Chris Stuckmann reviews Midsommar, starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia. Directed by Ari Aster.
As a swedish person I can tell you that the most unrealistic thing about this movie is probably the weather being so nice, the weather is always shit on midsommar
"I struggle to understand exactly what the first 20 minutes has to do with the rest of the movie except for the themes of grief." The first 20 minutes set up the fact that Dani is completely alone in the world. Her family is gone, her boyfriend is distant and she really has nobody else to rely on. The cult is the family that she longed for and for the first time, she finally belongs. The entire rest of the movie serves as a solution to the problem the first 20 minutes set up. The first 20 minutes is absolutely integral to the finale of this film. Not sure how you thought it was random and never addressed as it's the whole point of the movie.
(Spoiler) Right! Why does he think Dani smiles at the end of the movie? Because she’s high?! No, it’s because she has found her place and her peace within this community as it’s the perfect solution to all of her problems
@@timdagerman2538 Precisely! Dani's problem is abandonment, first by her family and then by her boyfriend, and acceptance into the cult. Having said that, I have to admit that I didn't like the film.
The first 20 minutes held me captive more than the entire rest of the film. Dani, a young woman, is consumed by an ominous email from her only sibling. A sister. Dani sends numerous emails, trying not to be frantic. Emails go unanswered. Dani calls parents and the audience is led to believe the parents are sleeping. No response. Dani calls her bf and the reassurance she was so desperate for is replaced by hollow nothing words. Dani calls her bestie and I gotta day, I totally related, but Dani still isn’t consoled. Dani then is faced with her worst fear. Not only has her sister offed herself, she killed the parents as well. The ominous email wasn’t bullshit after all. And here we have our heroine alone, despite her relationship status
So Dani was a psychopath who's answer to overcoming grief is to enjoy the fact that your friends were brutally murdered and boyfriend burned alive by a cult. Yeah I'm not seeing the beautiful message here. Seek help.
@@puma59graciefighter Unless it's not meant to be taken literally. As a metaphor for overcoming grief, trauma, finding the strength to leave a dead relationship and also finally feeling like you have a home where you can express yourself for who you are (as exemplified by how everyone in that community echoes each other's screams and moans as if they're sharing their emotions communally), it works perfectly. Also, if you wanna take it literally, yeah it's plausible and doesn't make her a psychopath. If you've been genuinely traumatized and are in immense grief that you can't seem to escape no matter what yes, you might end up finding joy in literally watching the last remnants of what was once your horrible life burn down to ash. Atleast that's what the last scene seemed like to me in a literal sense, she wasn't glad her friends and boyfriend were all murdered (or even thinking about that per se), she was happy that she could start anew, almost as if her prior life had never existed. Not a healthy coping mechanism I'd say, but it's perfectly understandable in that sense.
Don't worry. Its only similarity to The Wicker Man is on the most superficial level. The people who think it's a Wicker Man story (like Stuckmann) completely missed the actual story of the movie, which takes place between the main character and her boyfriend. This movie is basically a breakup drama that happens to be set in the midst of a cult ritual. It's really driving me crazy how some of these professional critics don't get such an obvious thing. The movie makes it very, very clear, so it's like these people are just refusing to accept the movie on its own terms.
@@alexsxsxs1817 My African soul was like that too. No color = no life. I felt like wrapping myself in A colorful kitenge cloth just so I could feel safe watching all these weird people in white.
The beginning set-up of her family dying is literally the entire point of the movie, in short, her finding a family who can empathize with her happiness and pain and fully accept her into their family.
It's not that it's not important, it's just incredibly fleshed out, making an explicit point that her sister was bi-polar, making the ominous emails a key factor in the incident, and for what? I assumed the sister was going to be revealed to have been some way connected to Harga, and I was waiting to find out what the emails were really about. It was a misleading way to set up the premise of the film. It's not my main gripe with the film, but I also find it a little concerning that it buys into the trope that people with bi-polar disorder are crazy, homicidal, and suicidal, when the inclusion of that was not necessary. They could still portray intense family drama without damaging tropes under the guise of being woke :/
" who can empathize with her". These are cultists. They do not empathize. They are ruthlessly brainwash people, destroy relationships and, in this movie, kill people. The whole topic is mishandled, the movie almost glorifies cults.
That's a load of absolute bullshit. That's what the movie is trying to say but it fails. She was the only one with any sense out of the whole group, until the last 15minutes of the movie. She does a complete 180. If you really buy that shit, I'd love to know what drugs you're smoking
You're missing the point. The film was not presented as being from the community's view. We see the main characters interact with each other ouside of Sweden, where their purpose is not to be an object. When he said the characters feel like objects, he didn't mean it in a literal sense. The characters fall flat. Their only traits are fitted to their individual niche plot points, and they are not believable, likeable, or hateable.
I got the feeling that Connie, the Indian girl who was abandoned by her boyfriend, was brought in as a revenge sacrifice for Pelle, since he mentioned that he once dated her and lost her to Simon.
Leaving this here to add to add to this if it is noticed. I have seen grief, DEEP pain, wailing, what the actress did here was incredibly realistic to what I have come to know, I hope to see more actors making this sort of real, raw, emotion on film, it is never pretty, it shouldn't be.
Yeah exactly, I felt the parent thing wasn't mentioned much or expanded because the main character wanted to forget them. Anytime her parents are mentioned early on, she shuts down and has a panic attack. The movie is about her killing that memory and accepting the cult as her family.
Chance Thrash didn’t think about that until you mentioned it. That’s a good point. I felt like this film needed 5 more minutes to conclude what had just happened. A lot of the cult was left unexplained and we still don’t know to what capacity Dani has accepted the cult
Chance Thrash I agree, and I also felt that the Pelle character had actually murdered the parents and sister and made it look like a murder/suicide. An elaborate setup to get her to the festival. There were subtle hints with the flowers in the parents bedroom.
@@jeffgianone3872 I strongly disagree. She chose to sacrifice her abusive boyfriend (which, by the way, he WAS abusive. Gaslighting is terrible mental abuse, and it's somewhat upsetting that Chris shoved it off as just a bad relationship no one wanted to be in). And she ended with a smile. It's easy to see that she accepted the cult fully and truly. You can't just force death upon someone and be happy about it and NOT be captivated by the cult
@@TheWelchProductions What is the story behind this? I was pretty surprised at this review but if Chris went through something similar in his youth it might be a bit too much for him. This movie is very powerful in how it draws you in to this crazy ass cult along with the main character and make it all look so wholesome.
It's kinda strange that Chris didn't find connection between first twenty minutes and the rest of the movie, because it's completely understandable if you think a little about the main character's storyline. Chris is really good at finding deeper meaning in artsy films and yet in this case he somehow didn't went beneath the surface
I’m with Chris on this one. The first 20 mins had me thinking after the end credits rolled “what actually happened to that girl’s family?” It also set the movie up to be more gruesome and sinister, rather than the cleaner version of the rest of the story we got.
I know I am a year late, but I just watched this movie for the first time. I think he didnt mean about the death of a family and grief, I think setting up her sister was what he mentioned. Why did she kill her parents? Why did it even had to be a sister? If you wanted to achieve grief car accident would do the same thing, but it would raise the questions that are currently left un answered. I bet there is a lot of cut content due to the movie already being 140min long and director didnt want to ruin the pacing, which in my mind is just perfect for this type of movie.
That happened on my section too. But I didn't laugh, it was such a deep moment (no play of words here) that I didn't think it was funny at all. I didn't know how many references this movie had, and since I haven't watched the other movies, this one for me was amazing. In some aspects, even better than Hereditary. And the director has earned the right of being pretentious, in my opinion :)
This movie has an overall theme of how easy it is for a cult to draw in members on the promise of empathy and unity and, once in, easily brainwash them to potentially commit heinous acts (i.e. torture, suicide, sacrifice, killings) for the "good" of the cult (Charles Manson). This is especially true now days when "recruiters" (Pele, and his brother) have easy pickins from a society filled with "lazy", "apathetic", "unwanted", and/or "lonely" people (I quoted these words because they are used in the movie). The movie confirms this by "recruiting" the audience in feeling "empathetically" happy for Dani in making the "decision" (was it hers or was she coerced, especially by Pele) to rid herself of those who shunned her! Is this movie propaganda for YOUR eventual indoctrination much like the initial mural that showed Dani and "friends'" reason for being there and their eventual fate?!
The whole situation with Dani's sister and parents was extremely important to the entire film. She buried that grief and experience so deeply because she didn't have anyone around her to give her an outlet for it, and then she finally got around people who wanted to share it with her, to take her grief upon themselves and when they did she realized she was finally home. I lost my son and I know how deeply grief can be buried. You put it as far down as you can inside yourself and never allow it to come up because it's so primal and frightening. And then something happens that brings it out and you scare yourself hearing those sounds that come out of your own body. Florence Pugh is an amazing actress, she should get an Oscar for this role.
SPOILER The scene where Christian was holding Danni on the couch while she was mourning the loss of her family is significant. Christian wasn't mourning with her or trying to comfort her beyond letting her cry on his lap. In the village/cult place everyone mourns for each others losses as if they were their own, as though they could physically and emotionally experience what everyone else was going through. Danni's experience with family (at least from what was shown) was disconnected, in contrast to the village where everyone is practically in sync. When it was Danni's birthday Pelle was there for her. When Danni saw Christian cheating on her her 'sisters' were there for her. Everyone in the village accepted and loved her unconditionally as family. Having no family left at home, and Christian dead, Danni could finally let go.
Yes, this! I must admit I disagreed with Chris's review. The first 20 minutes are SO important to this setup. Without seeing Dani's grief, we wouldn't have had that moment where all the themes click into place, and that moment is the scene when her sisters cry with her. I found that profoundly moving. She's found her family. She can finally give up her codependence on a man who doesn't 'hold her'. And she does that in a pretty disturbing way.
@@DrGregoryHouseIT Who 'doesn't understand that'? No one said it wasn't. As you watch the movie it becomes clear that literally every major event in this film was engineered by the cult. From Dani arriving, to all her friends being sacrificed, and her becoming May Queen. Chris cheating too, but by then their relationship had already gone to shit so that was really just the icing on the cake.
I didn't necessarily hate the male characters, I just thought everyone, excluding the engaged couple were dumb to the point where death was deserved. And even the engaged couple i thought was sorta dumb because as a Christian there were so many signs The sun sign entrance they literally walked through to get there, the sun worship, the quilt showing the love spell with pubic hairs, etc.
I think this should be your next second viewing review. I think the events at the beginning tie in very well to the rest of the film. It determines every choice that Dani and Christian make.
i disagree.. the setup of the characters greif is totally payed off by the "cult" women screaming with the main character, she finally has people who can "share" her feelings the way her bf couldn't
@@hastalavista3814 its a manipulation. But that doesnt mean she didnt feel comforted in some way. Parents often do that to babies to make their kids stop crying. It works somehow.
E-xac-tly! She is basically slowly indoctrinated into this cult.. and the movie does a tremendous good job at taking us thru that. Im miffed that Chris didn't get that.
I completely disagree with your opinion on the setup. It makes her in need of a community. I definitely thought it WAS a compelling story, but to each their own.
I'm here after his recent video discussing his childhood in the JW...This review hits a little bit differently now. Just know that we are all so proud of you Chris for having such amazing strength!
“The film drags, without a doubt” - I didn’t find this at all. The beautiful cinematography, the acting, the tension of knowing something sinister is simmering below the surface... even with nothing overt happening on screen, I never once felt like a scene was too long or unnecessary. The entire first hour was essential to draw the viewer in and the contrast with the more horrific moments became particularly stark and shocking. The film didn’t impact me as much as Hereditary, but I expect that’s because I knew more what to expect going in to this film.
The movie 100% revolves around the death of her family. Her struggle, her anxiety and finally the peace and “love” she finds. Normally agree but I gotta say you’re so off with this review. IMO of course!
He clearly did not understand the movie, probably went for a leak when pelle was telling dani about how he found his family in the cult and it is ok to let go of the past and find a new family. This is intricately connected with the final shot of Dani smiling but Mr. Stuckmann couldn't understand probably.
I completely agree with you, I think this movie was great, the visuals were incredible... I watched the director's cut yesterday and it made me love the movie even more... I really think Chriss got it wrong this time, or maybe he didn't pay to much attention on the details, because everything you need to understand the plot is there.
He doesn't understand what the thinks he does. He says the witch and uncut gems were great films, that should say enough itself. His taste is certainly not like a lot of peoples. His reviews are not great but he does give us film ideas through quarantine.
EXACTLY. Idky every reviewer is copying that same mindset too cause that whole first 20 mins was crucial and an important element to the main characters plot
I think some are really struggling to get their heads round the fact that this isnt "bunch of protagonist teens" meet "creepy cult". They have latched onto that as a horror trope and because of that are completely miswatching/misinterpreting the film.
I agree with you, and I also see why people feel the way Chris does. I don't feel like they NEEDED to visit it again for me personally, the setup in the beginning was hanging over everything else that happened, and to me, that was the reason all of the horrible moments were so powerful, because I was thinking "imagine going through this after what she went through". Same with the scenes with drugs and the panic attacks, it was awful because of what happened with her family.
The opening set up wasn’t visited again? Were we watching the same movie? Sorry, but you really dropped the ball on this one. Spoiler The danse macabre (the opening shot of the movie) is so important to what then takes place. For those that don’t know, the danse macabre is a medieval painting commissioned after the Black Death. It details young and old, rich and poor, nobility and peasant, holy and sinful all in a dance with death. It is a visual representation that death comes for us all, it’s unforgiving and impartial. The entire movie is an exploration into how different cultures perceive and interact with the fact that death is inescapable. Clue, they were anthropology students so studying different societies is kind of their whole thing. The death of Danni’s family members at the beginning of the movie and her subsequent mental fragility is needed as a way of contrasting how Danni and the audience view death compared to the villagers. The manner in which they died is also pretty essential to understanding the film. Danni originally suffers immensely from the loss of her family. She spends the majority of the film fixated on the death of her sister and parents. She see’s their faces when confronted with death, she dreams about them and spends several scenes alone engulfed by the grief they left behind. She doesn’t remember them with any fondness because the loss itself is too much to cope with and ends up haunting her. Her family become metaphorical ghosts. However, the villagers view death entirely differently. They confront death, embrace it even like it is an honour. It is still painful for them yet it is bearable because they accept it is a part of life. Like the seasons it is a cycle. The festival was not only a celebration of life (getting the daughter pregnant) but of death as they are entangled and inseparable. Two lines explain this film. Before the dance to decide the Mayqueen, the elder details how the dark ones (death) came for the living, and mocked them by forcing them into a dance. But now it is the living that mock death, as they decide when to embrace him and how they will do so. Moreover, the typical cycle of grief and pain left behind after suicide, or death in general is transformed into a cycle of appreciation and love for those that we have lost. To say that the opening set up is not revisited would be to miss the films entire meaning. Thematically the opening scenes are with Danni until the very last shot, when she smiles
I don't care about the themes. The storyline isn't explained whatsoever. What do they get out of the rituals with Dani? Why did she choose Christian to die over the random guy from the village? What do they get out of sacrificing the 9 people at the end? Why is Dani smiling as the credits roll? Heriditary at least showed the motives of what the cult was doing, but this movie not so much. To me this is why people aren't liking this one as much, because there isn't really a conceivable story. It's just like: "here's some violence. Ahhhh scary right?"
This is the first review I've ever seen from you that I blatantly disagree with. It's amazing that it took 7 years for this to happen. You're fantastic Chris, I just disagree here.
It had something to do with the Swedish guy who's parents died in what turns out to be a scarifical fire and he feels like its fate, but felt like they missed the mark on making that connection
But, if the midsommar happens every 90 years, how would that happen? Or the first two villager sacrifices (heads with twigs) were Pelle's parents? For a movie that's over 2hrs long there sure are holes in narrative
GrgoljBlaster A bit late, but I think Pelle refered to the moment where the elderly jump from the cliff and they are incinerated after. Which would be a ceremony held yearly, marking the end of the elders lives.
the reference the tragedy in the beginning in the end, before the final plot. The grief, I feel is beyond present in this film, through the whole movie I could feel Dany's grief. The way she would constantly have anxiety attacks or when every trip she had was bad, because she would be triggered by her grief. I can see where it doesn't feel as present as in hereditary, but its there the whole movie until the end.
Exactly! Her grief is there but it's just different. I feel like everyone compared it to Hereditary too much, heck even I did when I was watching it in the theater, but they are two completely different films. If we were going to compare the two the grief felt in Hereditary was vastly different because it was grief of a mother losing a child and the guilt and shame from the brother for accidentally causing her death. Dani in Midsommar just simply feels loss, the grief of having no one to go home to, of feeling lost in the world.
@@AR-ch5ix Some people want to know what their critic thinks of the film BEFORE they watch it (not me but some I'm sure.) Its not a "discussion" its a review.
Hereditary did it in best way. This movie was overrated as hell. Besides you missed the actual message, it is how easy it is to influence people to join cult, and you got influenced pretty easily.
Speaking of the humor in the movie, was anyone else dying when Will Poulter's character was having a bad mushroom trip in the beginning of the movie? xD
I adored Hereditary, saw it 3 times in the theater and I just got back from seeing Midsommar......I definitely need to see it again to gather my thoughts.
ThatMissQuin yeah I loved hereditary, saw midsommar yesterday and was excited but left so so disappointed.. was too weird with a plot that has no backbone . & oh wasn’t scary one bit.. just way too weird
Midsommar was very bizarre, but good, but not as good as Hereditary. I'd watch it again too, but might skip the cliff scene, which was too much for me. Also, the chicken coop scene, good lord..
Empathy plays such a big role in this film, the way the people cry or scream together or when they tried to calm Dani, they cry with her. The only person that had no empathy for her was Christian. Ironically in the end he got to experience a more physical sense of empathy for Dani, he was burning alive while everything was falling around him and he was immobile and unable to express his pain, which is what he made Dani feel throughout the entire film, her world was falling apart but she wasnt able to express herself around him because of how much she feels guilty for burdening him. And now he knows what she feels. A tragic way to learn empathy but it is beautiful
i feel like you misunderstand how manipulative the cult was to Dani and her friends. they exploited an already weak relationship to make a new cult member. they love bombed her and indoctrinated her into becoming one of them. then they drugged and raped christian with the red headed girl. then go complete the indoctrination they made her choose to kill christian, the rape victim, who is paralyzed, by burning him alive. the cult is evil and Dani was too fragile to realize they were manipulating her. the cult soothes the pain they inflict.
@@samct7015 oh no I didn't miss that. That was horrible. I'm merely interpreting a small factor of the movie. It is an art film and I feel like Dani being the main character allows interpretations of the film that revolve around her sanity
I disagree Completely. The beginning was referenced throughout the movie. When the girls cried with Dani it was to replace how Christian and her family were not there for her. There are many others.
i had no idea this movie was going to include psychedelic visuals and essentially be a bad trip the *entire* time, so when all that shit started going down it freaked me the f u c k out lol, and my trip just made it worse, i didn't know what was my trip and what was theirs, everything was so amplified and confusing
Scott Mackie Well I just don’t want him to ONLY direct incredibly terrifying weird creepy cult movies for the rest of his life and be labeled as an unoriginal hack with no range.
Randy Johnson no. finding and choosing your family. how do you not see it? dani tried to find her family in someone that wasn’t interested in her but she finds it in people that can emphasize with her pain
I got that intellectually, but not emotionally. That's why I hated the film. It takes far too long to drive home that point with characters I didn't care about.
Eric Chapman exactly. People keep calling everyone who didn’t like the film dumb, but that’s not why a lot of those people didn’t like it. It just didn’t get enough of an emotional response out of me. I was neither bored nor scared by it
I disagree, the beginning was necessary. It's made to make us understand how Dani's character is drawn to the cult because she craves any form of human comfort to make her feel happy. It just speaks to her mental health at the time.
Hearing a movie is slow makes me want to see it. So many times in slow scenes (if handled by a good filmmaker) there's much more going on than appears. As long as the acting is good and the subtext is there, a "slow" part can be more exciting than a big action set piece. Assassination of Jesse James comes to mind.
Agreed. I sat through damn near 3 hours of Meloncholia and was never bored and that movie creeps along at a snail's pace. This was slow but as Chris said, the acting and imagery make this stand out.
Not this case mate, an utter long ass dragged with no plan or purpose dissapointment, i wasted 3 hours of my life, but me my guest, im not trying to stop you😂
It actually doesn't feel that slow.. so Chris again, doesn't get that. There was setup, there was development of the other characters and attention to the ceremonies of the cult. All that takes time. It doesn't feel like a long movie.
This film was originally given an NC-17 by the MPAA. According to Ari Aster, around 30 minutes was cut from the final film mainly due to content. The director's cut released shortly after its theatrical run restores this footage. Most of the Swedish dialogue spoken by the Hårga natives is deliberately not subtitled, in order to create the sense of isolation for the audience and especially for the foreign visitors. When the film was released in Sweden, rather than eliciting fear in the audience, many people laughed. Many Swedish critics praised the film as an excellent black comedy. Mark displays an extreme phobia of ticks, which is based on Ari Aster's real-life fear of bugs and illness. Like Mark, Aster wore two pairs of socks over his jeans to ensure he would not receive bug bites. Despite the Swedish setting, the film was mostly shot in Hungary. Dani's surname is Ardor (visible on the computer screen in several shots), Latin for "flame." Despite sharing the same title and being horror movies set in Sweden, this film and the Danish cult classic "Midsommer (2003)" are not related. Despite the film taking place entirely in sunlight, it does not contain one shot of the sun. The film's trailer contained one shot of the sun. A shot of the sun has been reinserted in the director's cut of the film. Ariana Grande is a fan of the film, calling it one of her favorite films of 2019. She tried (and failed) to buy the May Queen Gown used in the film at an auction. She also threw a Midsommar-themed birthday party for herself on her 27th birthday. Klaudia Csányi's debut. Despite being the main characters and with the exception of cries and screams, neither Dani nor Christian speak in the last twenty-five minutes. During the meal where meat pies are served, Christian has a glass of reddish juice while everyone else has yellow juice. An image earlier in the film suggests that this may be because his drink has been spiked with menstrual blood. The strange mating ritual in the movie has very little to do with actual midsummer celebration in Sweden. It is however a fact that the 9 out of the 10 most common birthday dates in Sweden are all during April. 9 months after midsummer and July, the most popular month for summer vacations, that is. This is the fifth A24 film to be released nationwide without a platform release prior. The others were The Witch (2016), Free Fire (2017), It Comes At Night (2017), and Hereditary (2018). Much to the chagrin of Swedish horror fans, the film was not released during midsummer in Sweden, but a few weeks afterwards.
@@Katie-zf4zz I've seen men angry that she murdered him for cheating. Women pleased at her final smile cause they saw it as catharsis. Men yelling he should've ran, women saying he had no chance. Men being angry and indignant, women being ulfilled and smug. My gay bestie and I just hugged in solidarity and agreed that EVERYTHING ended horribly.
@@mzmendy i’m a man and honestly i didn’t really care that much. Christian was a fucking dick from the start of the movie and didn’t even really seem to care about his girlfriend or his friends. sorry but i really wasn’t that invested in him as a character at all.
I was really high when I watched this movie and I literally can’t describe the feeling when watching this, it was so surreal and messed up, yet entertaining at the same time. I couldn’t tell if what was happening in the movie was actually happening or if it was just me.
same here man. For some reason that floral costume that Dani wears at the end, when the house is burned down, really disturbed me. She looked like a pheasant.
I was high as shit too and honestly I thought it was a comedy... bruh shit was weird and hilarious. Not even remotely scary either. Characters were dumb, decent watch stoned, wouldn't waste 3 hours sober.
Whitley Beaver Ahahah same I really disliked this movie. My friends brought me there they liked it so much that I was feeling bad being the only one who hated this movie lol
@@joeannchaney1219 I did too. I really wanted to like it, I was so excited to watch it. But then the acting was horrible, I waited for something really exciting or scary to happen, nothing ever did, the plot was stupid and overall probably the worst movie I've seen
Has anyone seen the Director’s Cut? I think it’s adds a good deal to the storyline. If the theatrical version is a B+ for me, I’d certainly give the Director’s Cut an A minus or an A. It’s nearly as good as Hereditary imho. Chris should review it. Maybe his opinion might change. I think he undergraded/underrated this one.
Toxic relationship? The guy stays with her after the death of the whole family and comforts her at all times and is he toxic? In the end it is she who kills him herself.
Yeah most definitely! I usually take his advice on some movies but I saw this film at a friend's house before I watched the review. I thought this movie was so great even though it messed with my mental being, I still loved it. The ending shook me to the core and the whole time I'm driving home just had me thinking a lot. Like this movie messed me up and I love it.
Watched this movie. I enjoyed it. I went in mostly blind so I didn't know what to expect beyond the premise. I just feel like, you completely missed the point in the part you say the opening has no connection to the narrative. That just boggles my mind. I guess the problem with UA-cam is that you can't really elaborate on your point once the video is up there. But man, the ENTIRE movie is connected to the opening and is an extension of it. Her losing her family which leaves a void in her life, which is eventually filled with the 'cult'. The character dynamics are set up perfectly in the opening. The relationships also. The entire movie is about 1) Their relationship 2) Dealing with grief 3) Family Things that are explored and set up perfectly in the opening. So, in terms of your reviews, I think this is the first one I really really disagree with. But that's the fun of movies I guess.
That's your interpretation the cult seemed to almost trigger her anxiety about her family dying more than anything, and she was quick to want to gtfo when the old people jumped , her attitude only changed once she became queen which really makes no sense
@@doha2026 Exactly. To say that the opening is irrelevant to the story completely misses the entire point of the movie. The whole idea at the end that she's feeling finally accepted by a group of people after her boyfriend is being a dick after everything she's been thru. I mean who do you think joins cults? It's people that have been through some shit that are lonely, depressed and looking to be accepted and understood by literally anybody. I mean I don't sympathize with her at end or anything, but I get it.
I think he meant that it wasn’t really explained. The family had a big death kinda out of the blue, and it seemed that they would repeat symbols or meaning from such a big/unique death sequence. It kinda just seemed dramatic to be dramatic instead of symbolic. Like, yeah, literally, her family dies and she feels lost and alone and the cult becomes her new family.
So she became part of a murderous cult because she lost her family, and became a killer herself just because of her broken heart. The first day she almost had a panic attack just from seeing people getting killed, and started to use pills just to sleep, but by the last day after killing her boyfriend, she is not only OK, but happy? The only explanation is that she was high. The movie was gorgeous, but the characters were so plain, even stupid, or intoxicated. At the end it, the setup didn't pay off and he aesthetic didn't compensate the mediocre story. It didn't even feel like a horror movie.
You misinterpreted the film Chris; the opening is directly linked to Danis progression and ultimate character arch. Take another look at the ending through an analytical perspective. She becomes "one with nature" as she becomes part of this family or cult, severing the relationship with Christian and nuetralizing her grief by surrounding herself with an adopted family just as Peli had.
Almost every review I watch of Chris's now he misinterprets such easy to interpret things. I used to watch this channel a lot too and I don't give up easy smh
Simon and Connie were very friendly people with an interesting chemistry. They indeed had the most sense out of all of them. They should’ve survived and been the Main Protagonists.
The themes hit perfect for me. The first 20 minutes are a justification for why Florence's character is finally willing to join the cult by the end of the movie. The boyfriend thing was a minor insurrection, but the loss of her sister (and family by extension) made it possible for her to fall victim to the cult.
I love u Chris, but this one of few times I have to disagree. The beginning is essential and ties in with the ENTIRE film. Also the was downright horrific
GRIEF was extremely important through the whole film imo. Dani didn't have a home in her relationship which is eventually why we sympathised with her when the cult joined her in that explosive scene. She let it out and in a space where she was finally encouraged to.
Who sympathised with her? Needy, boring, lunatic executes boyfriend for getting roofied. I was hoping the geezer with the giant mallet was going to trepan her at the end. The only sympathetic character was the bear.
Chris, love your channel and your reviews! I have to disagree that the first 20 minutes aren't explored. What happened to Dani in those first 20 minutes continue to haunt her and color her perceptions and responses to everything that happens after. The scene of Dani's sister and parents appear in a nightmare, juxtaposed with the ritual suicide of the elders. Dani sees her mother in the crowd when she's being crowned May Queen. There are also flashes of her sister and father in other places. Those are just a few instances, but really, the murder-suicide of her family is key to everything about Dani's character and how she responds (sometimes in very strange ways) to what happens to her at Midsommar. Her grief-filled response to seeing her boyfriend having sex with another woman partially mirrors her grief-filled response to her family's deaths, but the difference in the former is that the others are grieving with her while in the latter, the boyfriend is physically but not mentally or emotionally there. Those scenes are like bookends to each other, but bookends that explain why Dani ultimately accepts her new place in life and the commune.
You can replace death of all family with just death of father or mother or sister, and you'll be equally traumatized for rest of your life. It doesn't make sense why her sister killed her parents, and committed sucide. That part is never explored, and never brought up. If you want your MC to feel lonely, you should saw an abusive dead beat dad as her only family, but that scene is pretty big bombshell, and feels placed very oddly there.
His laughter leading into a cough was hilarious. My friends and family thought it was impressive, but not likable only because the things that happen in it just sits with you. It’s a heavy film
I'm gonna say it... I liked Midsommar a million times more than Hereditary (and I really liked Hereditary dont get me wrong) but I had a very unique experience watching this film.
I am a horror fanatic have seen thousands of movies and I actually didn't like Hereditary Never understood the many praises it got.I loved Midsommar have seen it 4 times and it gets better with each time.
Some of my questions after watching the film: -how has the cult not ran out of members from the sacrifices. They need to sacrifice four people each year from the cult, there was maybe 60 people in that group -I don’t understand how they weren’t more concern about their friends when they disappeared, where would they have gone, it’s a small place Also I think they missed an opportunity with the orcal
The first minutes of the film are what leads Danny to join the group on this trip and explain her whole processing of what happens in Sweden, especially her smile in the end. It's one of the films that give you a little extra each time you watch it.
Pelle’s parents were sacrificed years before. Pelle went out into the world in search for new sacrifices and fell in love with Christian’s girlfriend, Dani. He wanted to get her back to the cult. His plan: He tracked her sister down through Facebook, drugged her, hypnotized her with his cult magic, and convinced/helped her to kill herself and the parents. He also knew through Christian that her sister already had mental issues and everyone would believe the suicide narrative. Pelle knew that the death of her parents was the only way he could lure her back to the cult to become the queen. It’s obvious when you look back at it. THAT’s why the beginning was important.
Favorite horror film of the 21st century so far for me has gotta be The Babadook. honorable mentions would be The Witch Hereditary 28 Days Later Let The Right One In and The Descent
Венци Георгиев I’d go so far as to drop the qualifier and just say it’s my favorite film of the 21st century thus far. Unforgettable cinema. High hopes for Midsommar and everything else Ari Aster does going forward.
@@jongon0848 I love The Babadook. It's a horror movie but it had an ending I really love. Hereditary is probably the most unsettling one I've seen in the 21st century, followed by It Follows. Us, Insidious and Insidious 2 are the most fun I've had with the horror genre, and Anabelle 2 was just surprisingly great.
I never expected it to be great as Hereditary but as long as the director/writer is Ari Aster, I’m still going to watch it. At least this review sort of killed the hype for me. Now I can start fresh and watch it with low expectations.
Same. I knew from the reviews and the advertisements that this wasn't going to be as great as Hereditary, but hey it's Aster. I did anticipate whatever the protagonist's tragedy was to tie in with the rest of the film (like Hereditary), but Chris put a halt to that expectation. But ofc the mainstream audience is gonna hate it so it's gonna wizz pass their heads anyway lol
Ending seemed anticlimactic. The deformed kid seemed like his only purpose was to be used in the trailer. His position in the script is.. unnecessary, and just a convenience. They provide a plausible explanation for him but its like.. not buyable by a moviegoing audience. A lot of stuff was just creepy for the sake of creepy, and seemed overdone. I will say the sense of isolation and inability to escape is maintained well. The trip also makes sense given the majors of those in attendance. I was kind of peeved by this movie
I think you missed the real meaning behind Dani losing her family in the beginning. The whole point was that the cult is welcoming her as her new family. Pela even says this to her point blank. That's a huge aspect of her arc, even though its a fucked family that she doesn't really want, but is manipulated into joining. I actually think you could go even deeper and say that when you lose a family member, they can never really be replaced. And this movie magnifies that idea in a terrifying way. This cult appears as friendly and welcoming, much like a family should, but deep down there's a lot wrong with them. I think the confusion and disturbance you feel as you watch this movie is very similar to the feeling someone who goes through the grief of losing a family goes through. Sure maybe they can find another group to call their family, but it will never be quite right and it will never be the same.
It horrifies me how many people completely miss that this movie is about Dani succumbing to the manipulations of a cult and is in no way some kind of triumphant break up movie with a happy ending
I think you should have a re-watch after a year gap, it might change some of your impressions. On my first watch I felt the disorientation as well but on the second and couple of further watches I found everything coherent and connected. All connecting dots are scatters throughout the flick. Just you have to know where to look at.
becraul Nope, Josh was killed before he got the chance to react to Mark’s disappearance, and Christian was a stupid, cowardly prick who didn’t care about Josh. He and Dani were also manipulated by the Hårga, so they were at a disadvantage.
Brian Aguilar Connie and Simon weren’t part of their group, so you would assume Christian and Mark (who were both dopes) would be fine with the ironic explanation they were given for Connie’s and Simon’s absences, but Dani’s concern and confusion turns into resentment when she sees Christian is unconcerned-thereby telling him that she could see him abandoning her like Simon did to Connie.
Torey Sinclair is right on the money. The reason some may miss it is because it is given way too much emphasis and feeling of “grief” rather than detachment and lonliness.
Literally the main theme of the movie is family. The fact that was missed by Chris is... odd. SPOILERS: Her family dies, she tries to replace that with her boyfriend and that fails, and throughout the movie this cult empathizes with her lowest points where her boyfriend could not. She decides its time to let go of him, and finally finds a new family that cares for her. This is all told in a fucked up way, but still.
@@pepesilvia3573 The death of the family tied in with the theme of how different cultures handle death. Every time she was confronted with death she had negative nightmares/visions about her family, whilst the cult did not see death as something horrific, but as a part of life. Also her finding a new family to share grief with ( the end scene) wouldn't have worked that great without that intro.
Chris just didn't get it. It's kinda saddening considering how many movies he has watched.. that he can't tie the significance of that final shot in relation to everything that happened before.
I honestly really loved this movie even more than hereditary which I liked a lot & have some stuff to content with in this review. I thought the beginning part connected really well to the rest of the story of the main character and I think her story is really the only one that matters thus part of the reason for the shallow character development of the friend group. The elongated setup works to convey from the beginning that is specifically about her. Part of why I liked it so much is as someone who has dealt with similar mental illness issues in my own family, it gives you an understandings as to why she makes the decisions she does. It's easy to get into a bad relationship and feel like a burden when you are worried and complaining about your complicated family. You are used to others not feeling hollow or shallow because they haven't dealt with as much + those people not notice when things are off kilter as much as you do. For a person who deals with the chaos if mental illness, it could also to be easy to embrace something that is totally different than your own normal, ie her just falling into and embracing her May Queen status. Plus, at a certain point you might go over the deep end with frustration and decide to dress your boyfriend in a bear costume and torch him to death (jk lol). One thing that shouldn't be overlooked either that it is not just about grief from a random tragedy but years and years of her dealing with the mentally ill loved one and being scared. She has been used to dealing with unpredictable stuff for years. It's almost like the commune is the opposite of that, it has order, even if that order is disturbing. I think this is a deeply psychological film written by someone who has had to deal with a lot of chaos and i don't think its as pretension and self-indulgent as reviewed. It's like a waking dream for someone who grew up in a trauma inducing household.
I’m wondering if you’re thoughts on this have changed at all if you’ve seen it a second time. Mine definitely changed because when I first saw it I wasn’t sure but after a second and third time (the directors cut) and I love it.
As a swedish person I can tell you that the most unrealistic thing about this movie is probably the weather being so nice, the weather is always shit on midsommar
Linn Jansson dude your winters are shit. I was there for the last 2 winters I maybe got 5 days the sun came out
@@kaytrout3836 sounds like New York winters these days.
I saw the movie, if the most unrealistic thing about Midsommar is the weather I'm very scared of you, lol!
Hahaha I thought the same, I'm Norwegian though.. But they do mention its the best summer In decades so...
@@mullaoslo Yes, they did say that.
"I struggle to understand exactly what the first 20 minutes has to do with the rest of the movie except for the themes of grief." The first 20 minutes set up the fact that Dani is completely alone in the world. Her family is gone, her boyfriend is distant and she really has nobody else to rely on. The cult is the family that she longed for and for the first time, she finally belongs. The entire rest of the movie serves as a solution to the problem the first 20 minutes set up. The first 20 minutes is absolutely integral to the finale of this film. Not sure how you thought it was random and never addressed as it's the whole point of the movie.
(Spoiler)
Right! Why does he think Dani smiles at the end of the movie? Because she’s high?! No, it’s because she has found her place and her peace within this community as it’s the perfect solution to all of her problems
@@timdagerman2538 Precisely! Dani's problem is abandonment, first by her family and then by her boyfriend, and acceptance into the cult. Having said that, I have to admit that I didn't like the film.
The first 20 minutes held me captive more than the entire rest of the film. Dani, a young woman, is consumed by an ominous email from her only sibling. A sister. Dani sends numerous emails, trying not to be frantic. Emails go unanswered. Dani calls parents and the audience is led to believe the parents are sleeping. No response. Dani calls her bf and the reassurance she was so desperate for is replaced by hollow nothing words. Dani calls her bestie and I gotta day, I totally related, but Dani still isn’t consoled. Dani then is faced with her worst fear. Not only has her sister offed herself, she killed the parents as well. The ominous email wasn’t bullshit after all. And here we have our heroine alone, despite her relationship status
So Dani was a psychopath who's answer to overcoming grief is to enjoy the fact that your friends were brutally murdered and boyfriend burned alive by a cult. Yeah I'm not seeing the beautiful message here. Seek help.
@@puma59graciefighter Unless it's not meant to be taken literally. As a metaphor for overcoming grief, trauma, finding the strength to leave a dead relationship and also finally feeling like you have a home where you can express yourself for who you are (as exemplified by how everyone in that community echoes each other's screams and moans as if they're sharing their emotions communally), it works perfectly.
Also, if you wanna take it literally, yeah it's plausible and doesn't make her a psychopath. If you've been genuinely traumatized and are in immense grief that you can't seem to escape no matter what yes, you might end up finding joy in literally watching the last remnants of what was once your horrible life burn down to ash. Atleast that's what the last scene seemed like to me in a literal sense, she wasn't glad her friends and boyfriend were all murdered (or even thinking about that per se), she was happy that she could start anew, almost as if her prior life had never existed. Not a healthy coping mechanism I'd say, but it's perfectly understandable in that sense.
I’ve never had to turn the volume up and down so much in my life. I couldn’t let go of the damn remote.
Facts
You should upgrade your TV. TVs now have a feature that levels out the sound.its been around years lol
@Darren Evans lmao found out about this after the movie doing some researching. Wish I knew before!
Darren Evans Oh, yeah? What is that feature called I’d like to know.
I had the exact same experience lol
I need to know what the other Keanus are at the bottom of his tshirt.
Probably Ted and the Speed guy
@@adriramadhan4536 that's EXACTLY what it is.
@@adriramadhan4536 i was thinking maybe Ted and Constantine
Speed era and Bill and Ted era.
ted and johnny silverhand
"It felt very similar to The Wicker Man. I'm gonna give Midsommar a B-"
Noooo, not the B's. Not the B's!
Don't worry. Its only similarity to The Wicker Man is on the most superficial level. The people who think it's a Wicker Man story (like Stuckmann) completely missed the actual story of the movie, which takes place between the main character and her boyfriend. This movie is basically a breakup drama that happens to be set in the midst of a cult ritual. It's really driving me crazy how some of these professional critics don't get such an obvious thing. The movie makes it very, very clear, so it's like these people are just refusing to accept the movie on its own terms.
Underrated comment. I laughed a lot harder than I should’ve.
This should be pinned ffs
my eyes! my eyes! 😭
SpiffyMcZender legendary comment
It’s a beautifully made movie about the dumbest group of friends I have ever seen in life
Just Gerrod Probably the best possible summary of the movie. Well done
Because they are mostly white, as an Asian person, i see a bunch of white people wearing white i am going home.
mybe because their on drugs for most of it.
@@groovywoovy6751 Yeah, it's the first they do. Wow, this is beautiful. Let's do shrooms and trip the fuck out. What the fuck.
@@alexsxsxs1817 My African soul was like that too. No color = no life. I felt like wrapping myself in A colorful kitenge cloth just so I could feel safe watching all these weird people in white.
The beginning set-up of her family dying is literally the entire point of the movie, in short, her finding a family who can empathize with her happiness and pain and fully accept her into their family.
It's not that it's not important, it's just incredibly fleshed out, making an explicit point that her sister was bi-polar, making the ominous emails a key factor in the incident, and for what? I assumed the sister was going to be revealed to have been some way connected to Harga, and I was waiting to find out what the emails were really about. It was a misleading way to set up the premise of the film.
It's not my main gripe with the film, but I also find it a little concerning that it buys into the trope that people with bi-polar disorder are crazy, homicidal, and suicidal, when the inclusion of that was not necessary. They could still portray intense family drama without damaging tropes under the guise of being woke :/
" who can empathize with her". These are cultists. They do not empathize. They are ruthlessly brainwash people, destroy relationships and, in this movie, kill people. The whole topic is mishandled, the movie almost glorifies cults.
@@StRanGerManY they do empathize as seen by the cultists hysterically crying when Dani and other members of their community are in pain.
@@lamartlockhart9273 if you think this is a healthy empathy, I pity you. Like I said, this nothing more then ruthless brainwashing
That's a load of absolute bullshit. That's what the movie is trying to say but it fails. She was the only one with any sense out of the whole group, until the last 15minutes of the movie. She does a complete 180. If you really buy that shit, I'd love to know what drugs you're smoking
the cinematography alone man, this movie is stunning.
My guy is grinning and smiling while the lady is crying on the thumbnail 🤣 couldn’t help but laugh at that
lol sooo true!
That's exactly what I do when I don't know what to say to someone crying
The juxtaposition is immensely unnerving.
Lmfao!!
Now imagine them both crying
I thought the inbred Oracle was going to play a bigger role
Justin Macabre same
brenden zitur dame thing with Charlie in hereditary
The only thing I dislike about the film.
I mean... he did write down all the events of every ritual. Remember when the member said their book is constantly in progress.
TheDarkMaster02 yes, but he got like no screen time is what I mean.
“The characters felt kinda like objects” I mean most of the characters were only brought to the village to specifically be sacrificed.
That’s what cults dov
You're missing the point. The film was not presented as being from the community's view. We see the main characters interact with each other ouside of Sweden, where their purpose is not to be an object. When he said the characters feel like objects, he didn't mean it in a literal sense. The characters fall flat. Their only traits are fitted to their individual niche plot points, and they are not believable, likeable, or hateable.
I got the feeling that Connie, the Indian girl who was abandoned by her boyfriend, was brought in as a revenge sacrifice for Pelle, since he mentioned that he once dated her and lost her to Simon.
@@turtleislandlac1490 it wasn't Pelle that dated her, it was Ingemar
@@lernernernerdicapricorn6914 Pelle said in the film that they dated before, and the girl got angry and said it was "one date."
She was amazing. She gave one of the few convincing portrayals of grief and trauma that I've seen.
I thought the same.
Leaving this here to add to add to this if it is noticed. I have seen grief, DEEP pain, wailing, what the actress did here was incredibly realistic to what I have come to know, I hope to see more actors making this sort of real, raw, emotion on film, it is never pretty, it shouldn't be.
It was an Oscar-worthy performance. Criminal that she wasn't even nominated
The "Honk" crying did it for me.
I guess you havent seen many portrayals of grief then
I will not forgive the Academy for snubbing Toni Collette's performance in Hereditary.
Dinner Blaster they don’t recognize horror movies exist
Agreed - she was the worst snub of the year!
Didn’t even get nominated, so unfair 😩
she defiently should have a award...................
the academy is notorious for snubbing incredible talent and instead nominating decency.
*Spoiler*
The death of the parents is needed for her to accept the cult as her only family
Yeah exactly, I felt the parent thing wasn't mentioned much or expanded because the main character wanted to forget them. Anytime her parents are mentioned early on, she shuts down and has a panic attack. The movie is about her killing that memory and accepting the cult as her family.
Chance Thrash didn’t think about that until you mentioned it. That’s a good point. I felt like this film needed 5 more minutes to conclude what had just happened. A lot of the cult was left unexplained and we still don’t know to what capacity Dani has accepted the cult
Chance Thrash I agree, and I also felt that the Pelle character had actually murdered the parents and sister and made it look like a murder/suicide. An elaborate setup to get her to the festival. There were subtle hints with the flowers in the parents bedroom.
@@jeffgianone3872 I strongly disagree. She chose to sacrifice her abusive boyfriend (which, by the way, he WAS abusive. Gaslighting is terrible mental abuse, and it's somewhat upsetting that Chris shoved it off as just a bad relationship no one wanted to be in). And she ended with a smile. It's easy to see that she accepted the cult fully and truly. You can't just force death upon someone and be happy about it and NOT be captivated by the cult
Nicole Myers that’s true. I still felt like the lack of explanation of what midsommar was really about was what lost me
the fact that chris was in some sort of cult when he was young makes this review all the more personal
And perhaps might be the reason he dismissed it.
yes,I agree
I can relate to Chris Stuckman's pov being I was raised in a Pentecostal evangelical church, so cults are real world horror for me.
@@TheWelchProductions What is the story behind this? I was pretty surprised at this review but if Chris went through something similar in his youth it might be a bit too much for him. This movie is very powerful in how it draws you in to this crazy ass cult along with the main character and make it all look so wholesome.
@@garycoates4987 Jesus is lord
@@masonwright7700 Lord of midsommer?
It's kinda strange that Chris didn't find connection between first twenty minutes and the rest of the movie, because it's completely understandable if you think a little about the main character's storyline. Chris is really good at finding deeper meaning in artsy films and yet in this case he somehow didn't went beneath the surface
He went through the floods to see this
I’m with Chris on this one. The first 20 mins had me thinking after the end credits rolled “what actually happened to that girl’s family?”
It also set the movie up to be more gruesome and sinister, rather than the cleaner version of the rest of the story we got.
I know I am a year late, but I just watched this movie for the first time.
I think he didnt mean about the death of a family and grief, I think setting up her sister was what he mentioned. Why did she kill her parents? Why did it even had to be a sister? If you wanted to achieve grief car accident would do the same thing, but it would raise the questions that are currently left un answered.
I bet there is a lot of cut content due to the movie already being 140min long and director didnt want to ruin the pacing, which in my mind is just perfect for this type of movie.
"..didn't go beneath the surface". Fixed free of charge. 😉
@@boke75 k-o-k-o-t
This movie and hostel taught me to say "no" when invited by someone to go to a different country
I mean.. it turned out pretty good for Dani at the end 🤷♀️😂
@@ChocolateEyedGirl87 Not exactly. We don't get to see what happens next.
@@ChocolateEyedGirl87 she should've been sacrificed with them imo
What I took away from hostel is, don’t hang out with strangers just because they’re hot. Basically don’t be afraid to trust your gut, ever.
What ‘situation’?? I live in London...
When that lady started singin during the sex scene the whole theater bursted out laughing. That was great haha
Daniel Camacho Same. Especially when the old lady came to push on his butt!
Yeah that did make me laugh
Anicodeaufo 59 damn
Anicodeaufo 59 What are you talking about?
That happened on my section too. But I didn't laugh, it was such a deep moment (no play of words here) that I didn't think it was funny at all. I didn't know how many references this movie had, and since I haven't watched the other movies, this one for me was amazing. In some aspects, even better than Hereditary. And the director has earned the right of being pretentious, in my opinion :)
This movie has an overall theme of how easy it is for a cult to draw in members on the promise of empathy and unity and, once in, easily brainwash them to potentially commit heinous acts (i.e. torture, suicide, sacrifice, killings) for the "good" of the cult (Charles Manson). This is especially true now days when "recruiters" (Pele, and his brother) have easy pickins from a society filled with "lazy", "apathetic", "unwanted", and/or "lonely" people (I quoted these words because they are used in the movie). The movie confirms this by "recruiting" the audience in feeling "empathetically" happy for Dani in making the "decision" (was it hers or was she coerced, especially by Pele) to rid herself of those who shunned her! Is this movie propaganda for YOUR eventual indoctrination much like the initial mural that showed Dani and "friends'" reason for being there and their eventual fate?!
Good take.
@@tylerwinter512 Thanks! It's a deeper movie than I believe most give it credit for.
4:00 I mean you know that dancing around this 'tree-like object' is literally the original midsummer ritual in Sweden
The whole situation with Dani's sister and parents was extremely important to the entire film. She buried that grief and experience so deeply because she didn't have anyone around her to give her an outlet for it, and then she finally got around people who wanted to share it with her, to take her grief upon themselves and when they did she realized she was finally home.
I lost my son and I know how deeply grief can be buried. You put it as far down as you can inside yourself and never allow it to come up because it's so primal and frightening. And then something happens that brings it out and you scare yourself hearing those sounds that come out of your own body. Florence Pugh is an amazing actress, she should get an Oscar for this role.
Well put.
i’m sorry for your loss.
Thank you so very much. I appreciate that!
Too bad those people manipulated her...
I haven't seen this film but I too have lost a child.. this made me want to watch the film. I know the pain you go through everyday.. keep fighting. 💜
SPOILER
The scene where Christian was holding Danni on the couch while she was mourning the loss of her family is significant. Christian wasn't mourning with her or trying to comfort her beyond letting her cry on his lap. In the village/cult place everyone mourns for each others losses as if they were their own, as though they could physically and emotionally experience what everyone else was going through. Danni's experience with family (at least from what was shown) was disconnected, in contrast to the village where everyone is practically in sync. When it was Danni's birthday Pelle was there for her. When Danni saw Christian cheating on her her 'sisters' were there for her. Everyone in the village accepted and loved her unconditionally as family. Having no family left at home, and Christian dead, Danni could finally let go.
Yes, this! I must admit I disagreed with Chris's review. The first 20 minutes are SO important to this setup. Without seeing Dani's grief, we wouldn't have had that moment where all the themes click into place, and that moment is the scene when her sisters cry with her. I found that profoundly moving. She's found her family. She can finally give up her codependence on a man who doesn't 'hold her'. And she does that in a pretty disturbing way.
The cheating was engineered by the cult. Why does nobody understand that?
@@SarahDalton She hasn't. She's only been broken enough to join the cult.
Gregory House Exactly! People seem to be so eager to give meaning to this meaningless film
@@DrGregoryHouseIT Who 'doesn't understand that'? No one said it wasn't. As you watch the movie it becomes clear that literally every major event in this film was engineered by the cult. From Dani arriving, to all her friends being sacrificed, and her becoming May Queen. Chris cheating too, but by then their relationship had already gone to shit so that was really just the icing on the cake.
i have never wanted bad things to happen to a group of people more then when i saw this movie. I hated all the dudes the entire film.
And that isn’t a flaw, since you’re supposed to only care about the main character.
Ohhh that's why I didn't feel anything
I didn't necessarily hate the male characters, I just thought everyone, excluding the engaged couple were dumb to the point where death was deserved. And even the engaged couple i thought was sorta dumb because as a Christian there were so many signs
The sun sign entrance they literally walked through to get there, the sun worship, the quilt showing the love spell with pubic hairs, etc.
@Tomas Loayza I guess you can’t expect everyone to have sympathy for a character even when it’s deserved.
Being dumb and ignorant doesnt mean you deserve death tho dafuq
I think this should be your next second viewing review. I think the events at the beginning tie in very well to the rest of the film. It determines every choice that Dani and Christian make.
But they weren't necessary.
No it doesn’t
i disagree.. the setup of the characters greif is totally payed off by the "cult" women screaming with the main character, she finally has people who can "share" her feelings the way her bf couldn't
She never expressed these feelings to her boyfriend and did it in a codependent way.
Spirit of Yusuke 008 she literally cried her eyes out with him and called him and explained how she felt about the sister situation
You're streching it way too far.
They are only copying
@@hastalavista3814 its a manipulation. But that doesnt mean she didnt feel comforted in some way. Parents often do that to babies to make their kids stop crying. It works somehow.
E-xac-tly! She is basically slowly indoctrinated into this cult.. and the movie does a tremendous good job at taking us thru that. Im miffed that Chris didn't get that.
I was trying my best to focus on what you were seeing but Keanu Reeves took the show lol
Same
Same ✋
Do you know where we can find this amazing shirt????!!!!plz!!
@@alcarajo61 search for "Pop Keanu Anytime" on RiptApparel :)
@@hisllagb you're breathtaking!!!
The themes of grief and family came through very clear to me.
the idea that dani was compelled by a cult because they can realize and relate to her pain when her own ‘normal’ friends couldn’t is amazing
"I made a lot of people go see Hereditary.... and they all hated it!".... And then a Chucky-like laugh 🤔
Good job
Deadpool's Hitlist probably braindead marvel fans. If he sent Intellectual and superior dc fans he would have got much better results
DayTripper Rick and Morty fans would’ve liked it as well
@@roycastanon5754 pretty fucked up way to think, but it is what it is.
@DayTripper What the fuck lmao ahh yes because the whole "MaRtHa" situation is only for true intellectuals that understand it's peak cinema
I completely disagree with your opinion on the setup. It makes her in need of a community. I definitely thought it WAS a compelling story, but to each their own.
Ikr... I didn't really liked the movie overall but if anything, the setup was exploited perfectly...
Also the fact that pelle kept mentioning how similar they were because both of them were orphans, he kept reminding her of her family.
I'm here after his recent video discussing his childhood in the JW...This review hits a little bit differently now. Just know that we are all so proud of you Chris for having such amazing strength!
“The film drags, without a doubt” - I didn’t find this at all. The beautiful cinematography, the acting, the tension of knowing something sinister is simmering below the surface... even with nothing overt happening on screen, I never once felt like a scene was too long or unnecessary. The entire first hour was essential to draw the viewer in and the contrast with the more horrific moments became particularly stark and shocking. The film didn’t impact me as much as Hereditary, but I expect that’s because I knew more what to expect going in to this film.
Nah, it drags
@@EDFilmsUK nah that's your opinion, shut up tho!:)
I found this too, didn’t drag for me. Something kept my attention.
@@parkerm949 or what?
The movie 100% revolves around the death of her family. Her struggle, her anxiety and finally the peace and “love” she finds. Normally agree but I gotta say you’re so off with this review. IMO of course!
He clearly did not understand the movie, probably went for a leak when pelle was telling dani about how he found his family in the cult and it is ok to let go of the past and find a new family. This is intricately connected with the final shot of Dani smiling but Mr. Stuckmann couldn't understand probably.
I completely agree with you, I think this movie was great, the visuals were incredible... I watched the director's cut yesterday and it made me love the movie even more... I really think Chriss got it wrong this time, or maybe he didn't pay to much attention on the details, because everything you need to understand the plot is there.
Exactly! I cannot believe that someone who reviews movies could totally overlook the theme that the ENTIRE movie was portraying.
He's being generous, man. The movie was too pretentious and boring. I would give a 4/10
Asad condescension never looks attractive on anybody
I was gonna like the video but you never showed us the lower half of your shirt, I wanted to see those two Keanus.
Sameee
I was thinking which 2 keanu's is on the lower half. Maybe, bill and Ted movie Keanu, and Speed movie Keanu.
@@tank100286 I'm thinking speed on the left & on the right 2077
Bottom two pictures are John Constantine and Ted Logan.
It's breathtaking!
If you didn’t think the first 20 minutes mattered, they you didn’t really understand the movie and particularly Dani.
Agreed
Yeah my eyebrows were raising a lot when he was saying that. I thought it was the whole point?
He doesn't understand what the thinks he does. He says the witch and uncut gems were great films, that should say enough itself. His taste is certainly not like a lot of peoples. His reviews are not great but he does give us film ideas through quarantine.
@@psycheevolved1428 uncut gems is good, what are you talking about? The VVitch was fine but not excellent.
@@psycheevolved1428 The f is wrong with the Witch and Uncut Gems?
Dani had some amazing facial expressions in this film for sure. Especially the scene you are referring to. It was weirdly captivating
So sexy.
It seems Chris missed the point of the film, the first 20min are important and completely relate to the events that unfold afterwards
EXACTLY. Idky every reviewer is copying that same mindset too cause that whole first 20 mins was crucial and an important element to the main characters plot
100%, i kind of dismissed his review after that. Maybe he mispoke because he wouldnt have missed that connection no?
I think some are really struggling to get their heads round the fact that this isnt "bunch of protagonist teens" meet "creepy cult". They have latched onto that as a horror trope and because of that are completely miswatching/misinterpreting the film.
I agree with you, and I also see why people feel the way Chris does. I don't feel like they NEEDED to visit it again for me personally, the setup in the beginning was hanging over everything else that happened, and to me, that was the reason all of the horrible moments were so powerful, because I was thinking "imagine going through this after what she went through". Same with the scenes with drugs and the panic attacks, it was awful because of what happened with her family.
disdust Right!!
The opening set up wasn’t visited again? Were we watching the same movie? Sorry, but you really dropped the ball on this one.
Spoiler
The danse macabre (the opening shot of the movie) is so important to what then takes place. For those that don’t know, the danse macabre is a medieval painting commissioned after the Black Death. It details young and old, rich and poor, nobility and peasant, holy and sinful all in a dance with death. It is a visual representation that death comes for us all, it’s unforgiving and impartial.
The entire movie is an exploration into how different cultures perceive and interact with the fact that death is inescapable. Clue, they were anthropology students so studying different societies is kind of their whole thing.
The death of Danni’s family members at the beginning of the movie and her subsequent mental fragility is needed as a way of contrasting how Danni and the audience view death compared to the villagers. The manner in which they died is also pretty essential to understanding the film. Danni originally suffers immensely from the loss of her family. She spends the majority of the film fixated on the death of her sister and parents. She see’s their faces when confronted with death, she dreams about them and spends several scenes alone engulfed by the grief they left behind. She doesn’t remember them with any fondness because the loss itself is too much to cope with and ends up haunting her. Her family become metaphorical ghosts.
However, the villagers view death entirely differently. They confront death, embrace it even like it is an honour. It is still painful for them yet it is bearable because they accept it is a part of life. Like the seasons it is a cycle. The festival was not only a celebration of life (getting the daughter pregnant) but of death as they are entangled and inseparable.
Two lines explain this film. Before the dance to decide the Mayqueen, the elder details how the dark ones (death) came for the living, and mocked them by forcing them into a dance. But now it is the living that mock death, as they decide when to embrace him and how they will do so.
Moreover, the typical cycle of grief and pain left behind after suicide, or death in general is transformed into a cycle of appreciation and love for those that we have lost.
To say that the opening set up is not revisited would be to miss the films entire meaning. Thematically the opening scenes are with Danni until the very last shot, when she smiles
Thank you. I'm surprised how this movie went over so many people's heads.
M E TELL EM LOL
t d haha cheers, appreciate it brother
Good job. This was an incredible movie, and here is a little glimpse as to why really well written.
I don't care about the themes. The storyline isn't explained whatsoever. What do they get out of the rituals with Dani? Why did she choose Christian to die over the random guy from the village? What do they get out of sacrificing the 9 people at the end? Why is Dani smiling as the credits roll? Heriditary at least showed the motives of what the cult was doing, but this movie not so much. To me this is why people aren't liking this one as much, because there isn't really a conceivable story. It's just like: "here's some violence. Ahhhh scary right?"
This is the first review I've ever seen from you that I blatantly disagree with. It's amazing that it took 7 years for this to happen.
You're fantastic Chris, I just disagree here.
It had something to do with the Swedish guy who's parents died in what turns out to be a scarifical fire and he feels like its fate, but felt like they missed the mark on making that connection
omg Randy Johnson killed it mate
But, if the midsommar happens every 90 years, how would that happen? Or the first two villager sacrifices (heads with twigs) were Pelle's parents? For a movie that's over 2hrs long there sure are holes in narrative
GrgoljBlaster A bit late, but I think Pelle refered to the moment where the elderly jump from the cliff and they are incinerated after. Which would be a ceremony held yearly, marking the end of the elders lives.
the reference the tragedy in the beginning in the end, before the final plot. The grief, I feel is beyond present in this film, through the whole movie I could feel Dany's grief. The way she would constantly have anxiety attacks or when every trip she had was bad, because she would be triggered by her grief. I can see where it doesn't feel as present as in hereditary, but its there the whole movie until the end.
I couldn't agree more. The way she basically embraces her new self and her new family at the end is beautiful
Exactly! Her grief is there but it's just different. I feel like everyone compared it to Hereditary too much, heck even I did when I was watching it in the theater, but they are two completely different films. If we were going to compare the two the grief felt in Hereditary was vastly different because it was grief of a mother losing a child and the guilt and shame from the brother for accidentally causing her death. Dani in Midsommar just simply feels loss, the grief of having no one to go home to, of feeling lost in the world.
The final shot in the movie with Florence smiling before the credits started was amazing.
87_Michael Yeah. She finaly accepted her situation and felt at home. Like she belonged and Had a family.
Please put **SPOILER**
I’ve already seen it but still. Don’t ruin it for others.
@@orangeradios your on a video discussing the movie lmao. You should expect there to be spoilers hahaha
@@Anton-os5lk She actually is mentally broken, according to her portrayer.
@@AR-ch5ix Some people want to know what their critic thinks of the film BEFORE they watch it (not me but some I'm sure.) Its not a "discussion" its a review.
I think this film is brilliant. I loved it much more than Hereditary, especially on second viewing - it rewards repeat viewings.
Hereditary did it in best way. This movie was overrated as hell. Besides you missed the actual message, it is how easy it is to influence people to join cult, and you got influenced pretty easily.
I don’t normally disagree with your reviews but you were off on this one imo
Speaking of the humor in the movie, was anyone else dying when Will Poulter's character was having a bad mushroom trip in the beginning of the movie? xD
I think everyone died every time he opened his mouth. *cough* Swedish *cough* meatball *cough* sex clubs *cough* *cough*
Laughing, yes. Dying? Not quite. But he was funny in a realistic way, not just every-other-movie-goofball way.
@@shadowfoam3491 I love his character. He's aweful. He's the worst type of person. And I know people exactly like him
I started laughing when the woman started singing during the sex scene
Christians reaction was perfect
The 2003 Midsummer was remade in 2008 as Solstice by the director of The Blair Witch Project. I'm here to bring you all the uninteresting trivia.
Im all for it
Wow that's cool, gotta check out the older ones before this one , thanks 👍
Some people love uninteresting trivia ~ gracias
Is it any good?
From the moment when the old folks jumped from that cliff , i would already made plans on the spot how to escape that freak show at night 😂
"Please don't quote me" - Chris Stuckmann
mis-quote .....he said
I adored Hereditary, saw it 3 times in the theater and I just got back from seeing Midsommar......I definitely need to see it again to gather my thoughts.
ThatMissQuin yeah I loved hereditary, saw midsommar yesterday and was excited but left so so disappointed.. was too weird with a plot that has no backbone . & oh wasn’t scary one bit.. just way too weird
@@andrewperaza2839 unsettling is a better word than scary for sure. It did make me want to re-watch the Wicker Man (1973).
Midsommar was very bizarre, but good, but not as good as Hereditary. I'd watch it again too, but might skip the cliff scene, which was too much for me. Also, the chicken coop scene, good lord..
I’m going to see it tonight over Spider-Man im thinking ima need to go see it at least twice
My feelings exactly
looks like a 140 minute long laundry powder comercial
😭😭😭
😂😂😂
LMAO
What the hell is that supposed to mean??? Are you anti white European?
@@andrewtree4725 dude it wasn't that deep it's a joke relating to a horror movie sksksksks
Empathy plays such a big role in this film, the way the people cry or scream together or when they tried to calm Dani, they cry with her. The only person that had no empathy for her was Christian. Ironically in the end he got to experience a more physical sense of empathy for Dani, he was burning alive while everything was falling around him and he was immobile and unable to express his pain, which is what he made Dani feel throughout the entire film, her world was falling apart but she wasnt able to express herself around him because of how much she feels guilty for burdening him. And now he knows what she feels. A tragic way to learn empathy but it is beautiful
i feel like you misunderstand how manipulative the cult was to Dani and her friends. they exploited an already weak relationship to make a new cult member. they love bombed her and indoctrinated her into becoming one of them. then they drugged and raped christian with the red headed girl. then go complete the indoctrination they made her choose to kill christian, the rape victim, who is paralyzed, by burning him alive. the cult is evil and Dani was too fragile to realize they were manipulating her. the cult soothes the pain they inflict.
@@samct7015 oh no I didn't miss that. That was horrible. I'm merely interpreting a small factor of the movie. It is an art film and I feel like Dani being the main character allows interpretations of the film that revolve around her sanity
I disagree Completely. The beginning was referenced throughout the movie. When the girls cried with Dani it was to replace how Christian and her family were not there for her. There are many others.
me: im gonna take shrooms before i see Midsommar and im gonna take my girl too that sounds like a great idea
*it was not a great idea*
OMG DON'T DO IT LOL
what happened?? tell us
i had no idea this movie was going to include psychedelic visuals and essentially be a bad trip the *entire* time, so when all that shit started going down it freaked me the f u c k out lol, and my trip just made it worse, i didn't know what was my trip and what was theirs, everything was so amplified and confusing
logic is biracial holy fuck😂😂😂 thanks for sharing
Druuuggss! Wow so cool, ever tried “sarcasm”?! It gets me high af.
I’m excited for this movie, but I just hope Ari Aster’s next film isn’t about a weird creepy cult.
The Shawshank Inception this is his last horror film in a very long time. He wants to explorer comedy and other stuff in the future
He said Midsommar will be his last horror in a long time. Ari is currently writing a sci-fi movie and also wants to make a musical.
What is wrong with cult movies we haven't had ome like this in a while it looks amazing
Scott Mackie Well I just don’t want him to ONLY direct incredibly terrifying weird creepy cult movies for the rest of his life and be labeled as an unoriginal hack with no range.
@@bravovince3070 nooooooooooo
“I need to get away, hey, there’s a truck right there, but hey look at that neat wooden building over there that looks safe” 😂😂
The bright pastel palette and the broad relaxed cinematography are GENIUOSLY incongruous with the instilled emotions.
A HUGE theme of this movie is FAMILY. It absolutely made use of it's set up. That's literally the entire point of the ending.
Eh, family is used pretty loosely. What about family? How they kill eachother?
Randy Johnson no. finding and choosing your family. how do you not see it? dani tried to find her family in someone that wasn’t interested in her but she finds it in people that can emphasize with her pain
I got that intellectually, but not emotionally. That's why I hated the film. It takes far too long to drive home that point with characters I didn't care about.
Eric Chapman exactly. People keep calling everyone who didn’t like the film dumb, but that’s not why a lot of those people didn’t like it. It just didn’t get enough of an emotional response out of me. I was neither bored nor scared by it
"The first 20 minutes provide a set up that's rarely ever explored again or referenced throughout the film."
Excuse me? Did we watch the same movie?
Dani barely mentions her family is what he probably meant
Brian Aguilar i mean, she doesn’t have to say that she’s grieving to express it. i think she shows it perfectly well
@@brianaguilar8283 Dude, she literally has mental breakdowns everytime someone mentions "family". What else do u want her to mention 🙄?
Dinky Donkey why the fuck are you attacking me as if that’s my complaint? It’s Chris Stuckmann’s criticism. Calm the fuck down.
@@brianaguilar8283 you're the one who needs to calm down
I actually liked Midsommar way more than Hereditary.
I didn't like it as much as Hereditary but I still loved this film.
Deena Price Both movies are great but Toni Collete and Alex Wolff performances make Hereditary better in my opinion.. :)
same
gavo1201 Alex Wolff actually smashing his head on the table is enough for me.
same
I disagree, the beginning was necessary. It's made to make us understand how Dani's character is drawn to the cult because she craves any form of human comfort to make her feel happy. It just speaks to her mental health at the time.
Hearing a movie is slow makes me want to see it. So many times in slow scenes (if handled by a good filmmaker) there's much more going on than appears. As long as the acting is good and the subtext is there, a "slow" part can be more exciting than a big action set piece. Assassination of Jesse James comes to mind.
Agreed. I sat through damn near 3 hours of Meloncholia and was never bored and that movie creeps along at a snail's pace. This was slow but as Chris said, the acting and imagery make this stand out.
Inglorious Bastards is a good example
Not this case mate, an utter long ass dragged with no plan or purpose dissapointment, i wasted 3 hours of my life, but me my guest, im not trying to stop you😂
It actually doesn't feel that slow.. so Chris again, doesn't get that. There was setup, there was development of the other characters and attention to the ceremonies of the cult. All that takes time. It doesn't feel like a long movie.
It wasn't slow. Crazy shit starts happening in no time.
Chris is showing way too much joy in the thunbnail while there's a woman crying in the background...
Nuclear Matt get your head out of your ass, man.
This film was originally given an NC-17 by the MPAA. According to Ari Aster, around 30 minutes was cut from the final film mainly due to content. The director's cut released shortly after its theatrical run restores this footage.
Most of the Swedish dialogue spoken by the Hårga natives is deliberately not subtitled, in order to create the sense of isolation for the audience and especially for the foreign visitors.
When the film was released in Sweden, rather than eliciting fear in the audience, many people laughed. Many Swedish critics praised the film as an excellent black comedy.
Mark displays an extreme phobia of ticks, which is based on Ari Aster's real-life fear of bugs and illness. Like Mark, Aster wore two pairs of socks over his jeans to ensure he would not receive bug bites.
Despite the Swedish setting, the film was mostly shot in Hungary.
Dani's surname is Ardor (visible on the computer screen in several shots), Latin for "flame."
Despite sharing the same title and being horror movies set in Sweden, this film and the Danish cult classic "Midsommer (2003)" are not related.
Despite the film taking place entirely in sunlight, it does not contain one shot of the sun. The film's trailer contained one shot of the sun. A shot of the sun has been reinserted in the director's cut of the film.
Ariana Grande is a fan of the film, calling it one of her favorite films of 2019. She tried (and failed) to buy the May Queen Gown used in the film at an auction. She also threw a Midsommar-themed birthday party for herself on her 27th birthday.
Klaudia Csányi's debut.
Despite being the main characters and with the exception of cries and screams, neither Dani nor Christian speak in the last twenty-five minutes.
During the meal where meat pies are served, Christian has a glass of reddish juice while everyone else has yellow juice. An image earlier in the film suggests that this may be because his drink has been spiked with menstrual blood.
The strange mating ritual in the movie has very little to do with actual midsummer celebration in Sweden. It is however a fact that the 9 out of the 10 most common birthday dates in Sweden are all during April. 9 months after midsummer and July, the most popular month for summer vacations, that is.
This is the fifth A24 film to be released nationwide without a platform release prior. The others were The Witch (2016), Free Fire (2017), It Comes At Night (2017), and Hereditary (2018).
Much to the chagrin of Swedish horror fans, the film was not released during midsummer in Sweden, but a few weeks afterwards.
I love how men and women have VERY different reactions to this movie.
what are the different reactions you have noticed?
@@Katie-zf4zz I've seen men angry that she murdered him for cheating. Women pleased at her final smile cause they saw it as catharsis. Men yelling he should've ran, women saying he had no chance. Men being angry and indignant, women being ulfilled and smug. My gay bestie and I just hugged in solidarity and agreed that EVERYTHING ended horribly.
@@mzmendy all horrible indeed
@@mzmendy do you realize she had no control over anything she was being manipulated whole time
@@mzmendy i’m a man and honestly i didn’t really care that much. Christian was a fucking dick from the start of the movie and didn’t even really seem to care about his girlfriend or his friends. sorry but i really wasn’t that invested in him as a character at all.
The last time I was this early...Keanu was still on an Excellent Adventure.
Akilleus nah i like this lmao
@@gibbysmoviecorner8286 No no.. It's lame. Trust me!
Points
Lame.
Look
Amazing
Man
Excellent !
I was really high when I watched this movie and I literally can’t describe the feeling when watching this, it was so surreal and messed up, yet entertaining at the same time. I couldn’t tell if what was happening in the movie was actually happening or if it was just me.
Me too! I was completely stoned via chocolate cake. I had to skip it because I was having a very bad trip.
same here man. For some reason that floral costume that Dani wears at the end, when the house is burned down, really disturbed me. She looked like a pheasant.
I was high as shit too and honestly I thought it was a comedy... bruh shit was weird and hilarious. Not even remotely scary either. Characters were dumb, decent watch stoned, wouldn't waste 3 hours sober.
Thats how I felt when i went to go see climax
Absolutely same, by the end of the film I was actually kinda scared,
I really really really didn't like this movie. My husband still gives me crap for making us watch it. Now I'm not allowed to pick movies anymore lol
Whitley Beaver Ahahah same I really disliked this movie. My friends brought me there they liked it so much that I was feeling bad being the only one who hated this movie lol
take him to 101 Dalmatians. he'll love that one.
@@TheLinuxYes or he doesn't have taste in the disgusting
That movie was trash.I hated it.Had very high hopes.
@@joeannchaney1219 I did too. I really wanted to like it, I was so excited to watch it. But then the acting was horrible, I waited for something really exciting or scary to happen, nothing ever did, the plot was stupid and overall probably the worst movie I've seen
Has anyone seen the Director’s Cut?
I think it’s adds a good deal to the storyline. If the theatrical version is a B+ for me, I’d certainly give the Director’s Cut an A minus or an A. It’s nearly as good as Hereditary imho.
Chris should review it. Maybe his opinion might change. I think he undergraded/underrated this one.
I have seen the directors cut. Which scenes wasn't in theaters?
When the sex scene came up
Someone just said
" dis disney musical is fcked up "
Everyone was just laughing at this moment
I mean I would have laughed too, but it's not cool to talk out loud in such an intense last act
The sex scene is just unintentionally hilarious
Zamza fuck off troll
i would say the movie was more about her finding a family and breaking off her toxic relationship with christian than a trip
No, it was about an evil cult preying on a fragile woman.
Both are compatible
Toxic relationship? The guy stays with her after the death of the whole family and comforts her at all times and is he toxic? In the end it is she who kills him herself.
@@Nimbereth i know right? he stayed with her it was she being annoying as fuck the whole movie
@@Nimbereth He treats her like a burden that he's waiting to throw away, even before her parents death.
I think Chris needs to give this another chance, because he clearly missed some points
Yeah most definitely! I usually take his advice on some movies but I saw this film at a friend's house before I watched the review. I thought this movie was so great even though it messed with my mental being, I still loved it. The ending shook me to the core and the whole time I'm driving home just had me thinking a lot. Like this movie messed me up and I love it.
The characters are really dumb
Arthur Reign No, they aren’t. Everything that happens is for a reason.
@@TheWelchProductions watch the critical drinker's review, he makes great points
Doesn't make it great. It was ok just dragged for no reason. Had a few good bits.
Watched this movie. I enjoyed it.
I went in mostly blind so I didn't know what to expect beyond the premise.
I just feel like, you completely missed the point in the part you say the opening has no connection to the narrative. That just boggles my mind. I guess the problem with UA-cam is that you can't really elaborate on your point once the video is up there. But man, the ENTIRE movie is connected to the opening and is an extension of it.
Her losing her family which leaves a void in her life, which is eventually filled with the 'cult'.
The character dynamics are set up perfectly in the opening.
The relationships also.
The entire movie is about
1) Their relationship
2) Dealing with grief
3) Family
Things that are explored and set up perfectly in the opening. So, in terms of your reviews, I think this is the first one I really really disagree with. But that's the fun of movies I guess.
That's your interpretation the cult seemed to almost trigger her anxiety about her family dying more than anything, and she was quick to want to gtfo when the old people jumped , her attitude only changed once she became queen which really makes no sense
@@VaunShiz they were creating a trauma bond with her
@@doha2026 Exactly. To say that the opening is irrelevant to the story completely misses the entire point of the movie. The whole idea at the end that she's feeling finally accepted by a group of people after her boyfriend is being a dick after everything she's been thru. I mean who do you think joins cults? It's people that have been through some shit that are lonely, depressed and looking to be accepted and understood by literally anybody. I mean I don't sympathize with her at end or anything, but I get it.
I think he meant that it wasn’t really explained. The family had a big death kinda out of the blue, and it seemed that they would repeat symbols or meaning from such a big/unique death sequence.
It kinda just seemed dramatic to be dramatic instead of symbolic. Like, yeah, literally, her family dies and she feels lost and alone and the cult becomes her new family.
So she became part of a murderous cult because she lost her family, and became a killer herself just because of her broken heart. The first day she almost had a panic attack just from seeing people getting killed, and started to use pills just to sleep, but by the last day after killing her boyfriend, she is not only OK, but happy? The only explanation is that she was high. The movie was gorgeous, but the characters were so plain, even stupid, or intoxicated. At the end it, the setup didn't pay off and he aesthetic didn't compensate the mediocre story. It didn't even feel like a horror movie.
You misinterpreted the film Chris; the opening is directly linked to Danis progression and ultimate character arch. Take another look at the ending through an analytical perspective. She becomes "one with nature" as she becomes part of this family or cult, severing the relationship with Christian and nuetralizing her grief by surrounding herself with an adopted family just as Peli had.
Sam Clark it’s seem she bonded with peace at the end
Right! Through the movie she is reminded that she has no one at home for her, nothing to tie her down.
Absolutely, but Chris is too high minded to read any of these comments.
As a speaker of Norwegian (very similar to Swedish), his name was “Pelle”
Almost every review I watch of Chris's now he misinterprets such easy to interpret things. I used to watch this channel a lot too and I don't give up easy smh
Ari Aster should've helmed the "Pet Sematary" remake.
He’s too good for that crap, dude.
@@ScottSullivanTV why? The book is great
Scott Sullivan the book was one of the best works of horror fiction ever
@@ScottSullivanTV lolll ok.Lack of taste i see.
I think he would rather helm an original concept he wrote tbh
Simon and Connie were very friendly people with an interesting chemistry. They indeed had the most sense out of all of them. They should’ve survived and been the Main Protagonists.
I just want my precious 2.5 hours back.
I know right? Hated this movie, absolute garbage.
Same! I was so disappointed.
Dude the whole third act is exploring (mirroring) the first third of the film.
He’s a proper innovator though - you’re spot on in that respect.
Director said it's a bad breakup movie. Now you will understand everything
The themes hit perfect for me. The first 20 minutes are a justification for why Florence's character is finally willing to join the cult by the end of the movie. The boyfriend thing was a minor insurrection, but the loss of her sister (and family by extension) made it possible for her to fall victim to the cult.
Just watched. I was bored the whole time. Felt like I was waiting for the characters to catch up. Good looking movie though.
Same here. Did not care about any of the characters what so ever
Agreed
I love u Chris, but this one of few times I have to disagree. The beginning is essential and ties in with the ENTIRE film. Also the was downright horrific
How can you critique a movie based on "the beginning ties with the entire film". What the fuck does that even mean?
@@rogersvisuals8052 you're ducking stupid
EmeraldBay he’s not wrong
It literally had nothing to do with the rest of the movie. And the ending sucked. Fuck you.
@@LM-yd1hh you're obviously thick as shit then ey
GRIEF was extremely important through the whole film imo. Dani didn't have a home in her relationship which is eventually why we sympathised with her when the cult joined her in that explosive scene. She let it out and in a space where she was finally encouraged to.
Shes still fucked in the head. She went crazy towards the end.
Who sympathised with her? Needy, boring, lunatic executes boyfriend for getting roofied. I was hoping the geezer with the giant mallet was going to trepan her at the end. The only sympathetic character was the bear.
Chris, love your channel and your reviews! I have to disagree that the first 20 minutes aren't explored. What happened to Dani in those first 20 minutes continue to haunt her and color her perceptions and responses to everything that happens after. The scene of Dani's sister and parents appear in a nightmare, juxtaposed with the ritual suicide of the elders. Dani sees her mother in the crowd when she's being crowned May Queen. There are also flashes of her sister and father in other places. Those are just a few instances, but really, the murder-suicide of her family is key to everything about Dani's character and how she responds (sometimes in very strange ways) to what happens to her at Midsommar. Her grief-filled response to seeing her boyfriend having sex with another woman partially mirrors her grief-filled response to her family's deaths, but the difference in the former is that the others are grieving with her while in the latter, the boyfriend is physically but not mentally or emotionally there. Those scenes are like bookends to each other, but bookends that explain why Dani ultimately accepts her new place in life and the commune.
You can replace death of all family with just death of father or mother or sister, and you'll be equally traumatized for rest of your life. It doesn't make sense why her sister killed her parents, and committed sucide. That part is never explored, and never brought up. If you want your MC to feel lonely, you should saw an abusive dead beat dad as her only family, but that scene is pretty big bombshell, and feels placed very oddly there.
the setup, in the beginning, is to show how vulnerable she is and how bad their relationship is.
Lol.. no one that went with me to see hereditary liked it either. I enjoyed it.
M d I feel you, the struggle was real.
His laughter leading into a cough was hilarious.
My friends and family thought it was impressive, but not likable only because the things that happen in it just sits with you. It’s a heavy film
I enjoyed it at first, but the more I looked into the movie's "logic", the more ridiculous it felt to me.
Luciano Yes! The 2nd half of Hereditary was spiritual compared to the more psychology of the 1st, and that just took me out completely.
It appears your too smart for your friends!
I'm gonna say it... I liked Midsommar a million times more than Hereditary (and I really liked Hereditary dont get me wrong) but I had a very unique experience watching this film.
Liz Henning you know what Liz? That’s okay :)
Easily impressed and thats ok ..
I am a horror fanatic have seen thousands of movies and I actually didn't like Hereditary Never understood the many praises it got.I loved Midsommar have seen it 4 times and it gets better with each time.
Debbie Sugar I really enjoyed hereditary and found this movie to be horrible. I felt like everything was really predictable
I much prefer Midsommar to Hereditary. You're not alone.
Some of my questions after watching the film:
-how has the cult not ran out of members from the sacrifices. They need to sacrifice four people each year from the cult, there was maybe 60 people in that group
-I don’t understand how they weren’t more concern about their friends when they disappeared, where would they have gone, it’s a small place
Also I think they missed an opportunity with the orcal
They sacrifice 4 community members every 90 years! So with the birth of new children it would even out at least
The first minutes of the film are what leads Danny to join the group on this trip and explain her whole processing of what happens in Sweden, especially her smile in the end. It's one of the films that give you a little extra each time you watch it.
The only thing was missing in this movie was Nicholas Cage in a Bear suit.
And the bees
And how it got burned
@@shanthishourya8082 not the bees 😂😂😂😂
@@bencarcieri8892 😂Timeless classic never fails to make me laugh.
@@shanthishourya8082 EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING!!!! We needed THE BEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw MIDSOMMAR twice..The first time I had mixed feelings, the second time I LOVED it! This film once seen one will never forget.
someone was torturing you when you watched it for the second time?
Lucas Bello No, you don’t have to be tortured to realize a film is excellent. Sometimes expectations and the wrong mindset can ruin an experience.
Movie was trash.
Garbage movie.
Pelle’s parents were sacrificed years before. Pelle went out into the world in search for new sacrifices and fell in love with Christian’s girlfriend, Dani. He wanted to get her back to the cult. His plan: He tracked her sister down through Facebook, drugged her, hypnotized her with his cult magic, and convinced/helped her to kill herself and the parents. He also knew through Christian that her sister already had mental issues and everyone would believe the suicide narrative. Pelle knew that the death of her parents was the only way he could lure her back to the cult to become the queen. It’s obvious when you look back at it. THAT’s why the beginning was important.
anyone comes back here after watching the jehovah witness vid?
I thought the comments will be full of those people:))
Hereditary is my favourite horror film of the 21st Century, so can’t wait for Ari’s next film..
After I saw the kid decapitated I got rid of that shitty movie
Венци Георгиев ? Lol
Favorite horror film of the 21st century so far for me has gotta be The Babadook.
honorable mentions would be
The Witch
Hereditary
28 Days Later
Let The Right One In
and The Descent
Венци Георгиев I’d go so far as to drop the qualifier and just say it’s my favorite film of the 21st century thus far. Unforgettable cinema. High hopes for Midsommar and everything else Ari Aster does going forward.
@@jongon0848 I love The Babadook. It's a horror movie but it had an ending I really love. Hereditary is probably the most unsettling one I've seen in the 21st century, followed by It Follows. Us, Insidious and Insidious 2 are the most fun I've had with the horror genre, and Anabelle 2 was just surprisingly great.
I never expected it to be great as Hereditary but as long as the director/writer is Ari Aster, I’m still going to watch it. At least this review sort of killed the hype for me. Now I can start fresh and watch it with low expectations.
Same. I knew from the reviews and the advertisements that this wasn't going to be as great as Hereditary, but hey it's Aster. I did anticipate whatever the protagonist's tragedy was to tie in with the rest of the film (like Hereditary), but Chris put a halt to that expectation. But ofc the mainstream audience is gonna hate it so it's gonna wizz pass their heads anyway lol
Ending seemed anticlimactic. The deformed kid seemed like his only purpose was to be used in the trailer. His position in the script is.. unnecessary, and just a convenience. They provide a plausible explanation for him but its like.. not buyable by a moviegoing audience. A lot of stuff was just creepy for the sake of creepy, and seemed overdone.
I will say the sense of isolation and inability to escape is maintained well. The trip also makes sense given the majors of those in attendance.
I was kind of peeved by this movie
I think you missed the real meaning behind Dani losing her family in the beginning. The whole point was that the cult is welcoming her as her new family. Pela even says this to her point blank. That's a huge aspect of her arc, even though its a fucked family that she doesn't really want, but is manipulated into joining. I actually think you could go even deeper and say that when you lose a family member, they can never really be replaced. And this movie magnifies that idea in a terrifying way. This cult appears as friendly and welcoming, much like a family should, but deep down there's a lot wrong with them. I think the confusion and disturbance you feel as you watch this movie is very similar to the feeling someone who goes through the grief of losing a family goes through. Sure maybe they can find another group to call their family, but it will never be quite right and it will never be the same.
It horrifies me how many people completely miss that this movie is about Dani succumbing to the manipulations of a cult and is in no way some kind of triumphant break up movie with a happy ending
I think you should have a re-watch after a year gap, it might change some of your impressions. On my first watch I felt the disorientation as well but on the second and couple of further watches I found everything coherent and connected. All connecting dots are scatters throughout the flick. Just you have to know where to look at.
The reactions of the characters to their friends disappearance is absolutely unrealistic and thus very unengaching
becraul Nope, Josh was killed before he got the chance to react to Mark’s disappearance, and Christian was a stupid, cowardly prick who didn’t care about Josh. He and Dani were also manipulated by the Hårga, so they were at a disadvantage.
Poxow think he was talking about Simon and Connie
Brian Aguilar Connie and Simon weren’t part of their group, so you would assume Christian and Mark (who were both dopes) would be fine with the ironic explanation they were given for Connie’s and Simon’s absences, but Dani’s concern and confusion turns into resentment when she sees Christian is unconcerned-thereby telling him that she could see him abandoning her like Simon did to Connie.
Yeah they failed there hard
becraul - yeh Man I know it sucked
You completely missed the significance of the opening, watch it a second time.
Torey Sinclair is right on the money. The reason some may miss it is because it is given way too much emphasis and feeling of “grief” rather than detachment and lonliness.
Literally the main theme of the movie is family. The fact that was missed by Chris is... odd.
SPOILERS: Her family dies, she tries to replace that with her boyfriend and that fails, and throughout the movie this cult empathizes with her lowest points where her boyfriend could not. She decides its time to let go of him, and finally finds a new family that cares for her.
This is all told in a fucked up way, but still.
@@pepesilvia3573 The death of the family tied in with the theme of how different cultures handle death. Every time she was confronted with death she had negative nightmares/visions about her family, whilst the cult did not see death as something horrific, but as a part of life.
Also her finding a new family to share grief with ( the end scene) wouldn't have worked that great without that intro.
“You just don’t get it” is the most pretentious bullshit excuse from people who can’t grasp constructive criticism
Chris just didn't get it. It's kinda saddening considering how many movies he has watched.. that he can't tie the significance of that final shot in relation to everything that happened before.
I honestly really loved this movie even more than hereditary which I liked a lot & have some stuff to content with in this review. I thought the beginning part connected really well to the rest of the story of the main character and I think her story is really the only one that matters thus part of the reason for the shallow character development of the friend group. The elongated setup works to convey from the beginning that is specifically about her. Part of why I liked it so much is as someone who has dealt with similar mental illness issues in my own family, it gives you an understandings as to why she makes the decisions she does. It's easy to get into a bad relationship and feel like a burden when you are worried and complaining about your complicated family. You are used to others not feeling hollow or shallow because they haven't dealt with as much + those people not notice when things are off kilter as much as you do. For a person who deals with the chaos if mental illness, it could also to be easy to embrace something that is totally different than your own normal, ie her just falling into and embracing her May Queen status. Plus, at a certain point you might go over the deep end with frustration and decide to dress your boyfriend in a bear costume and torch him to death (jk lol). One thing that shouldn't be overlooked either that it is not just about grief from a random tragedy but years and years of her dealing with the mentally ill loved one and being scared. She has been used to dealing with unpredictable stuff for years. It's almost like the commune is the opposite of that, it has order, even if that order is disturbing. I think this is a deeply psychological film written by someone who has had to deal with a lot of chaos and i don't think its as pretension and self-indulgent as reviewed. It's like a waking dream for someone who grew up in a trauma inducing household.
KERRY HOW THE HELL DID YOU LIKE THIS MOVIE? NO WAY NO WAY THE SEX SCENES WERE EMBARRASSING
I’m wondering if you’re thoughts on this have changed at all if you’ve seen it a second time. Mine definitely changed because when I first saw it I wasn’t sure but after a second and third time (the directors cut) and I love it.