Ari Aster took the horror world by storm with his 2018 feature film debut, "Hereditary." Centered on family loss, grief, and one very disturbing cult, it not only showed that the horror genre could be more than slashers and serial killers, but it proved Aster to be someone to watch out for. He more than lived up to the hype with his followup film, 2019's "Midsommar."
Set in the bright light of Swedish day, "Midsommar" also explores the themes of loss and grief, but the search for belonging as well. Throughout the course of its 148 minute runtime, the film has no shortage of intensely emotional scenes. But this is the one "Midsommar" scene that hit fans the hardest.
Set in the bright light of Swedish day, "Midsommar" also explores the themes of loss and grief, but the search for belonging as well. Throughout the course of its 148 minute runtime, the film has no shortage of intensely emotional scenes. But this is the one "Midsommar" scene that hit fans the hardest.
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00:00 Ari Aster blew audiences away with his feature debut Hereditary, a deeply horrific examination
00:06 of inherited drama and familial secrets. The film was hailed as one of the best horror
00:10 movies of 2018, with many believing lead actress Toni Collette was snubbed by the Oscars when
00:15 she wasn't nominated for Best Actress.
00:18 Horror fans couldn't wait to see what Aster had up his sleeve for his next film, and were
00:22 thrilled when he announced his sophomore scarefest, Midsommar. Presented almost exclusively in
00:27 the daylight under the blue skies of Sweden, Midsommar stars Florence Pugh as a young woman
00:32 named Dani, who joins her toxic boyfriend Christian and his best friends on a trip to
00:36 Sweden to visit their classmate Pele's communal hometown for its fabled Midsommar festival.
00:42 What begins as a relaxing vacation filled with gorgeous scenery and welcoming hospitality
00:46 quickly turns into a waking nightmare of violent traditions and bizarre ceremonial practices,
00:52 where outsiders are presented for ritualistic sacrifice.
00:55 While Hereditary takes a turn for the terrifying roughly 30 minutes into the movie, Midsommar
01:00 wastes no time traumatizing the audience. In the first 15 minutes of the film, Dani
01:05 is struggling to make sense of a cryptic message from her mentally unstable sister, who has
01:09 a history of suicidal ideation. Unfortunately, Dani soon discovers that her sister's message
01:14 was more than a cry for help, as we see the aftermath of not only Teri's suicide, but
01:19 also the murder of their parents.
01:21 The visual of the scene is shocking enough on its own, but it's Pugh's guttural cries
01:25 of agony upon learning the news that continue to haunt audiences. Her pain is palpable and
01:31 harrowing, making the opening moments among the hardest to sit through. She decides to
01:35 accompany Christian on his trip to Sweden to try and get her mind off the pain.
01:40 Shortly after arriving in Sweden, the American visitors are welcomed to the Midsommar festival
01:44 with feasts, dancing, and tea laced with hallucinogens. All seems idyllic and well, until the ceremonial
01:51 events kick off with the ritualistic self-sacrifice of two elders who voluntarily jump off a cliff.
01:58 The woman lands and dies instantly, but the man misses his intended target and only breaks
02:02 his leg, forcing community members to end his life with a customary blow to the head
02:07 from a massive hammer.
02:08 It's not long before the American guests appear to be overstaying their welcome. Despite being
02:13 presented with cultural boundaries and limitations, the American guys frequently break the regulations
02:18 set before them, documenting forbidden texts, urinating on memorial trees, and showing overall
02:24 disregard for the heritage that surrounds them. Dani, on the other hand, having recently
02:29 lost her entire family, is desperate for community, yet stuck with a boyfriend who's more concerned
02:34 with ripping off his friend's thesis than remembering his girlfriend's birthday.
02:38 "Dani, do you feel held by him? Does he feel like home to you?"
02:45 It is this concept that sets the stage for the most memorable moment of the entire film.
02:51 Dani has spent the course of the film bending over backward to stay in the good graces of
02:54 her boyfriend and his buddies, but it is the horror-god cult that finally offers Dani what
02:59 she's been looking for all along. After a physically exhausting, wildly spinning, hallucinogenic-fueled
03:04 ceremonial dance competition, Dani is crowned the year's May Queen. The community embraces
03:10 her, celebrates her, adorns her with flowers, and rejoices in her honor.
03:14 Unfortunately, this happiness doesn't last. Dani soon discovers Christian in a sexual
03:19 ceremony with Pele's sister, Maya. Seeing Christian with another woman pushes Dani over
03:24 the edge, and the buildup of trauma finally explodes from inside her. Dani lets out a
03:29 mortifying cry, and rather than being forced to hide her emotions by running away from
03:33 the group or hiding in a bathroom, her emotions are embraced by the horror-god women. They
03:38 lead her to her bed, hold her tightly, and share in her sorrow.
03:42 The women surround Dani and mirror her cries as they increase in intensity, exploding in
03:47 a visceral chorus of wailing and tears, allowing Dani's pain to wash over them all. It is at
03:52 this moment that Dani has finally found the community and the family she's always wanted.
03:57 Florence Pugh truly gives herself over in this performance, and watching her finally
04:01 release all of the emotions bubbling under the surface provides not only a cathartic
04:06 release but a horrific foreshadowing of what's to come.
04:09 The Horga are a death cult, and yet Dani has willingly surrendered herself to their world.
04:14 The shocking, fiery conclusion of "Midsommar" finishes the story, with Dani joining in as
04:19 the newest member of the Horga family.
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