Ari Aster tries to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with Midsommar, his follow-up to Hereditary.
The film follows Dani, who ends up at a mysterious festival while on vacation with her boyfriend. Obviously, things are going to go off the rails, but the trailer keeps you in the dark about the specifics. That’s not to say this is a traditionally murky style of horror; the sun shines bright across the fields where the festival takes place, which only adds to the off-kilter feel that the movie seems to be going for.
Much of Midsommar feels par for the course for writer and director Aster, who enchanted many with the psychologically twisty horror/drama Hereditary. That one didn’t take the usual breathless route through a genre film, and hopefully Midsommar is just as chock-full of odd asides and fully fleshed out characters.
The latter would explain how he got such a strong cast, including up-and-coming star Florence Pugh. She’s been knocking it out of the park for years in movies like Lady Macbeth and Fighting with My Family, so seeing her face front and center is a great sign. Co-starring with her is a bevy of other strong performers, including William Jackson Harper (The Good Place), Jack Raynor (Sing Street), and Will Poulter (Detroit).
Things appear promising for Midsommar, but there’s always the risk of a letdown after a breakout hit. Hopefully Aster can avoid that trend.
Midsommar is directed by Ari Aster and stars Florence Pugh, Jack Raynor, and William Jackson Harper. It will be released in the US and the UK on August 9th, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
Do you think Aster can top Hereditary? Let us know in the comments!
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