Midsommar

"Midsommar" (2019, Ari Aster, Square Peg, B-Reel Films) is a folk horror set in a cult in Sweden.


I really liked "Hereditary" so I was keen to see "Midsommar".


We meet the very tragic character of Dani (Florence Pugh) who is not having a great time at the moment. Despite their relationship coming to the verge of ending, she agrees to join her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his Cultural Anthropology student pals; Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poullter); on a summer trip to Sweden to visit the Hårga Commune where their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) grew up and to experience the huge cultural Midsommar festival there.


When they arrive everything seems idyllic and otherworldly, but little do they know that all the flower petals in the world couldn't hide the grim undercurrent of the Commune's plans.


Working in a similar vein to 1973's "The Wicker Man", "Midsommar" delivers an upsetting vibe and some extremely effective and gruesome special effects. The group of Americans act as our eyes to the strange world of the Commune. The film does a great job of visualising the psychedelic effects of the drugs the students take and also of their building terror as they start to understand the situation.


For me, the plot felt distractingly slow and I did not particularly like any of the characters, which isn't always necessary, but would have possibly helped keep my interest more. The sound design is meant to be disturbing, but after a while the droning wails and group sobbing kind of ground me down a bit.



The special effects and grim details are really amazing and this alone kept me on board until the end, but I wouldn't necessarily be in a huge hurry to revisit. It also didn't deliver the same level of hollow, savage punch that "Hereditary" had upon initial viewing.


Definitely worth checking, however, as it's certainly a cinematic experience.

[Image: Square Peg, B-Reel Films, et al]

Hani

The Endless

"The Endless" (2017, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Snowfort Pictures, Love & Death Productions, Pfaff & Pfaff Productions, Well Go USA Entertainment) is a sci-fi thriller about two brothers who escape from a cult only to be tempted back years later. It is the sequel to 2012's "Resolution".


Justin (Justin Benson) and Aaron (Aaron Moorhead) receive a video cassette in the post and, after hunting for a way to play the damn thing, discover that it is from Camp Arcadia; a commune they were part of as kids/young adults.


It turns out the boys have completely different recollections of the their time at the Camp with Justin remembering a dangerous UFO death cult and Aaron only remembering a friendly group of hippies getting back to nature. The brothers decide to venture back to the camp to see how everyone is doing. Just for one day.


They reach the camp to warm welcomes but something is not quite right about the campers; they look exactly the same as they had a decade earlier... As the boys spend more time with their old comrades they start to notice other peculiarities about the camp and the surrounding area... Something is there and leaving might not be an option...


A fun and intriguing film that kept me engaged throughout. It starts off relatively slowly and the plot slowly drip feeds a sense of dread and uneasiness through excellent use of slightly 'wrong' things happening on screen. As the wrongness intensifies we are introduced to other characters outside of the cult (some of whom you might recognise if you've seen "Resolution") who are experiencing some grim and unsettling effects of the 'presence' surrounding the camp.


A bizarre story that is told in an effective and sober manner which further adds to the overall strangeness of the tale. With a lot of Lovecraft inspiration felt throughout, a hint that the plot might be a commentary about audiences as a whole, and rounded but not overdone characters; The Endless is a very enjoyable, thoughtful and robust piece of film. A somewhat sudden and ambiguous end leaves the viewer wondering if there's still more to come in a third film.

[Image: Snowfort Pictures, et al]

Hani

The Sacrament

"The Sacrament" (Ti West, Eli Roth, Worldview Entertainment, Arcade Pictures) is a found footage film about the goings on behind the scenes of a secluded religious commune.

 

We follow two reporters (Joe Swanberg and AJ Bowen) and fashion photographer, Patrick (Kentucker Audley), who are travelling to the 'Earth paradise' that is the Eden Parish commune, where Patrick's sister, Caroline (Amy Seimetz) has been living since getting over her drug addiction.

 

The Commune is run by charismatic and freaky leader, Father (Gene Jones), who is keen for Patrick to 'visit'. However, the staunch security the three men are faced with is daunting and they soon begin to suspect something sinister is going on in the idyllic farming community.

 

A tense, sometimes funny and engaging slow burner, which builds up to a dramatic climax. The characters are interesting (especially for a found footage style film) and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

 

It's more of a dark thriller than an all-out horror, however, and draws very much from the horrifying real story of Jonestown, bringing a very melancholy feeling and poignancy to the film.

 

[Image: Arcade Pictures]

 

Hani