Hereditary director Ari Aster's Midsommar reviews are in: 'Terrorizing'
What's that sound? Cries of fear. Echoing across the internet.
- Best New Journalist 2019 Australian IT Journalism Awards
Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts.
For better or worse, Ari Aster has written and directed another horror movie. When 2018's Hereditary floated out of a cult cabin, it introduced the next best and very disturbed mind in horror. Aster looks to further explore cults with a side-step into folk horror, so look forward to paganism, rustic folklore and the occult in Midsommar, out July 3. Or maybe that's a date to avoid.
Midsommar is about a couple, played by Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor, attempting to deal with their rocky relationship and a personal tragedy by going on vacation in rural Sweden. They and their friends visit a village that hosts a fantastically violent festival every 90 years. Guess the saying is true: nothing is perfect in a relationship.
A few, let's go with lucky viewers have had a chance to see Midsommar already. Their warning-filled reviews are in. Let's take a look at what the survivors thought.
MIDSOMMAR: Psychologically fragile tourists meet a full blast of Swedish folk horror, mounted by Ari Aster at the peak of his atmospheric powers. No director in horror is working at his level of choreography, the daring of his alienating moments. What a weird spell this is.
— Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) June 19, 2019
Ari Aster’s #Midsommar is one of the most gorgeous, completely dreadful experiences. Florence Pugh is a quiet riot.
— Matt Donnelly (@MattDonnelly) June 19, 2019
#Midsommar: Aster has gifted a new generation their THE WICKER MAN. It’s a warm invitation into subtle madness, decked out in pastel reassurance. My lord. Almost 150 minutes FLIES by. Masterful mania played with such festivity. I...love it?
— Howlin’ Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) June 19, 2019
Apologies to all of the friends I made studying in Sweden, but I love MIDSOMMAR and will spend the rest of the summer pretending my semester abroad was the exact same thing 🌸🌼🌺🌻
— Amy Nicholson (@TheAmyNicholson) June 19, 2019
Hahaha. #Midsommar gonna fuck y’all up.
— Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) June 19, 2019
Three-word #Midsommar review: What the fuck...
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) June 19, 2019
Visceral. Gut-wrenching. Hilarious. Brutal. Depraved. Refreshing. Aster delivers a terrorizing take on codependency and emotional sacrifice in the most illuminating manner. Loved it. 💀🌸🌻 @MidsommarMovie #MIDSOMMAR
— Marisa Mirabal (@Marisa_Mirabal) June 19, 2019
Also, my A24 rep lied to me about there not being much gore. #MIDSOMMAR
— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr) June 19, 2019
Two films in, it’s official. Ari Aster: not a grief counselor. #MIDSOMMAR
— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr) June 19, 2019
#MIDSOMMAR is truly something special and it will also fuck up your entire life. The “Break-Up” movie of the decade.
— matt hardeman (@capnnarcolepsy) June 19, 2019
#Midsommar: I loved every second of this nearly 3 hour movie. Holy SHIT. Yeah, it’s disturbing. But it’s also surprisingly hilarious. An absolutely crowd pleaser. Long live @AriAster.
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) June 19, 2019
I was super nervous going into #MIDSOMMAR because of my deep love for Hereditary, but holy shit you guys, @MidsommarMovie is a masterpiece
— HorrorDesignChick 🎃🍭 (@shannon_mcgrew) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR: Well, fuck. Hilarious AND disturbing!
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR is a mind-fuck of the highest order, channeling (yet again) a young woman’s journey through grief. Deliberately paced but never boring (those 140 minutes FLY by). Pugh is excellent. There is some imagery that I want plastered on my wall. Don’t miss this one, folks.
— Trace Thurman 🏳️🌈 (@TracedThurman) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR. Pretty sure it was directed by Satan himself. Fuck, that was fascinating! A mad descent into What-the-Fucksville. @A24
— Preston Barta (@PrestonBarta) June 19, 2019
Forget the HEREDITARY comparisons. @MidsommarMovie is a European cousin to the sun-soaked fairy tale madness of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. Like, direct spiritual riffs in parts.
— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR: swooning, unnerving, and exhilarating. I think I loved it. Ari Aster brings dread to daytime, flowers, and smiling faces.
— Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR: Like with HEREDITARY, Ari Aster uses overwhelming grief as a gateway into a slowly escalating tunnel of nightmares. Not a visceral scare-fest, but something so much more unpleasant, darkly funny and yes, totally fucked.
— Jacob Hall (@JacobSHall) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR is incredible. The most nihilistic psych rock break up record ever written. I felt queasy throughout the whole damn thing.
— Jacob Knight (@JacobQKnight) June 19, 2019
#MIDSOMMAR. wow. i don’t know that i’ve ever felt so gutted and seen by a movie. i felt sick, i felt joy - i felt so much. above all else: i’ve never seen such a wicked, accurate depiction of intoxicating mania. i adored it and i hate it. florence pugh is god level.
— lindsey romain (@lindseyromain) June 19, 2019
MIDSOMMAR will do for Swedish pagan solstice rituals what Psycho did for showers. a psychedelic fairy tale about ridding oneself of fear and pain — absolutely delightful from its nightmare of an opening to its floral purge of a finale. 💐🌞💐
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) June 19, 2019
With #Midsommar, @AriAster cements himself as a modern master of horror. He has crafted a confident, operatic, folk-horror nightmare. pic.twitter.com/EZcT0c2GQU
— Alex DiVincenzo (@alexislegend) June 19, 2019
Going back a couple of days, this is what actress Florence Pugh had to say about watching the film she starred in.
So.. I saw it.
— Florence Pugh (@Florence_Pugh) June 16, 2019
I’m currently sat.
Staring. Wide eyed at my food.
Midsommar is one helluva ride folks 🌸 #midsommar
She really suffered for her art.
Tonight is the first time people will see Midsommar.
— Florence Pugh (@Florence_Pugh) June 19, 2019
A) I’m so sorry I can’t be there to join the Q&A.
B) this film extracted sweat, tears and PTSD from the making of it.
C) the film made me wiser, bolder, stronger AND weaker during and after the film.
D) we are proud #Midsommar
Other horror genius Jordan Peele has also delivered a verdict on the film.
“I look back at the final act like, ‘Holy shit.’” – @JordanPeele on @AriAster's #MIDSOMMAR🌻 pic.twitter.com/UTIhJO6b84
— Midsommar 🌻 (@MidsommarMovie) June 13, 2019