I am in no way a big horror fan (another way of saying I'm a massive wuss), but what I do love is a good story. So whilst I was hesitant to see both these films I dived in and was pleasantly surprised.
Ari Aster has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most innovative horror directors of the generation. Perhaps such a claim is preemptive but Aster has showcased his genius in two major pictures Hereditary and Midsommar, both films being a psychedelic nightmare with iconic scenes and imagery that will be remembered forever.
Spoiler warning for the following: Hereditary(2018) and Midsommar(2019)
Aster has so far avoided the classic horror tropes especially the often overused jump-scares. Rather than out right scaring the audience, instead Aster wants to get inside your head. Filling you with anxiety and disturbing you to your core, an Aster film will never be an easy watch. He utilises common social situations and feeling most of us will experience at some point in our lifetime. In Midsommar, main character Dani is having relationship problems with her dis-likable boyfriend, she feels alone and unwanted as well as like a burden to him. Especially after the suicide of her sister which also resulted in the death’s of both her parents. Her boyfriend Christian is incredibly distant throughout the film and their relationship plays a big part in Dani’s eventual transition to becoming the “May-Queen”. Whilst Hereditary showcases a poor relationship between a mother and her son in particular, whilst those same two main characters try to cope with two separate deaths. This makes the decisions made by the characters realistic and what’s happening to them be reasonable.
Both films feature spectacular acting performances, showing Aster has a good eye for talent. Experienced Aussie actress Toni Collette put in arguably her best performance ever in Hereditary and one that many fans deemed ‘award-worthy’. However this was not the only incredible performance in the film as everyone showcased their immense talent including the highly talented rising star Alex Wolff who sold us the traumatized and haunted Peter Graham with ease.
The clear star of Midsommar is Florence Pugh who keeps impressing absolutely everyone, her american accent is perfect and her performance is outstanding throughout the film. Without these fantastic performances the films would simply not be what they are, the scenes that will become iconic such as the death of Charlie and reaction of Peter in Hereditary, and the screaming and wailing of Dani and the other cult girls. There are images in these two films that will simply never be forgotten.
Midsommar is far from your typical horror film. There are very few scenes in the dark, instead the majority of the film is in broad daylight, with lots of colours on the screen at all times. Yet somehow it still manages to be disturbing beyond belief. The organisation of the set is also mind blowing, everything is so fantastically laid out with lots of detail that can easily be missed on a first or even second watch.
Visually Hereditary is more your classic horror film. Often scenes will be in the dark making you want to or not want to look in the background for a scare. As mentioned before both films are full of what will quickly become iconic imagery. Some images in both films will definitely keep you up at night. This shows that Aster’s films will stand the test of time as horror classics.
I was surprised to learn that Ari Aster was only 33 years old(at the time of writing) due to the fact that he shows all the qualities of a seasoned director. The cinematography in these two films are masterful. The slow pans around the corner that occur twice in Hereditary filled me with dread and the use of zooms were undeniably creepy. In Midsommar Ari uses a POV camera shot to put us in the head of one of the characters which once again is an iconic shot in the film and very creepy. He also appears to be a big fan of the upside down to over the top camera shot which could become his trademark.
Aster did not only direct the two films but he wrote them himself too. Both stories are based on already existing tales. Midsommar is based on Norse mythology and pagan folklore, particularly Swedish traditions, in the films several runes and symbols of Norse mythology are shown throughout. Aster seems to have a deep obsession with cults and rituals which are heavy features in both pictures. This brings something new into mainstream horror films, disregarding straightforward slashers and ghost stories. I’m not going to pretend I understand both films or the meanings behind them and the stories Aster has taken inspiration from but I can safely say I love it and continue to be intrigued by it.
Midsommar is full of foreshadowing, straight from the beginning there’s artwork in Dani’s apartment that showcase several plot points in the movie, and once we get to the Swedish cult village we see several paintings of the story yet it’s incredibly difficult to predict but the moment it happens, the realisation sets it(along with the horror).
It seems to me that these films won’t be given needless sequels that tarnish the originals reputation as has happened on so many occasions. I hope that Aster keeps his style but keeps adding to it with more creative ideas and stories. There are a few traits that carry over from Heredditary to Midsommar that could potentially become annoying to an extent. It’s a difficult balance to maintain to be unique and innovative every time.But based on what we’ve seen so far I think Aster has the intelligence to do just that.
In an interview with Associated Students Program Board at UC Santa Barbara, Aster stated that his next project will be a “four-hour long nightmare comedy” and I for one cannot wait to strap in, unravel the mystery and be horrified along the way.
Written By Alfie Hoy
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