Midsommar

This is a weird movie (thanks, captain obvious), which says nothing about whether it's a good movie, but I thought you should know. It doesn't land for me, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing. I can't count the number of times I said out loud, or thought to myself, "What the hell is going on?" And again, that doesn't necessarily tell you whether it's a good film. What works: Florence Pugh is stellar as Dani. The transformation she undergoes really flexes her range; the Dani at the start and the Dani at the end are from two different planets. The cinematography is top notch, sweeping landscapes and shots that frame everyday life against a backdrop of nature. Bright, airy, wrong. That's what the shots feel like. The wardrobe killed it with the cult costumes. I don't think I've ever called out wardrobe before, so it really made an impression. Midsommar's DNA is pure folk horror. Ari Aster concocts his own vision of the subgenre, convincingly and confidently. The commune (cult!) is inviting, colorful, and warm, but there's a lingering feeling layered between the smiles and the countryside that unsettles you. It builds throughout, with moments of shock interjected that complement it. The wrongness never leaves, and it all crashes down by the end. That sustained feeling didn't evoke dread in me, which is maybe why I wasn't moved. I think you should watch this. But I won't be watching it again.