A quaint little film exploring Sweden

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2020)

Folklore horror meets break-up movie in Ari Aster's Midsommar, starring Florence Pugh as Dani, an emotionally fragile university student, and her insensitive boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor). Unbeknownst to Dani, Christian and his three friends have planned a summer trip to Sweden and when tragedy strikes her family, Christian reluctantly invites her to join. Upon arrival, the crew begins their journey in the most acclimatizing manner possible: by taking hallucinogenics! It is the most realistic portrayal of what it's like to be on drugs that I've ever seen on film. This initiation sets the tone for what will become an increasingly trippy affair. The commune's pastoral setting is quaint and the people welcoming, albeit unusual. The Harga, an isolated pagan community, are clad in white floral smocks, each uniquely embroidered. The stunning outbuildings are out of a fairytale, painted and wallpapered in dalamalning style. The visitors are treated to a formal dinner, but when the post meal walk leads to the Ã„ttestupa, a ritual diving platform where elder members of the tribe perform senicide, we get the sense that not everything is as enchanting as the surroundings. The stakes only escalate from there. Let me tell you one last thing: no, you can't ignore the bear.