“The Folk Horror genre did feel like the perfect framework for the break-up movie that I was trying to make” states “Hereditary” director Ari Aster as he discusses his latest project, “Midsommar.” “But I would say I drew even more from the cliches and the overall structure of a bad high school romantic comedy than I was from the Folk Horror genre.”
Aster’s follow up to “Hereditary” follows a young couple, Christian and Dani, in a troubled relationship as they travel to a Swedish midsummer festival that slowly reveals itself to be a horrific fantasy.
It’s fascinating that Aster should mention bad high school rom-coms because one of the most surprising aspects of his pagan nightmare is how darkly comedic it is (Will Poulter contributes in large part to that). On top of the signature, vivid, sleepless night inducing imagery we’ve come to expect from the “Hereditary” director, Aster returns to the camp found in his earlier short films which in turn further distinguishes “Midsommar” as a film ultimately about relationships, and more specifically, a film fueled by Aster’s personal experiences. “I know that I’ve been Christian before, but I put a lot of myself into Dani,” said Aster. You have to respect and appreciate the willingness of any filmmaker to openly speak his/her truth as Aster does, and it’s why his sophomore effort is one of the most relatable “horror” films I’ve seen in some time.
During my conversations with Aster and “Midsommar” cast members Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson-Harper, and Vilhelm Blomgren about how personal the story was, characters and through-lines they related to, inspirations, a bear and much more.
You can check out my interview with the “Midsommar” crew below along with our review of the film. “Midsommar” hits theaters Tuesday, July 2nd.