This is more of a analysis than a review of Midsommar. You see I don’t really look at this movie directed by Ari Aster as a horror movie per say as I enjoy it as a dark comedy as there were a few scenes that I laughed my ass off. Like the scene where the two geriatrics take two giant steps for mankind right off a mountain cliff. A scene that I saw coming a mile a way. Sure their mangled bodies were gruesome but then they brought out this oversized mallet to finish the job as both the old man and woman were somehow still alive. The mallet scene reminded me of something straight out of a Buggs Bunny cartoon. So yeah I couldn’t help to laugh. You might say “Josh how could you possibly find that funny.” My answer being “Well I have a sick and dark sense of humor.”
But then there is the scene where the character, Christian is shall we say formicating with the young red head of this commune and or cult. All awhile you have some of the elder women of this religious sect standing naked in a half circle. When one of these women decide to get behind Christian and give him a little push, what can I say, I almost fell out my seat laughing.
Of course once Dani (our main point of view character and drama queen) witnessing her boyfriend playing hide the salami, she reacts in the most over dramatic way possible with her little handmaidens echoing her nauseating cries.
Even funnier is watching this past white bastard, Christian , staggering around naked with his wiener flopping in the breeze, and then deciding to cover his family jewels as if we haven’t already scene it.
That’s my take so far on the absurd and humorous moments of this pretentious fil which I will admit I do enjoy. Sure Hereditary another film by Ari Aster is a much superior film overall; better story, better characters and much better acting. I do get more enjoyment from watching Midsommar.
But what is this movie really trying to say? Movies like any other artform are always open to interpretation. The general consensus seems to be that Midsommar is a movie about breakup and about losing a family and gaining a new family. which I suppose on the surface is true. But I see something else under the layers.
You see since I don’t care about any of the characters, I don’t like any of these character nor do I relate to any of them in any way in this movie, I am able to detach myself from them and look at this story as a critique on not just two cultures but how these cultures relate to other humans.
Dani, her boyfriend, Christian and his wonderful group of friends represents individualism, which in itself is not a bad thing until it compromises the rest of our community. These group of self-entitled young people including Dani herself are a bunch of selfish narcissists, whom only care about their own personal gains. Some of you may disagree regarding Dani. I know we are supposed to feel sorry for her as her sister killed committed suicide and also killed her own parents in the process. But I do view Dani as a “poor poor me” type of drama queen that pretends to be selfless but really is constantly craving to be the center of attention. Of course her boyfriend is a dumb ass and a real self-centered jerk but she isn’t exactly girlfriend of the year either. But I will get to her later.
In contrast this cultish society they have visited is an example of collectivism the belief that the community takes precedent over the individual. Once again this isn’t a negative principle except this particular group of religious nuts are all about stripping everyone of their individuality and manipulating everyone within their cult to become conformists. This of course is highly dangerous as this does not just pertain to this particular religious order but any religious order and especially political affiliations.
This could even be looked on as a critique of two extreme socio-political ideologies; Communism and Capitalism. The merry band of thrill seekers being the capitalists , putting their own personal gain above everyone else. We see this in Christina and his friend Josh as they fight each other over their thesis.
The cult is a great example of communism, where its is all about the community over the individual except of course of the few elders who are allowed to put themselves over the community as any communist government as a figurehead to be worshipped with it be Stalin, Castro or the May Queen, Dani.
Which brings me back to her. Why is she smiling at the end. Perhaps because her shithead boyfriend and his friends are now dead, and now has a new family. Or in addition to that she now gets to be the center of attention. One change I would have made to the story would have been tom include a flashback scene showing that Dani’s family did not die of a murder suicide but rather it was Dani herself that killed them. Why? Well perhaps she was jealous of the attention her sister was getting and decided to make a clean break from her family. When the opportunity came for the overseas trip to Europe. What a terrific opportunity to find a new family and once again to be the center of attention? Now that would have been a massive plot twist.
Now maybe I am reading way too much into this and I am not saying this was Aster’s intent with this movie. It is just how I interpret the events of this movie.
I interpret that this movie is saying we need to find a balance between individualism and collectivism. As writers, artists, journalists and filmmakers, we all understand that we use these talents to express our individuality not necessarily for our personal gain but to enrich the community around us. The personal gain is a biproduct of that and doesn’t destroy the community around us. Perhaps those if those running our government and economy would just simply follow those principles we would all be better off.
Ley me know in the comment section what your thoughts are?
By Josh
I’ll have to watch this again and try and key into the humor.
I had a much different experience. I grew up in fundamentalist evangelical Christianity—a high control religion. From my programming, I felt myself wanting the entitled newcomers to fall in line and to (quickly) take on the values of the Harga in order to stay safe—>which is my trauma response (fawning). It was a real eye-opener because just when you think you’re past a lot of that stuff, a movie can dredge it all up again.
I thought the scene where Dani has a panic attack after she sees her boyfriend having sex with someone else was powerful. She’s just lost her entire family to tragedy, and the one person she thinks she can lean on betrays her. I think I’d have a panic attack too. But then the community surrounds her and starts mirroring her grief, seemingly helping her through the pain but also it’s creepy AF. I was left feeling two opposing feelings about the scene: on the one hand, I long for community so complete they even share your emotions (or at least walk you through your emotions so completely) and on the other, to some degree, that communal grief feels performative and false (especially when you consider that the Harga women are also the ones doing the seducing).
I totally agree that this movie definitely shows the extremes of individualism and collectivism played out. The Harga members feel like they have no individuality whatsoever to me—they’re all just the same person which, to this American, feels like the scariest part of this whole movie.
1000% agree with your analysis of Midsommar Josh, and I would’ve loved if the movie indeed had that twist of Dani killing her own family due to not being the center of attention. The whole movie was comical to me too, with a lot of me saying “whaaaat” (but not in a good way lol).