%20Logo%20Black%20over%20White.png)
Kelaru & Fulton rating: ★★★★
Available on Prime Video | Runtime: 2hrs 28mins
Having recently seen and reviewed Oppenheimer, Florence Pugh’s few scenes in it reminded me just what an excellent actress she is. Besides the CGI-filled Black Widow, Pugh has quite a few strong performances in Little Women, The Wonder and Don’t Worry Darling.
However, the one that absolutely stuck with me is Midsommar.
This Ari Aster's sophomore feature film is steadily becoming a modern cult classic in the horror thriller genre. It follows a group of American students who travel to a remote village in Sweden for a rare midsummer festival, only to become unwitting participants in the pagan rituals and ceremonies.
While the film shares DNA with classics like The Wicker Man, Aster imbues his story with emotional depth through the crumbling relationship between lead characters Dani and Christian. Florence Pugh delivers an incredible performance as Dani, a young woman reeling from an unfathomable family tragedy, who finds herself increasingly drawn to the welcoming community and rituals of the village.
Aster ratchets up the tension through his meticulous craftsmanship. The production design and cinematography are striking, bathing the pastoral village in sunshine that belies the sinister darkness at its core. Disorienting camera angles and an unsettling score by Bobby Krlic enhance the spiraling nightmare.
While divisive for its deliberate pace and grisly imagery, Midsommaroffers rich rewards for horror fans looking for something truly unsettling, it will get under your skin in ways few films do. Years later, its wicked originality and daring vision cement Midsommar as an instant cult classic, and one of the most striking horror films in recent memory.