Empire Australasia – August 2019

MIDSOMMAR

DIRECTORAriAster

CASTFlorencePugh,JackReynor,William

JacksonHarper,WillPoulter,VilhelmBlomgren

PLOTWhenDani(Pugh)getsanemailfromher

troubledsister,it heraldsthestartofa verybad

timeinherlife.Decidingtojoinherboyfriend

(Reynor)ona triptoSweden,shehopestodraw

closertohim,butinfactwillbecomeentangled

with a cult that has designs on them both.

OUT8 AUGUST

RATEDTBC/140 MINS

HHHHH

[FILM]

VERDICTA visceral,unique,utterlyfucked-

upexperiencethatdemandstobeseenonthe

bigscreen,Midsommaris thehorrormovieto

beatin 2019.Caution:contains distressing

amounts of folk music.

ON SCREEN

TOANYONEWHOmightbeworriedthat,

followingtheneck-slicing,demon-summoning

terrorsofHereditary, AriAsterhasgone

Hollywood:fearnot.Orrather:fear.Because

insteadhe’sgoneHälsingland.Forhissecond

featurefilm,thewriter-directorhasconjuredup

anevenmadderandmoreambitiousnightmare,

setintheremotewildsofnorthernSwedenand

featuringingredientsnotusuallyfoundinscary

movies.Theskiesareblue.Thesunis out.And

everywhere are angelic-looking characters,

adornedwithflowersanddancingmerrily.It’sthe

polaroppositeofthatbleak,crampedhousein

Hereditary, yetAstermakestheexperienceevery

bitasunsettling,orchestratingthedescentfrom

paradiseto,well,somethingelsewithclinical

precision.It’sa virtuoso,bone-shaking,

head-spinningexperience.Thevibeis hardto

shakeoff.Andyoumightnotbeorderingfrom

Interfloraagainfora while.

Theset-upis vaguelyHostel-y:afteran

intenseprologueinwhichanawfultragedy

befallsthefamilyofDani(Pugh),she,her

boyfriendChristian(Reynor)andhisgrad-

schoolbuddiesdecidetoheadtoSweden

fora backpackingbreak.DaniandChristian

appeartobeontherocks:she’safraidshe’s

leaningtoomuchonhim,whilehisfriends

urgehimtoditchherandplaythefield.It’s

relationshipdramaplayedoutwithoperatic

intensity,andwithboldAsterianlicks,likean

unflinchinglylongshotofDanionthephone,

makingclearhermentalstate,ora slowzoom

througha darkwindowthatfeelslikea plunge

intoanabyss.

ThenwegettoSweden.Thefilmis inno

rushtointroduceustothewaysoftheHarga,

thepeculiar,ever-smilingtribewhohavetaken

overanidyllicmeadowsurroundedbyforest.

There’sa pausefora magic-mushroomstrip,and

forChristan’ssleazypalMark(Poulter)toleerat

Nordicwomen.Whentheydoarriveatthe

village, we are immediately immersed in ancient

ritualsthataren’texplained,activitiesthat

mayormaynotbeominousplayingoutin

thebackgroundofframes.Asterandhisset

decoratorHenrikSvenssonhavelikewisepacked

thevillage’sstructureswithdensedetailthat

is leftenigmatic,thoughtherearecluesthat

somethingis definitelyoff.What’sinthatbig,

yellowtriangle-shapedbuilding?Andexactlywhy

aretheresomanypenisesetchedonwalls?

Theshitthatgoesdown—andthereis a lot

ofshitthatgoesdown—is suretoinspirea

millionmemes.Aftera slowsimmer,withthe

village’soff-nessbeingrampedupdegreeby

degree,it finallyreachesa boilina climaxthat

makesthefamousendingofTheWickerMan

looklikea documentaryontheFyreFestival.

Despitethefilm’sfocusseeminglyhavingturned

awayfromDaniandChristiantothemanyexotic

distractionsondisplay,it turnsoutit wasstill

a relationshipdramaafterall,andbothPugh

andReynorareextraordinaryina finalreelthat

pushestheircharactersinsometrulyextreme

directions.Midsommartestsnotonlyitsplayers

butitsviewers:it’sa ride,however,thatanylover

of cinema should take.NICK DE SEMLYEN

Clockwisefromleft:Dani(FlorencePugh);Midsommar’s

feast; The backpackers arrive; With Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren).