Very rarely do I happen upon a horror film that leaves me both baffled and disturbed (I’m looking at you, The Human Centipede), especially one lasting nearly 3 hours. But, alas, Midsommar is one such movie, and my head is still reeling from its effects. My recommendation is to take a hard pass on this drawn-out head-shaker and have a nice picnic this weekend instead.
When college student Christian and his buddies are invited to a new friend’s remote Swedish village (one with a fondness for shrooms, no less) in order to experience its rarely seen midsummer festival, Christian’s longtime girlfriend Dani decides to come along as well. Having suffered a tragedy recently and sensing a breakup is imminent, Dani is happy to find the villagers are welcoming, the setting bucolic, and the customs quaint, though unusual. As the nine-day festival kicks off, the group begins to discover not everything is as it seems with the people, their motivations, and their happy smiles. In fact, each day of the festival features traditions more odd, creepy, gory, and freakish than the last. As the sometimes disturbing scenes unfold, the viewer is left to hope the friends will wake from their dazed participation and make their escape before it is too late.
- Top Scare: Villagers
- Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5
- Gore Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
- Suspense Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
- Recommended for: 17 and up, due to gore, nudity/sex, and disturbing scenes