Midsommar: Vem vill gå med i en sekt?[1] Swedish for "Who wants to join a cult?"

“Vem vill gå med i en sekt?” is Swedish for, “Who wants to join a cult?”

Contains spoilers!

It's difficult when relationships, whether romantic or platonic, end but you'll probably (hopefully?) come out as a stronger, happier person in the end. That's what director Ari Aster sets out to explore with Midsommar, released in 2019. The film follows Dani (Florence Pugh), who travels to Sweden with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) and his friends (Will Poulter as Mark, William Jackson Harper as Josh) to view a midsummer festival at the home of Swedish exchange student Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren). Pelle's home, an ancestral commune called the Hårga, soon proves violent and disturbing, further straining Dani and Christian's already rocky relationship.

Each performance in this is riveting, particularly that of Pugh and Reynor. We feel Dani's loss of her parents and sister, yet it's difficult to pick a side between her or Christian, who wants to end the relationship before the murder-suicide of Dani's sister and parents. Likewise, we understand Dani's choices and the reasoning behind them, particularly at the end. The members of the commune have been nothing but welcoming and cordial since she arrived. It's no wonder she'd choose them.

That is also one of the central themes of the film: finding a new family. As mentioned, Dani's bipolar sister kills their parents a murder-suicide. Everyone in the commune, particularly the women, has shown that her grief is no longer hers to bare alone. They demonstrate this throughout, mimicking her cries of anguish and sorrow. Though their traditions may seem strange, even disturbing, to her, they're more than willing to offer a place of family and belonging.

One thing that I particularly like about this film is the traditions and the processes that accompany them. It's mentioned that these traditions date back hundreds of years, and Aster and his team succeed in making it seem that way. Each movement, song, and explanation behind what the Hårga is doing is believable, makes sense, and conveys that these movements, songs, and explanations have been passed down from generation to generation.

This is a film that both genuinely disturbs me yet keeps on the edge of my seat. Its cast is fantastic, the setting is beautiful, and the score is, likewise, beautiful yet haunting. If given the chance, I might join a cult if Florence Pugh is a member. It might be grim, but I'll just bear it.

Cast

Florence Pugh as Dani

Jack Reynor as Christian

Will Poulter as Mark

William Jackson Harper as Josh

Vilhem Blomgren as Pelle