Okay….okay. Okay so this was one of those movies where you kind of get the feeling it’s going to be really bad and then all of the sudden get the sense it’s going to be really good. Then it ends and you’re left wondering what just happened. Prior to watching it, I’ve heard good and bad things about this movie. Being a consummate professional, I’ve learned to block out the sounds of other people’s opinions. This just leaves me with my own to also block out. So here is the Things I Fear Midsommar Movie Review. Okay…wow okay.
The movie starts off like any other. A girl calls everyone she knows including her boyfriend who was hoping to avoid speaking with her because their relationship is on the rocks. It also involves a murder-suicide which is very loosely referenced beyond the first 5 minutes. You would think it’s an important plot detail. However, it’s mostly just so she has a reason to board a plane to another continent.
So she goes on this trip with a couple of friends who are about as thrilled with her presence as one would be if they discovered an infestation of centipedes was living in their bed. Their delight in her existence is only slightly awkward throughout the movie. Don’t worry because she’s happy in the end. Oh don’t read that last sentence because it’s a bit of a spoiler. So the group travels to their destination: a remote village in Sweden. This is the first 15 minutes of a movie that lasts about 2 hours too long.
Things progress pretty naturally during their stay. They take some hallucinogenic drugs, sit when told to sit, hear about some unusual traditions, and ultimately succumb to violent deaths. A great example of the latter is foretold by the elders who elect to jump off a cliff in order to be transformed into a tree. Don’t worry: the tree barely gets urinated on.
There is a bunch of foreshadowing. This sometimes leads to something and sometimes doesn’t. That’s sort of what keeps you interested throughout the course of the movie because you’re always wondering what is going to happen next. They also do a great job with the cinematography which is one thing I was happy to point out about 4 different times. So if you like cool camera angles, depictions of mood through the lens and otherwise interesting shots that make you forget about things like movie plots, you will enjoy this.
After a while, one of the main characters decides he wants to copy his thesis from one of his friends who was doing it better. This sudden conflict lasts about 5 minutes but is critical to at least one more death. By critical I mean convenient. By convenient I mean unnecessary. So one-by-one the friends start disappearing but this barely concerns anyone so the movie progresses with this minor detail in mind.
Eventually, the main character is consumed by flowers after doing a fancy dance. Her love interest is cheered on by a gaggle of naked women and a foot is seen protruding from the ground while the product of incest draws a nice picture. If that sentence doesn’t compel you to watch this movie, nothing will. Not even this excellent Midsommar Movie Review which is bearly (that’s a clue for the next paragraph) strung together with the same comprehension as the movie itself. What a great review this is!
The ending of the movie is pretty interesting. I mean, when you consider how unusual it is to see a paralyzed man stuffed inside of an animal being burned alive in a barn. Spoiler alert? Good thing I didn’t say which animal so I didn’t give that one away. This appeases the flower girl who watches in delight while others moan around her. It might as well say “the end?” before the credits start rolling because you’re left with a feeling of “is it…is it over?” when all is said and done.
Midsommar Movie Review Final Thoughts
The movie is definitely different. It’s unique. It does a really good job of being different and unique. I think it’s going to end up being one of those “if you didn’t see it, you missed out. If you did see it, you didn’t miss much” movies where it will be a polarizing example of what counts as a good horror movie. To me, a good movie was The Conjuring. A bad movie was The Fields.
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