Is Midsommar (2019) scary?

Not particularly — Midsommar (2019)'s appeal is atmospheric or thematic rather than overtly scary. As a folk horror film, it scored 2.0/10 for fear, 7.9/10 for atmosphere, and 7.0/10 overall on Watch Darkly's curator scale across 2 ratings.

When did Midsommar (2019) come out, and is it streaming?

Midsommar (2019)'s US theatrical release date is July 3, 2019. It first became available to watch at home on September 1, 2019.

How many jump scares are in Midsommar (2019)?

Midsommar (2019) has 3 jump scares, based on its logged jump-scare count.

What age is Midsommar (2019) appropriate for?

Midsommar (2019) is rated R. Watch Darkly does not assign its own age rating, so here is what the film actually contains. On Watch Darkly's curator scale it scored 2.0/10 for fear, 5.7/10 for gore, and 7.6/10 for intensity, where 10 is the most extreme in the catalog. It has 3 jump scares. Content warnings on file: body fluids, religious themes, self harm, sexual violence, and torture.

Who is in the cast of Midsommar (2019)?

Florence Pugh plays Dani, Jack Reynor plays Christian, William Jackson Harper plays Josh, Will Poulter plays Mark, Vilhelm Blomgren plays Pelle, Isabelle Grill plays Maja, Gunnel Fred plays Siv, Ellora Torchia plays Connie.

Does Midsommar (2019) have a happy ending?

Midsommar (2019) has a downer ending on Watch Darkly's spoiler-gated ending scale.

What are some films like Midsommar (2019)?

Films similar to Midsommar (2019) on Watch Darkly include Hereditary (2018), Children of the Corn (1984), Speak No Evil (2024), selected by shared themes and tags plus the curator scoring across fear, gore, atmosphere, intensity, and overall quality.

Metadata and artwork from TMDB. Not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Folk horror

Midsommar

2019 · R · 2h 27m

Curator Score7.0/ 10

Let the festivities begin.

Release & where to watch

In theaters: July 3, 2019
Home release: September 1, 2019

Where to watchUS, as of Sep 15, 2026

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Curator Certificate

7.0

Out of ten

Passed by two curators

Fear2.0

Gore5.7

Atmosphere7.9

Intensity7.6

How we score

Leans into atmosphere and intensity.

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Jump scares

Midsommar has 3 jump scares. Compare counts

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We scored it 7.0. Where do you land?

ours 7.0

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Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities.

Plot summary via TMDB

Genres

dramamysteryhorror

Details

Budget$9M

Box office$48.5M

Directed by

Written by

Cinematography

Music

Starring

Florence Pugh as Dani · Jack Reynor as Christian · William Jackson Harper as Josh · Will Poulter as Mark · Vilhelm Blomgren as Pelle · Isabelle Grill as Maja · Gunnel Fred as Siv · Ellora Torchia as Connie

Production

B-Reel Films, Square Peg

Reviews

blessedmakerCurator

Jun 29, 2026

Overall7.3Fear1Atmos.8.3Gore6

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.

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