If Jacques Demy directed the Wicker Man

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2019)

This movie is essentially The Young Girls of Rochefort (not in content, obviously, that one being a light-hearted feel-good musical, but visually - Midsommer sharing a very similarly pleasant color palette) meets the Wicker Man, the hallmark of '70's horror that has spawned numerous imitators, this one one being the latest. The main difference, or at least the first noticeable, is the structure: Wicker Man was tight and focused and the '70's grime and atmosphere lent a realism to the film - this one was more loose, at times seemingly loosing focus and just having the characters walk around the grass, making awkward small talk (literally, this is like half the movie). It is very indulgent and they could've shaved off a few minutes overall - that's not to say it dragged, I was invested the whole time, but in practical terms, it could've been tightened up, particularly at the start when they're talking about the Swedish trip for like 10 minutes, and when they arrive at the Swedish commune (though the 'shrooms scene was hilarious - props to Will Poulter as the comic relief, wish he had more to do in this movie). It's a lot like a Grimm fairy-tale, one that's a joy to watch. It still stands upright by itself, but is slightly overshadowed when inevitably comparing it to its English ancestor.