Director: Ari Aster
Notable Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson
Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe
When the first film someone makes is one that comes down
with a massive splash for both the genre and the cultural mainstream, the
follow-up film needs to be something special. This is the situation that Ari
Aster found himself in after the release of Hereditary. While his
previous film tended to divide more casual audiences, it’s instant resonating
impact with the horror community and critics could not be ignored. It’s not
often that a director and writer is thrown into the category as a genre genius
with one film, but that’s what happened. The instant success of that film allows
Aster even more leeway in his second feature and distributor A24 is game to
back it. This is where Aster’s sophomore effort, Midsommar, comes into
play. The film might be bigger and brighter, but is that always better in
horror? That’s the challenge that Midsommar attempts to hit straight on.
Despite some of the brilliance that is being displayed here in the film, Midsommar
also feels like a film that is trying to be that next step for the director and
doesn’t quite hit its mark in the same amazing ways that Hereditary does
(and still does). It’s bold and epic for what constitutes a relatively intimate
horror film. There are things that Aster brings to the game that continues to
impress in its execution and concept. However, the lacking balance to the art,
horror, and set up/pay off makes Midsommar ambitiously flawed too.
