Mind-Bending Horror By New Master Director On Max

Serving as the director’s sophomore production, Midsommar follows the troubling story of a young woman who goes on a trip to Sweden with her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his group of pals. Tragedy strikes immediately at the top of the movie as Dani (Florence Pugh) loses her entire family in a murder-suicide situation, which prompts her to tag along on the country-hopping adventure. There’s just one big hang-up – Christian is on the verge of breaking up with Dani, and his friends aren’t very empathetic to her recent tragedy.

Once they get abroad to the small, bucolic Swedish village, which they’ve been invited to by their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren), they meet others who have also made the journey for the annual midsommar festival with their respective friends from the community. It’s here that the group engages in certain rites and traditions upheld by the villagers, festivities that soon descend into chaos. As bizarre disappearances and literal sacrifices begin to take place, Dani finds herself at the center of the madness and is forced to make some difficult decisions.

You’ve likely already noticed that the cast for Aster’s Midsommar is impressive, with Florence Pugh starring in the leading role. The title came across the actress’s desk just when her train to fame was really picking up steam, following the arrival of productions like Fighting with My Family and directly before her turn in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. Along with Transformers: Age of Extinction star Jack Reynor, the movie also featured performances from Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), William Jackson Harper (The Good Place), and Archie Madekwe (Saltburn). 

Immediately proving that Aster wasn’t going to be a one-hit-wonder, the box office for Midsommar soared to an impressive $48 million against its $9 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an impressive 83 percent critics’ approval rating and was also a hit with the critic circle when it first arrived in cinemas thanks to Aster’s vision, the main cast’s performances, and the vibrantly put-together set pieces. 

For Aster, Midsommar proved that 2018’s Hereditary was just the beginning of his success, which is saying something because Hereditary was quite the way to kick off a feature-length career. Like Midsommar, the Toni Collette and Alex Wolfe-helmed movie is another that should be on your list if you want to be disturbed out of your gourd for a solid two hours.

After the success of Midsommar and Hereditary, Aster hit audiences with 2023’s Beau Is Afraid, another movie that leaned heavily into the horrors of family trauma. This time around, Joaquin Phoenix starred in the film, which again was met with positive comments from critics. Next, fans can expect to see another Aster flick in cinemas sometime in the near future with the release of the director’s star-studded project, Eddington.

Head over to Max now to check out Midsommar.