Midsommar
2019
****½
Director: Ari Aster
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, Will Poulter, Gunnel Fred, Isabelle Grill, Lars Väringer, Henrik Norlén
Following a family tragedy, Dani joins her estranged boyfriend and his college buddies on a trip to rural Sweden. They hope to attend a traditional midsummer festival, but discover a secretive cult-like community who adhere to ancient rules and rituals. Ari Aster's Hereditary was an intriguing but ultimately disappointing horror movie. His second feature is an unsettling folk horror drama, which follows in the footsteps of The Wicker Man and Apostle (2018). This is a long but hypnotic break-up story steeped in Norse mythology. While I didn't care for some individual scenes along the way, in the end I was really impressed with the beautifully constructed script and flawless direction. Pawel Pogorzelski's gliding camerawork and Bobby Krlic's haunting soundtrack earn a special mention. Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor are the standouts in a great cast.
