Tag: Ari Aster

Geekscape Movie Review: Midsommar

by MCDave

You never forget how the great films made you feel when you experienced them for the first time. It’s a unique ability that transcends the standard norms of filmmaking.  And one contemporary visionary who has mastered this skill is Ari Aster, a new generational voice in the psychological horror genre with a knack for capturing a quiet sense of Hitchcock-ian suspense throughout his works. Aster first astonished us with last year’s Hereditary, a spine-chilling examination of a family with sinister bloodlines that even stirred some rumblings of an Oscar Nomination for the film’s leading star, Toni Collette. It was quite a debut, but Aster wastes no time jumping right back into the director’s chair for his indescribable new psychological thriller, Midsommar, another hypnotic effort that’s quickly cementing Ari Aster’s reputation within the horror community.

Following a traumatic and devastating event, a young American couple travel to a remote Swedish commune with a group of friends to experience the local’s once-in-a-lifetime mid-summer festivities. But as they all become more and more immersed in the community’s bizarre rituals, the couple’s relationship becomes tested and their friendships become strained. Yet, things only get worse from there as this once culturally rich experience slowly evolves into a hellish nightmare at the hands of a pagan cult.


Let me be clear, Midsommar isn’t a horror film in the commercialized sense of the word. Instead, writer and director Ari Aster shapes an unnerving and terrifying journey into the human psyche. Florence Pugh stars as Dani, a love-starved young woman desperately holding onto a failing relationship with her boyfriend of four years, Christian (Jack Reynor), after suffering a horrible personal tragedy. The film explores the darkest depths of human connection in such a beautifully shot and viscerally engrossing demeanor. Midsommar stands as a slow-dance of macabre, meant to be savored and digested through sustained periods of intense imagery and a spine-tingling use of sounds. In fact, Ari Aster’s profound use of music and sounds elevates his craft to a whole new level and helps elicit a variety of emotions, it’s truly remarkable. And outside of the film’s apparent technical achievements and majestic cinematography, Midsommar also boasts an impressively detailed and absorbing script. Aster’s story is fully outstretched to what some viewers will complain is a tiresome two-and-a-half-hour affair, especially after the end goal begins to reveal itself about halfway in. Yet, I found this crawling transformation to be mightily impactful with each and every step along the way. Furthermore, another common criticism will be aimed at the film’s silly elements of dark humor. There are numerous scenes which are odd and seemingly over-the-top, but the deeper purpose of these moments is to appropriately illustrate the insidious cult’s desire to bond through empathy. They laugh together, love together, cry together and experience pain and heartache together. All of which align perfectly with Aster’s intended end result. Midsommar is a beautiful and poetic psychological horror that ventures far beyond the superficial norms of its genre and shakes you to the core. It’s one of 2019’s standout features and an experience that’s certainly worth the ride. 

GRADE: 4/5

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SXSW Movie Review: Hereditary

by MCDave

It happens nearly every year. A horror title bursts onto the scene during the early calendar months at either Sundance or SXSW, generating enormous buzz and swirling hope for the next great genre hit. Sometimes these films meet the enthusiastic hype head-on and rise to the occasion, while other times they crack and crumble under the heavy pressure of desired greatness. 2018 is no exception as Ari Aster’s new terrifying descent into madness, Hereditary, proudly steals this “horror darling” label and meets its audiences with visceral unease and heart-pounding fright that proves the hype is real.

The movie opens with the passing of Ellen Graham, the matriarch of her family, whose loss casts a wide net over her surviving kin. And as her haunting death continues to escalate in intensity and bring turmoil and tragedy to her daughter Annie’s family (Toni Collette) family, they slowly begin to unlock dark and cryptic ancestral secrets that extend far beyond their control. And the more they discover, the further they are dragged into this hellish reality.

Hereditary’s strengths are vast and plentiful as the effort burns with cinematic artistry, burrows deep into the human psyche, and delivers well-timed and escalating scares. You know that a horror film has succeeded when something as trivial as a childish sound can become a fearful symbol of impending doom that haunts at every turn. It’s carefully calculated and beautifully orchestrated writing and direction from first-time filmmaker, Ari Aster, whose terrorizing vision slowly peels in lock-step, but never feels long in the tooth or boring. This happens, despite a lengthy running time of over 2 hours, because the suspense and tension are absolutely relentless, giving the audience time to breathe but never allowing them to feel settled. Aster’s attention to detail clearly plays a vital role in the film’s mastery of the genre, also evident by the director’s clear knowledge and understanding of the horror classics that preceded him, but enough can’t be said about Toni Collette’s earth-shattering performance. Her character’s psychological plunge is subtle and brilliant, as it becomes difficult to pinpoint the exact moment she “loses it” because the transformation is so gradual and fluid. Also the work of supporting actor and rising star Alex Wolff deserves recognition as well, seeing that his character is the bloodline of the film in many ways. Hereditary does squander its finale a bit, rushing around to make sense of all the haunting insanity it worked so well to create, but the mildly bitter taste isn’t enough to discredit the sheer creepiness and disturbing aura that surrounds this winning horror entry.

GRADE: 4/5

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