Ari Aster’s 2018’s acclaimed horror Hereditary made a huge impact with critics and audiences alike, so when I heard about his next film MidSommar I was more than excited and hopeful that he could continue his winning streak.
Of course, the trailer for the film is creepy as hell, but it did not prepare me for what I saw when I finally sat down to watch the film. For three hours after I watched it last night, I sat in bed with the film’s events swimming in my head, in shock.
Where to start? First let me say the film, as brutal as it is, it is simply stunning. Bright brilliant colors filled MidSommer, a palette the complete opposite of Hereditary. Everything is beautiful, even the gore is, in a strange way. The cinematography is absolutely incredible.
Beauty and brutality go hand in hand in the film. As for gore, there is a ton of it and the term brutal is an understatement. Seeing someone having their innards ripped out shouldn’t be so elegant, but Aster somehow managed to turn murder into a spiritual event.
Aster brilliantly manipulates the viewer’s emotions through flashes of images, sounds, and scenes in an almost subliminal way. There are so many small touches that combine to push you over the edge and leave you slumped in your chair with your jaw dropped in a daze. It’s brilliant!
Everything about this film is shocking from the backdrop to the blood, to the beauty. You have never seen a film like this before. That I can guarantee. MidSommar has earned a prefect 5/5. I’m blown away by it. Ari Aster is a fucking genius!
