I'm reviewing this film in October, even though I didn't watch it this month, because I received such an overwhelming response from friends wanting to know my opinion. Most questions came this month. Oh, Midsommar. We fellow Scandinavians are f*cking crazy sometimes.
I'm stupidly Scandinavian - STUPIDLY. My blood flows with farming, snow peaks, and fjords.
So my brother and I went to see this film in the theater and I was immediately uncomfortable with the somber yet "friendly" greetings the strangers in this film were met with. It felt like Thanksgiving or Christmas in my family. I'm American enough to know what's happening and it's stupidly Scandinavian.
Panic set it quickly.
It doesn't help that we have "strange" traditions in our family. We try to warn visitors about the dancing and singing around a Christmas tree and trying to find odd objects in food as a game... there's no amount of warning. Nine years with my husband and he magically disappeared when these traditions were called upon.
So when I saw this film as I was all like, "Oh hell, yeah. We're weird sometimes...."
Then this film got really WEIRD and I was all like, "Oh, hell yeah no.".
I'm equal parts Danish and Norwegian - with a very scandalized history revolving a Swedish grandparent. This movie revolves around Sweden. Sorry Sweden! We don't talk about you at dinner!
No, in all seriousness, this film is a nature horror story and those stories are scary no matter where they come from. I react to nature god horror stories like this one or the Yellow King as I would finding a gigantic spider in my kitchen.
Kill it with fire.
There is a very specific anxiety about nature god stories that I've never been able to understand, and I'm not sure I want to. But that anxiety is very, very real for a lot of people - it helps make this movie a truly horrifying show.
I, in the mean time, am going to continue being a quiet ale drinking occasional fun-loving berserker with a I'm uncomfortable hugging problem - and stay far, far away from those nature gods.
Pairs with anxiety masked as friendliness. I watched this film in the theater. Use Horror Habit's Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to locate where else you can find this really disturbing film.
SPOILER ALERT! It never fails--you always crack me up! Saw this a week or so ago--thought it was somewhat disturbing--but after watching the interview with the writer/director, I really loved his explanation for the gist of the movie. It's a movie about a break-up! Hell yes! I can see that. There has been a time where I would have loved to have given a big thumbs up for a bunch of crazies to put the dumpster in a hollowed out bear and set fire to him while he watches his new found friends (in this case enemies) revere me. Best break-up movie I've ever seen--LOL. P.S. Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteA breakup film 😮 *mind blown*!!!
DeleteJolie--I was thinking about how you sometimes look to dramas for your horror fix. One that stuck with me like old gum was Sharp Objects. Holy cannoli--I could not shake that story for many, many--many days. Family dynamics are so mucked up sometimes, and this one is on steroids.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the series yet, but I read the book and it gave me some serious, serious chills and jeepers creepers. In fact,I think I shook a little when I saw the show advertised. I'll get to it soon though!! (Once I'm prepared enough)
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