Note: This article contains major spoilers for Midsommar.
If you’ve had the pleasure of checking out director Ari Aster’s Hereditary chaser already, chances are you left the cinema with a thousand thoughts running through your head. Not least because of that ending.
Although the colour palette might suggest that Midsommar is the lighthearted sister to Aster’s cinematic debut, the follow-up matches its predecessor in disturbing themes and horrific imagery, taking audiences to a ritualistic festival of sheer hell.
The narrative centres on Dani (Florence Pugh) and the breakdown of her toxic relationship with boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor). She attempts to overcome the grief of losing her entire biological family while desperately attempting to cling on to the only bond she has left, but Christian has other plans.
Together with a group of his d-bag student pals, they all journey to Sweden for a fabled midsummer festival where a seemingly friendly commune transforms into a dread-fuelled nightmare as their true agenda is revealed.
The ending is happy or harrowing (depending on which way you look at it). Something we can all agree on, however, is that the sequences leading up to the grand finale were distressing to say the least, incorporating scenes of sex, hallucinogens and flaming bear carcassess.
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You might think Aster has reached his peak levels of horror, and yet during a recent Reddit AMA the director served up a few revelations about the plot that take it to a whole other level of grim.
When asked about the movie’s iteration of the Scandinavian summer festival and what was significant about the 90-year cycle, Aster admitted that the climactic ritual was the unique event and that the festival carried on after the ending.
“The last ritual of the film is what happens every 90 years,” he explained. “The rest is business as usual. Although it is suggested that there are more days of celebration to come. The movie doesn't span 9 days.”
Although the filmmaker doesn’t give too much away, there are a number of elements in his reply that need a closer look.
First up, “business as usual”. This phrase will send shivers down the spine of anyone who has seen the film. Why? Because it means that all of the abominable events up until the final scene – the unforgettably gory cliff-jumping, the pubic hair pie, the hermetic sacrifices, the oracle revelation – were just part of everyday life at the commune.
So even if Dani and the gang didn’t visit at the height of their 90-year cycle, it still would have ended in bloodshed.
Then there’s the fact that the film doesn’t even cover the full roster of activities. As Aster said: “There are more days of celebration to come.”
Does this mean we’ll get to see more in the director’s cut? It’s possible, especially since there’s so much more of the film that has not yet been screened.
With a runtime of 147 minutes, Midsommar itself isn’t exactly short. However, the original cut was around 225 minutes, half an hour of which will be shown when the director’s cut is released in August.
“Working on extended cut now,” wrote Aster. “Won't be 1 hr 20 mins longer, but will be at least 30 mins longer.”
Speaking to Bloody Disgusting about what to expect, he added: “A more nuanced picture of Harga, more rituals and more nuance for the relationship between Dani and Christian, and more by way of the thesis competition between Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Christian.”
This certainly fits in line with previous interviews where Aster revealed a lengthy argument between the two leading characters ended up on the cutting room floor.
It’s looking likely we can expect some more harrowing revelations regarding Dani’s family and Christian’s (lack of) support during the grieving process. Perhaps it might even provide audiences with a deeper understanding of Dani’s decision to sacrifice her significant other as part of her duties as May Queen.
And, as Aster said, we can expect “more rituals”, as well as a deeper insight into the Harga commune. In other words, if you thought the summer sun had set, it looks like it will rise once more – so get ready for another violent ride when the director’s cut drops in the coming months.
Midsommar is out in cinemas now.
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