Review of Midsommar (2019) by Captainhowdy — 05 Jul 2019

This movie makes a lot more sense if you look at it from the perspective of writer/director Ari Aster's own description, which is that it is a breakup film. Yes, there are some gruesome parts. Yes, sometimes the characters' decisions don't make sense. Yes, the "horror" isn't particularly gripping. Yes, the movie is deeply, deeply strange.

However, if the entire Sweden trip is taken metaphorically as the emotional journey of a woman (in this case, the protagonist Dani) who has just been dumped from a bad relationship, it comes together beautifully. She's in a strange mental place, and she has to let go of the past in order to enjoy the ample sunshine. The film takes her through the steps of grief, confusion, betrayal, commiseration, and ultimately presents her with a choice that will determine whether she is able to reconvene with the world that always existed outside of the one she built with her ex.

From this perspective, it makes sense that ALL of the members of the main group are his friends, not hers. It makes sense that their characters are all drawn a little flat, while she is easily the most complex of the whole group. It makes sense that they make uncanny decisions and choose not to see what is going on. It makes sense that they all stick around instead of hightailing it out of there once things get bad.

Definitely looking forward to a second watch for this one.