Midsommar Director's Cut

Midsommar is art. It is sublime, and no words can do it justice. There is so much to celebrate about this film (the intricate costumes, the astonishing cinematography, the beautiful set design, and so much more) but I just have to focus on the two parts that turn it from a brilliant film to a masterpiece of epic proportions: the score, and the performance of Florence Pugh as Dani Ardor. When the music and Florence Pugh's acting come together, Midsommar becomes an unbeatable portrayal of absolute emotional and mental turmoil. From the first shot of the film to the very last, it captures such naked feelings of grief, panic, and distress like no film I have seen before or since. The fact this film was neglected at the Oscars (not receiving so much as a nomination!) is a true injustice. The soundtrack (composed by British musician Bobby Krlic) is flawless from beginning to end, but a few tracks stand out even among a complete set of beautiful (yet harrowing) pieces. 'Gassed', which plays early on in the film, is a feeling of total distress and loss put into audio form. It is the music of a person whose live has been changed irrevocably for the worse, and it is as if the instruments themselves were wailing. Further on in the film, we hear: 'Attestupan', a piece that captures a feeling of sheer resignation and surrender. When everything is already terrible and is only getting worse - 'Attestupan' is that sensation of powerlessness and of the body and mind shutting down to save itself. Finally, there is 'Fire Temple', which plays at the very end of the film. This is a very long piece which goes through several phases as if they were the seven stages of grief themselves, before finally climaxing in a cacophony that represents an utterly destroyed mind that has completely surrendered to insanity. Then, there is Florence Pugh, who I believe is one of (it not *the*) most talented actresses alive on this Earth today. Any snapshot of her expressions in this film capture a million and one emotions without her having to say so much as a single word. Incredulity, crisis, defeat, shock - and so many others - Florence Pugh is the heart and soul of this film, and as fantastic as it is in every way, it would not have been the same without her. The cadence in her voice and rawness of every utterance she gives make this among the most convincing performances I have ever seen in cinema (and I have watched a lot of films!). If for no other reason, watch this film for Florence Pugh. If I have not made it clear enough yet: I adore this movie. It will forever be one of my absolute favourites, and I have long since lost count of the number of times I have returned to it. It is the most painful emotions a human can suffer brought to life on the silver screen. I simply cannot wait to see how Ari Aster 'wows' us cinephiles next. There is nothing about this film I would change and I have no doubt that I will return to it often for as long as I live.

PLOT... A couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult. Released in 2019 Midsommar is an absolutely bonkers movie that is really worth a watch. The movie starts as a normal drama type story that leads into a nail biting scary and provocative thriller with an element of horror, for such a long movie I was kept interested in the story, well paced out with decent characters and lovely locations and as soon as the paradise turns into hell your hooked until the end. The cast is absolutely great especially Florence Pugh (Dune part 2, Black Widow) who gives a great performance. The movie does have some disturbing scenes some people might not like to watch, its a tad bloody and gory in places for some added shock but it works with the story. This is well worth checking out if your in need of something very different, its surely not a movie you will ever forget. Blu-ray picture looks great in HD. 2-Discs, theatrical and the much longer directors cut which is recommended. Features include a making of (25mins) Region B UK. Running times Theatrical 147mins. Directors cut 170mins. 2024. English language movie. English subtitles.

Ari Aster is not the first director to tackle the unsettling horror of what we call folk horror; films about esoteric pagan rituals that dwell upon the dark hell at the heart of these supposedly idyllic communities. That distinction would probably go to Blood on Satan's Claw, the 1973 feature that began a minor fad in such films. In 1974 came The Wicker Man, the one pagan horror that is considered the yardstick by which all other such films are measured. Midsommar is a worthy successor to that classic, both in form and content. The story is simple enough: Dani, a young girl ( a bravura performance by British actress Florence Pugh), loses her family to a suicide and travels to Sweden with her boyfriend Christian (sombrely played by Jack Reynor) and his friends, to take her mind off the horror. They arrive at an idyllic pagan community in rural Sweden that is about to celebrate Midsommar, a festival that takes place every nine years. Dani, Christian and his pals are invited to stay and be a part of the celebration. From then on the visitors are slowly plunged into a vortex of horror that only takes them deeper and deeper into its blood-soaked maw. The ending is unforgettable and will linger in your memory for a long time to come. With Midsommar, Ari Aster has shown that he is a horror director to be reckoned with. It is a worthy follow up to his 2018 feature Hereditary. Much darker and deeper than Hereditary, Midsommar may not be everyone's cup of tea but I suggest you give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

A masterpiece of modern film in my opinion. This film will polarise opinion, but that's ok. You will either love it, and like me, find it stays with you for days and days, or you will bale out around the time of the first real shock. Not scary in the traditional way, but unsettling and thought provoking. Violent at certain moments. Horror played out in broad daylight. But will YOU let the festivities begin......

6 on the dice

very disturbing

1st time watched this movie after so many years - The cover and the trailer gave me plenty of the OG .. The wicker man .. vibes. I really liked this movie .. more than i expected :)

I saw some great reviews of this movie before I bought it. Good job I adore Florence Pugh because the movie itself I found slow, lifeless, tedious and mind numbing. That said though Their were a couple of good performances trying to lift the movie out of it's slumber, for me though it was never enough and doesn't warrant any more than 3 stars in my opinion.

Zeigt, wovor wir uns bezüglich Menschen und Sozialstruktur wirklich fürchten müssen.

Came here on time and is a great movie

I have to say, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. For me, the stranger the better - and this one is bizarre! I love movies about alternate cultures that us Americans have no real idea about. Also, this was the first Blu Ray I have ever owned and the quality of it is really top notch. This one, to me, begs for a sequel maybe on a mid-winter event. Highly recommend!

La vi en el cine y.... quiero verla otra vez. A ver qué sensaciones me despierta..

Great movie, and watching the Directors cut is a nice compliment. The few extras that are a nice addition. It would be nice if it was not region protected. At least it is for region Europe.