The events of the film are shown in the opening credits.
^^^
"this fairytale was so predictable!"
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 January 2020 21:51 (four years ago) link
the dread was palpable throughout for me. I did actually care about many of the characters' fates - even though I hardly consider that a prerequisite for a good horror film.
Connie and Simon actually were one of the few (besides Dani) to display any kind of genuine concern for the well-being of the two elderly who jumped (the others in the group were more 'fascinated' by it). and while it was plainly obvious that Simon wasn't dropped off at the airport separately from Connie, it's framed in a way that has you at least hoping that you're wrong, and then moments later you hear a woman screaming (Connie). And then at dinner, Mark casually jokes that Connie looked like she was trying out for the sprinting Olympics earlier, meaning he actually witnessed her running for her life from an unseen pursuer without realizing it.
they're familiar beats but the framing was unsettling to me.
― papa stank (Neanderthal), Monday, 13 January 2020 21:57 (four years ago) link
I’ve been reading this thread, don’t have much to contribute. I really liked it. The cinematography and set design and all of the subliminal details were fascinating to me, and I agree about the unsettling framing of events. One of my favorite individual moments was the car journey north through the forest to the commune, where the image of the road was flipped upside down just as the were entering Hälsingland. It felt really ominous
― Dan S, Monday, 13 January 2020 22:37 (four years ago) link
I think it’s hasty to call Connie and Simon a couple of red shirts. There’s reading to be done about how they’re classified as outsiders while the others aren’t; the way Pelle’s brother is punished for bringing them home (Ulf? I can’t remember his name).
― unashamed and trash (Unctious), Monday, 13 January 2020 22:51 (four years ago) link
There’s reading to be done about how they’re classified as outsiders while the others aren’t;
one that neatly elides how their skin color is different from everyone else's, you mean?
the lack of acknowledgment of race in this film is its biggest failing imo. Still great, but it does stick in my craw.
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 January 2020 22:55 (four years ago) link
on a rewatch i did notice how often shots are set up in such a way that something offputting or disturbing is going on in the background and how often it’s just...passed over...by the characters or not noticed at all. “So are we gonna acknowledge the bear?” “It’s a bear.”
― ryan, Monday, 13 January 2020 23:21 (four years ago) link
this handily ties into the main themes but does a nice job on it’s own of providing an unusual means for generating tension not only within the narrative but within shot compositions.
― ryan, Monday, 13 January 2020 23:22 (four years ago) link
/There’s reading to be done about how they’re classified as outsiders while the others aren’t;/one that neatly elides how their skin color is different from everyone else's, you mean?the lack of acknowledgment of race in this film is its biggest failing imo. Still great, but it does stick in my craw.
― unashamed and trash (Unctious), Monday, 13 January 2020 23:30 (four years ago) link
horror movies are rituals
A brilliant observation from "Cabin in the Woods."
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 January 2020 23:37 (four years ago) link
another great movie that aggressively telegraphs every plot point!
― Οὖτις, Monday, 13 January 2020 23:43 (four years ago) link
There’s reading to be done about how they’re classified as outsiders while the others aren’t;one that neatly elides how their skin color is different from everyone else's, you mean?the lack of acknowledgment of race in this film is its biggest failing imo. Still great, but it does stick in my craw.
I was under the impression that everyone but Dani was intended to die from the beginning; they needed five outsiders for their sacrifice. I agree there's a racial element to how the cult does its recruiting (Dani is welcomed into the family in part because she looks very Nordic; Christian, who has reddish-blond hair, gets used for breeding stock before being killed; no one else is used for breeding, although the movie makes a big point of how the cult needs new blood), but I assumed this was something we were supposed to figure out.
― Lily Dale, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 01:40 (four years ago) link
technically Christian's death was 50/50 and left up to Dani
― papa stank (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 02:01 (four years ago) link
That's true, so I guess the order of the deaths is slightly premeditated; it makes sense they would want to keep Christian till the end as their optional sacrifice since they've decided he's acceptable breeding stock.
― Lily Dale, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 02:21 (four years ago) link
nearly everyone else does something to trigger their death, right? wanting to leave early, pissing on the sacred tree, taking pictures of their book, etc
― babu frik fan account (mh), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 04:00 (four years ago) link
Wanting to leave early? Or ruining their whole sacred ritual thing by expressing their shock, outrage, and horror by screaming obscenities and insults? I wasn't completely unsympathetic to the perspective of the commune/cult until the final act of the movie where it became clear what their intent all along was. On top of everything else about the movie, I enjoyed the anthropological interest that went into the creation of the commune.
― beard papa, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 19:25 (four years ago) link
I mean didja expect they were all going to go to this mysterious Swedish festival nobody else in teh world had heard about it and it was all fun and everybody played games and had punch and then went home and then on the way home there was a wolf in the car?
― papa stank (Neanderthal), Monday, 13 January 2020 21:26 (eleven minutes ago) link
― Οὖτις, Monday, January 13, 2020 4:51 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink
it's funny how ppl in film threads try to use logic to justify liking shitty movies
OneEyeOpen makes an otm post about how the entire movie had zero suspense or surprise or tension (and max 2 scares), and yall are like "it's a horror movie, SPOILER ALERT people get killed"
like oh, now that you put it that way, it's actually good that this bored the shit out of me
― flopson, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 19:38 (four years ago) link
it was maximally tense even though we knew sorta what was going to happen bc of the plotting and imagery. everything feels kind of out of control at all times
― american bradass (BradNelson), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 19:41 (four years ago) link
however if you just wanna yell at us for enjoying a movie that bored you, go off
You're being disingenuous af in suggesting that most of us agreed with OEO's thesis but suggested these were features, not bugs. Most of us disagreed with most of the criticisms in their post outright, and were pointing out having an idea of what would happen in the movie didn't prevent it from being tense, suspenseful, disorienting, or thrilling.
For fucks sake, wanting big surprises and constant rug pulls is how we got the M Night era of horror.
― papa stank (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 20:04 (four years ago) link
Xxpost
BradNelson otm throughout this thread, basically
― papa stank (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 20:05 (four years ago) link
there's only one person here trying to apply mathematical principles to the enjoyment of film imo
― opden gnash (imago), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 20:05 (four years ago) link
zero suspense or surprise or tension
don't feel any of these are required to make a film interesting or worth watching
would argue that the movie has plenty of tension though, not so much based on "what is going to happen!?" but more on the "what the fuck is going on" with the particulars of things like the drugged tea and a bear and people running away screaming in the background or heads getting smashed in with a hammer etc.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 20:16 (four years ago) link
im like the opposite of brad in that I loved hereditary and it set my expectations way too high for this
sorry for being mean. here are some things i liked about this movie:-casting of the scandinavians (they looked genuinely inbred)-score-cinematography-costume/set design-humour (should have been more of it though)
― flopson, Tuesday, 14 January 2020 21:01 (four years ago) link
I think Hereditary was genuinely more WTF and unexplained weirdness than Midsommar (certainly more Lovecraftian). Midsommar probably had the better/more interesting design/visuals, though this may simply be a function of USA domesticity v. Swedish folk cult.
― An Oral History of Deez Nutz (PBKR), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 21:46 (four years ago) link
Hereditary was a horror movie disguised as a family drama, and Midsommar is a family drama disguised as a horror movie
― babu frik fan account (mh), Tuesday, 14 January 2020 23:02 (four years ago) link
I'd agree with that but add that Hereditary was a good movie and Midsommar was a cult movie.
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 00:01 (four years ago) link
Midsommar is a family drama transcendental comedy* disguised as a horror movie
*quite like this term. applies as well to...ooh, Toni Erdmann? some von Trier?
― opden gnash (imago), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 00:20 (four years ago) link
Midsommar’s wikipedia plot summary made more sense and was easier to follow than Hereditary’s
― Swilling Ambergris, Esq. (silby), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 00:36 (four years ago) link
just watched this and i felt i saw a bjork music video fleshed out for 2+ hours.
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Wednesday, 15 January 2020 06:41 (four years ago) link
https://a24auctions.com/auctions/midsommar-harga-collectibles/
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 20:57 (four years ago) link
"put your disgusting dick away!"
― popeye's arse (Neanderthal), Monday, 17 August 2020 01:53 (four years ago) link
this is one of the most idiotic films I've seen
in that case, will I watch this a third time? maybe
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:57
someone watched it three times. The idea that a ritual could occur every 90 years is the stupidest thing I've encountered in any stupid movie script.
― Gerneten-flüken cake (jed_), Monday, 17 August 2020 02:09 (four years ago) link
wait til u hear about the "bicentennial"
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Monday, 17 August 2020 02:10 (four years ago) link
I resist posting on popular movie threads about terrible films that people have enjoyed, for whatever reason. Fine, who cares... but this film is just enragingly stupid in every way.
― Gerneten-flüken cake (jed_), Monday, 17 August 2020 02:22 (four years ago) link
You don't get it, man, it's a horror movie. It's supposed to be dumb.
― Mom jokes are his way of showing affection (to your mom) (PBKR), Monday, 17 August 2020 03:28 (four years ago) link
good movie
― unpaid intern at the darvo institute (Simon H.), Monday, 17 August 2020 03:37 (four years ago) link
I enjoyed it
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Monday, 17 August 2020 03:46 (four years ago) link
but jed_ said you're wrong
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Monday, 17 August 2020 03:46 (four years ago) link
And I'll never get over the shame of my rongness
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Monday, 17 August 2020 03:48 (four years ago) link
It wasn't great but it was very good. Sorta like It Follows. It doesn't hold up to close scrutiny but I really liked the thrills.
― Cow_Art, Monday, 17 August 2020 04:13 (four years ago) link
The idea that a ritual could occur every 90 years is the stupidest thing I've encountered in any stupid movie script.
?????????????????????????????
― The GOAT Harold Land (Karl Malone), Monday, 17 August 2020 06:32 (four years ago) link
EVER??
not even the stupidest thing about this great movie
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 17 August 2020 13:06 (four years ago) link
The idea that a ritual could occur every 90 years is the stupidest thing I've encountered
I bet you hated Chrono Trigger then
― avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:22 (four years ago) link
would absolutely watch Ari Aster's Chrono Trigger
― unpaid intern at the darvo institute (Simon H.), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:24 (four years ago) link
I know a ritual that occurs only once every 90 years YOU HAVING SEX ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:25 (four years ago) link
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal),
I did?
― Gerneten-flüken cake (jed_), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:25 (four years ago) link
What a bizarre gripe to have (xps to jed_)
― caută tu singur (gyac), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:52 (four years ago) link
the most nonsensical plot point of all time will always be the plot to Double Jeopardy with Ashley Judd
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:53 (four years ago) link