This movie may become a cult classic. It's a Smörgåsbord of weirdness.

Rating: 6/10 (20 May 2020)

Originally pitch as a straightforward slasher film about a group of American tourists being killed off by a surreal but vicious pagan cult during their midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. The film directed by Ari Aster added elements to the concept about deteriorating relationship between the emotional trouble main character college student Dani Arbor (Florence Pugh) and her emotionally distant cultural anthropologist boyfriend Christian Hughes (Jack Reynor). This was done in order for Aster to cope after he just experienced a difficult breakup. For the most part, this extra subplot was fine for most audience. After all it somewhat works as a semi metaphor for the rapid decline of Abrahamic religions within the western society. The phone calls in the beginning is one such example. Much like a prayer I like how the film is shot set squarely on the character's face implying that she's talking to somebody who isn't fully there to help her. Nobody home. Even with people in her presence, the movie views those discussions through reflections of glass. In spirituality, mirror is said to reflect the act of continual self-evaluation regarding the consequences of thoughts and actions. It shows how detachment she is in this somewhat cold alienating world only wanting to egocentric procreate. That's why it makes sense that Dani would eventually fell seduced by the warmth of Harga community after first rejecting them after the public Ättestupa senicides. She slowly sees that the villagers repeatedly appear to share feeling including pain and pleasure. They're also seem supported and only produced what seem good for the community rather than selfish means. Being more in line with nature's circle of life than it seems. The metaphor of the grass growing on her, represented Dani's rebirth as a seed rooting herself back into the society after burying herself with haunting guilt of a past tragedy. The more she spends in the bright light of the community, the more she becomes willing to pollinated through Harga own means. By the end, she has become the new definition of the flower generation to the point of absurdity. She found free love and peace in an unusual way. As for the other characters, their wiliness to stay after the senicides seem a little more baffling than Dani. Especially when it comes to their very lack of reaction to death. Even with the amounts of drugs in their system, the brainwashing of both Josh (William Jackson Harper) & Christian are really not well established. I get that Josh is an apolitical scholar just looking for fame and Christian is an unsympathetic opportunist what a be savior. Nevertheless, fighting over a thesis is not a great justified for them staying at Harga after witnessing people getting killed. There has to be something more which the film fails to mention. Then there is Mark (Will Poulter) whom impulsive dumb character seems really out of place and not needed as much of his story about wanting to score could had gone to Christian. After all, there was no good exposition dump on why he wasn't around the cliff to witness the senicides. Also, to add onto that, what happen to the rest of the tourists that came to the village on the first day? They all seem to disappear along with the baby. I doubt that the cult killed all of them for no good reason. There is no way the villagers will be able to get away with all that death rituals in the cellular age without a family member finding out. Since we on the topic of the ceremonies. The film is a bit unclear about the rituals and how often they do it. The 90 years exposition seem to be a bit muddled. I didn't know it meant the barn burning until I listen to the director's commentary much later. It's that confusing. Still it does still beg the question how Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren)'s parents died in a house fire if that wasn't it. To add onto that weird mess, it seems like some of the rituals could had cut out as many of them didn't really add much to the main story like the subplot with the cult's inbred oracle. They did truly come across as unrealistic drawn out sensory overload surrealism that was somewhat funny than frightening. Despite that I felt that cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski did a great job with most of the shots. While super long, the whole establishment opening was a masterpiece. It was super creepy & disturbing. Very scary. There was also a lot of foreshadowing Easter eggs like the 1939's 'Wizard of Oz' references, bear artwork and the bouquet behind the photo of Dani. Even the very first shot of the film shows a full frame medieval folk pagan mural detailing roughly the entire sequence of events that will unfold. I also like how the film communicates the near constant hallucinogenic induced state by distorting and warping the scenery. For example, seeing Dani's family haunting her & turning the camera view upside-down on the Highway to Halsingland scene. Lots of rewatch value. I would love to one day watch all of the director's cut of the film. It's just over a half hour longer and contains more looks at both the American characters' dynamics, some cut rituals like the drowning kid and overtly supernatural elements like feet levitating off the ground. It might be interesting to look at and listen to, along with the full dark ambient eerie soundtrack composed by musician the Haxan Cloak. Overall: While the costumes might look nothing like Swedish culture & nobody really speaks with the region appropriate accent. I still said it's worth watching despite some people finding the film depiction of an iconic good nature Swedish holiday offensive and racist. It was still well shot, had fine performances even with the goofy memeable faces and downright entertaining for the most part. It's one trippy movie.