The Wicker Man

Midsommar (2019, Ari Aster) sucks because it’s a horror movie that’s fucked up instead of scary. Alternately creepy and trippy, its sex and violence amount to nothing more than shock value in a plot that’s predictable and tedious.

However, its setting is wonderfully crafted—the hidden pagan Swedish commune evokes a believable place that most of the movie takes place in. And in contrast to the stark terror there’s an abundance of nature, flowers, happy, innocent folks enjoying themselves, and sunshine. Also, in a nifty aesthetic choice it’s something like the solstice is depicted with a raw image softened by not adding shadows to the grade; whatever the technique is exactly, it looks and feels like long days without ever shifting into the darkness of night.

And above all the narrative really works towards the subtext of DANI’S (Florence Pugh) emotional development. The whole story has an impact on her as the central protagonist, with a satisfying climax and resolution. But none of this makes Midsommar the horror movie it should have been.