. Lead actress Florence Pugh is to be given credit for this amazing performance, but it cannot be coincidence that both leads in Aster's films have shown heartbreaking performances. There simply must be some method he is using that no other director does as well, to get his actors to portray pain so well. Now that the scene is set, music by The Haxan Cloak envelopes the audience in a sense of urgency and dread with their score. As the music plays and Pugh's character runs into the housing unit with maidens in toe, the camera pans brilliantly with a perfectly timed 180 cut that will set up a truly iconic moment. This scene isn't particularly brilliant from a cinematographic standpoint when compared to other moments in the film where Pawel Pogorzelski controlled the scene with his camera work. Finally, we find Pugh's character crying out in agony over and over again on the floor of the bunkhouse. What makes this scene so chilling and memorable is the 8 or so maidens surrounding her attempting to comfort her by matching her emotions. As Pugh cries out, each maiden cries out in unison, not in tune or pace at first as they try to get the hang of it. After 30 seconds or so, they are in perfect pace and it almost seems as if they are mocking her, but it is absolutely haunting. Midsommar is one of the best horror films ever created and is not for the faint of heart.