Directed by Ari Aster

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper

Rated R for disturbing ritualistic violence and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language

There is a phrase many filmmakers and film critics love to say, show don’t tell. It is so commonly said when a filmmaker needs to present something on screen instead of having characters say it. Seasoned filmmakers know when to use this aspect and a majority of them use them well. Writer and director Ari Aster not only uses the concept of show don’t tell, but unfortunately uses it way too much.

“Midsommar” is a horror film in which a group of friends are invited to a Swedish village, which partake in cult like events. The main protagonist is Dani (played by Florence Pugh), who is recently recovering deaths in the family and is invited by her boyfriend, Christian (played by Jack Reynor). “Midsommar” is a film that is filled with shock and horror, along with gory images that are very unsettling.

This is the main criticism that was mentioned earlier, show don’t tell. There are too many aspects of director Aster showing too much on the screen such as graphic sex or gruesome deaths. For example, when we see two characters in the nude, we know sexual activities are engaging. But Aster has this scene play out for a few minutes which makes the audience feel extremely uncomfortable, that is perhaps the intentions of the director. But there is a line that is crossed when it comes to sexual and violent images and “Midsommar” certainly crosses the line.

But while there is criticism to be had with the imagery, I can commend the technical aspects of the film. Florence Pugh (who caught my eye in “Fighting With My Family”) does a tremendous job carrying the film. There are many moments where her character has to convey emotions of sadness, anger, confusion and all without saying any word. She does a great job with her acting, it is the highlight in the film. I certainly agree that Pugh was great to watch on screen and I do hope to see more of her in future films. The film is also filled with great cinematography and editing. The cinematography was certainly eye catching and was very pleasing to see on the screen. There are multiple scenes where the director chooses not to cut but instead keeps the film rolling.

The first 15 minutes of the film features a family dying in a disturbing fashion. Not only is it unsettling but it adds nothing to the rest of the film. There are multiple instances of this being brought up in the rest of the film but quite frankly, if this scene was not included in the film, then it would not change the film. The best way to describe the film is that it’s just slow. It is after the one hour mark where we actually get introduced the horror elements. When it is introduced, the film does drag on for the worse. To make matters worse, the film has a run time that is over two hours. Not that films with a considerable long run times are bad, but they need to be long for a specific reason. There were multiple scenes that could have been left on the cutting room floor to make the film shorter.

Although the film’s highlights are the acting, cinematography, and editing, the film unfortunately a slow burn with uneasy imagery. “Midsommar” is not meant for mainstream audiences, it is meant for the audiences who love indie films. If you are expecting a smart horror film that makes you think, this will certainly be your cup of tea but those who are expecting something else, such as myself, I would pass on this one.

2/4