Horror movies often capitalize on darkness, gloom and things that go bump in the night. In Ari Aster’s Midsommar, the main action happens where there is almost no night. This summer solstice festival in remote Sweden is full of bright, dazzling sunshine, flowing green grass and flowers in full bloom. It’s an idealistic pastoral setting, with everyone smiling, clad in white linen. It can be so hard to run from something so perfect, even as horrific events begin to unfold around you.
After a heartbreaking opening that I wouldn’t dare spoil, Dani (Florence Pugh) is depressed and probably longing for some purpose or escape. Her inattentive boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), is all she has, so when he decides to go with his friends to Pelle’s village in Sweden for their midsommar festival, she tags along at the last moment. A quick cut from her being near tears in a friend’s apartment to fighting off a panic attack in the airplane shows the grief she’s hiding and fighting through all alone.
Out in the middle of nowhere Sweden, Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) introduces Dani, Christian, Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter) to his brother and a nice British couple he brought along. They take some psychedelic drugs in the middle of a field before going to the village. Mark’s reaction adds some comedy, perfect for his American idiot character. Dani does not have a good trip. That image of grass growing out of her hand gave me chills.
Once at the village, things start to pick up speed. There are short explanations about the village rituals, an elaborate meal and a couple gruesome deaths. It’s all part of the festivities, and with Josh and Christian being anthropology students, they try to keep an open mind, while the British couple are horrifically shocked, appalled and ready to leave. Dani is shaken but seems numb to it. It’s only the beginning, there’s still a drug fueled dancing competition, pube pies, grotesque mutilation, the worst one night stand ever. Like Burning Man, it ends in a spectacular fire.
While I felt like the first hour dragged, I was always invested. There was always a building sense of dread, even in the slowest scenes, that kept me hooked. And soon, the big events of the film were coming quick and building the adrenaline along with the dread. The Maypole dancing scene was one of my favorites, with the music and dancing starting and stopping and getting faster every time. Dani loses herself in it while Christian broods before deciding to drink his tea, sealing his fate.
The visual effect that made the trees and flowers seem to breathe while Dani was under the drugs was one of my favorite moments in the film. I was so captivated and disturbed by that effect, it really helps us understand frightening, yet exhilarating high Dani was feeling.
Everyone is comparing Midsommar to Aster’s previous film, Hereditary. They tackle similar subjects and bring about similar results, but they are night and day. Literally. Visually Midsommar is so bright and spacious while Hereditary is so dark and cramped. And to be honest, I didn’t find Midsommar nearly as scary, but I don’t think it’s meant to be. There are horrific and disturbing images, but nothing nearly as creepy as the last few minutes of Hereditary. But I guess that depends if you’re more afraid of the supernatural or tradition. That said, I guess Midsommar is more realistic and plausible of the two and that can be pretty damn scary.
“Ignore the bear.”
The other night, a storm rolled through. There are a few trees in my yard I always worry about falling over. With the wind gusting and the rain pouring down, theses trees were shaking every which way. But then I remembered a line in The Revenant. “When there is a storm. And you stand in front of a tree. If you look at its branches, you swear it will fall. But if you watch the trunk, you will see its stability.” It’s true, the trunk was steady. That tree wasn’t going anywhere. Another storm weathered without having to replace my neighbor’s fence. 
But that’s too literal. We are all trees and in the storms of our lives, our branches are going to be shaken. Shaken so hard we may lose a few. But our trunks, anchored by strong roots are not going to let go so easily. The Revenant is about a man with one hell of a strong trunk. He’s not going down, even when he’s been mauled by a bear, helplessly watched his son murdered right in front of him and left in a shallow grave to die. 
If Leonardo DiCaprio does not win an Oscar for this brutal role, I don’t know if he ever can. The scene where he is attacked by the bear is intense, frightening and convincing. From then on, being dead weight in a stretcher made from tree branches and slowly recovering DiCaprio does not let up. After he is abandoned, he does not give up. We watch him drag himself across the dirt and snow. In one scene he really eats a raw bison liver. In another he crawls inside a real dead horse as if it were a damn Tauntaun. Like a Luke Skywalker on the frozen frontier. Just imagining all the suffering DiCaprio and the rest of the crew went through schlepping through the snow to make this film they all deserve the highest awards. 
The Revenant is nominated for a whopping twelve Academy Awards, the most of any film this year. DiCaprio is nominated for lead actor while Hardy earns nomination for supporting actor. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu received his third directing nomination. The rest are for cinematography, editing, production design, hair/makeup styling, costume design, sound mixing, sound editing and, of course, best picture. I’m sure The Revenant will not leave Oscar night empty handed.
The Best Picture Project 