Sommar Lovin'?

I loved the horror movie Hereditary. But only after I saw it did I learn just how polarizing it was; plenty of people out there apparently hate it. I figured my own reaction meant I should give any other movies by writer-director Ari Aster a chance. That's why I watched Midsommar... and how I found myself on the other side of a polarizing movie experience.

Midsommar centers on university student Dani, in the aftermath of a horrible personal tragedy. She goes on a trip to rural Sweden, where a friend has invited them to participate in a midsummer celebration lasting many days. This being a horror movie, this celebration involves some messed-up shit.

Although...

It almost feels like a stretch to call this a horror movie. To be sure, there are plenty of moments literally meant to horrify, violent displays of gore, disturbing examples of inhuman behavior, and more. But Midsommar is also slow-paced to the point that it's lethargic, and often aggressively weird. I found it rather like bringing the film-making sensibilities of 2001 or Apocalypse Now to the horror genre. And given how I feel about those movies, compared to how I know many others feel? Yeah, this one is going to be polarizing.

I found the slow pacing ultimately quite frustrating, but I have to admit that it mostly works in the moment. The movie grabs you right away with an effective teaser, and then proceeds to use space in an effective way. The tension does slowly ratchet up... and then usually, right as you're becoming bored that "nothing is happening," you do get a moment of genuine horror. For many, that will be a winning formula. For me, I only felt strung along to the next such moment.

By the halfway point, I'd gone too far to give up. And yes, the finale does serve up a big heaping pile of insanity. But the movie is nearly two-and-a-half hours long (with a director's cut apparently 30 minutes more still!) and I didn't find it worth it. The truth is, much of what's most effectively creepy in the movie is camera moves and music. The story isn't all that great -- and the plot moves are laid bare in front of you to see well before they come.

I'm quite sure that many people out there would love Midsommar, and I'm pretty sure a few of them will read this. But I'm not sure how to identify them. I can't say "if you liked Hereditary, try this." I loved Hereditary, and pretty much hated this -- I'd give it a D-. Is the 2001 / Apocalypse Now touchstone enough? I don't know, but I'd say unless you feel pretty confident, err on the side of skipping it.