Midsommar

This is another trippy, generally intelligent horror movie directed by Ari Aster, who previously directed Hereditary. Aster leaves bread crumbs throughout the movie in the forms of stylized murals, drawings, and blunt comments that hint at future events. Although this story follows the traditional horror theme of outsiders entering a strange isolated and even inbred community, it's wise enough to make the viewer look past that. In fact, the real horror, as the director has referenced, is the death of a relationship. If you've lived long enough you've probably been both the dumper and the dumpee. Neither one is fun.

Christian, an anthropology grad student, would like to get out of a relationship with his girlfriend Dani. His friends all think it's past time for him to do this. Christian is not getting his sexual or emotional needs met. All he really is, is an emotional support blanket for Dani, who has a ton of emotional/psychological issues. Christian and his friends, including the Swedish exchange student Pelle, are about to take a trip to Sweden for the Midsummer festival where they will live with and observe Pelle's extended family/commune, the rural Harga, engage in various traditional festivities and rituals. Christian's friends think that this provides the perfect opportunity to (1) make time with beautiful Swedish women (2) learn about traditional cultures and (3) dump Dani.

However when Dani's sister murders her parents and kills herself, Christian can't bring himself to dump Dani. Worse (from his friends' perspective) he tells Dani about the impending trip and invites her along. The Americans and a few other visitors find the Swedes to be friendly, initially. But when they witness a voluntary ritual that is shocking to American sensibilities, Dani and Christian (his name is significant) wonder if all the smiling toothy tall Swedes are all there, morally or mentally.

This movie also ran a little long but I liked how it used smiles and constant sunlight to set up increasing unease. The film's score was suitably creepy. There are other callbacks to Hereditary as well.