No one will understand Hereditary until they deal with its take on the acquisition of riches. It is in all actuality "What would YOU do for a Klondike Bar?" (Money, Power, and Control) to an extreme. But any attempt to speak to this is shot down due to the political climate of The West currently.
I noticed a LOT of similarities. Peter's head on the pillow (after Charlie's death) and Dani's head on the pillow; the spokes of the Sun around dead Charlie's head/the spokes of the Sun in the village; the shot of model house turning into real house/Dani's walking into a toilet then turning into the plane's toilet; just little things, I noted. I had a bit more, but those were just from the top of my head. Edited to add: The seemingly good hearted friend with VERY sinister agendas (Joan/Pelle)...the inner circle all being eliminated sans one of the original group...
I thought MIDSOMMAR did a fantastic job of tapping into our deepest relational fears and insecurities: losing all of our family, being left, being talked shit about, being laughed at, being abandoned, being tricked. It was psychologically brilliant.
That's actually very true another reason I loved the main girl in this was that I related to every one of her freakouts and the pshycological torment she went through while disturbing made the film riveting and it stuck with me for days. I appreciate u mentioned laughed at cuz now that scene makes more thematic sense to me.
@Catharsis You obviously didn't get it, but that's no reason to question its quality like that. It was about a traumatized city girl, with no emotional outlets/ validation even before she lost her family, finding true comfort in the arms of a cult that took empathy and naturalism to horrific extremes. The gore wasn't even gratuitous; it just didn't cut away. It's a horror movie...also, you are completely ignoring the scene just before the "vapid staring" / drugged and traumatized ending, when the entire group of young women were grieving with her. I can't believe you are questioning her acting.
@@discoskull you get it! I dont understand the people who dont empathize with her. She was looking for family and people who understand how to grieve. Its like therapy for her. Honestly in her situation id probably join the cult.
I felt horrified during Midsommar, but after a point, I felt like I was on a really weird drug trip. Hereditary was more of a buildup of horror and dread that left me disturbed for several days. I enjoyed both.
I had to text my brother while watching Hereditary for the first time when it was released on digital. He knew what was up, we do that with one another when a film grabs one of us. It didn't really scare me, it disturbed me. And for someone like myself, that's worse.
I feel like the pacing of midsommar was better thought out, because the first hour of hereditary was kinda slow, the same happened with midsommar but I still felt the transition was much better
I feel like Hereditary was about feeling powerless in grief and letting it consume you and Midsommar was about a journey through grief and emerging on the other side with a new perspective.
I haven't even seen Hereditary because i know it would trigger some bad shit for me but I've seen smalls clips of it and honestly it made me emotional. Movies just aren't made that way anymore it's one of the only movies that invoked feelings for me.The only other i could name are Endgame, Infinity War, Armageddon, and a movie starring Robin Williams called 'What Dreams May Come' and honestly i want to see more movies that take a different perspective on family, grief, and loss in the future. Granted all these movies have very different takes of those themes but all of them just hit me in the gut with emotional scenas.
when i saw midsommar in theaters i was seated next to a much older couple like in their 70s+ and when it ended the man was just like well... i’m not going to sweden...
The suicide sequence in Midsommar is one of the most beatifully executed and impactful scenes I've ever seen. Seriously. The queezy, whirring synthesizer, long, marinating, slow-zoom shots...all of it makes for this perfectly alien and yet comforting feeling about death.
For Midsommar's lack of character development, Ari Aster intentionally under-developed most of your relationships with these characters to portray the way Dani felt around Christian's friends. She knows them enough to get their surface level character traits but doesn't know much more about them, just enough that it's awkward and a little un-nerving.
or...not hhahahhahha just like David F. Sandberg said, sometimes people overanalize something that the director never had in mind. unless Ari said that in some place, did he?
Then why doesn’t Pelle have a bigger role? He’s the character she’s supposed to build a connection with and realistically some romance, but his lack of development just shows that he’s a poorly written character that the whole purpose of was to be Swedish
Idk, both did the trick in that area but Midsommer's slow build up with the eerie music to show Dani's dead family and then hearing her distressed sobs was heart-wrenching for me.
It was so real. I found it interesting that she was in a position of giving birth and saying things that birthing women do like I can't take the pain and I can't do this. There was a similar scene in midsommer but the grief didn't feel as real.
when dani was crying in the beginning i got the same feeling i had when the mom cried over charlie dying. i mean just absolutely brutal crying. maybe though for me the mom in hereditary’s crying was a bit more impactful when i think about it because she’s DISCOVERING the dead body of her daughter. dani in midsommar just like got a call that her family was dead.
I literally just got home from seeing Midsommar in the theater. Ari Aster is a master of building dread. The portrayal of grief in both films is absolutely heart wrenching.
Both Hereditary and Midsommar contained: - a man holding his grief-stricken wife/gf - barely held together relationships - camera turning upside down when entering a liminal space - memorable, recurring vocalization (cluck noise in Hereditary, quick breath in Midsommar) - smashed in faces - a triangular room for final ritual Ari Aster is allowed to do these things twice, but a third time would really be too much.
i watched midsommar only a few weeks after getting out of a relationship that had almost the exact same dynamics as dani and christian's. let me tell you, that movie hit DIFFERENT. great video, as always.
Same, I couldn’t believe I related to their dynamic so much, seeing Dani cry made me feel the same way she felt when the other women cried with her: understood
Midsommar’s cinematography is crazy cool. My favorite is that almost all conversations are captured in one shot sometimes one person is behind the other, sometimes they’re next to each other, sometimes they’re in a reflection but they’re always both visible in the frame.
I haven’t heard anyone talk about how some of the cinematography in Midsommar feels very Wes Anderson-esque? Like a lot of perfectly symmetrical shots of carefully constructed sets, intricate folk art, even the opening shot of the movie with the art panels separating like some sort of fairy tale. I didn’t realize how creepy this style of photography could be when paired with such horrific imagery, but I feel like it’s that pairing that makes it feel very uniquely “Aster.”
At the beginning of the film I came really close to leaning over to my friend and saying “You getting Wes Anderson vibes?” Like the shots at the beginning of different places in nature just looked like Wes Anderson to me
The symmetry of the camerawork in Wes Anderson films are completely different from the shot composition in Midsommar. The bright colors/production design are similar, but the shot composition doesn’t really invoke Anderson at all imo.
(SPOILERS) the look & dry comedic timing of the hard cut from the guy being like "two of us have already primed themselves for the sacrifice" to the two cult member bodies stuffed with sticks and fruit felt VERY wes anderson
imo, Hereditary is a better horror film while Midsommar is a better art film (with suspenseful elements). I'd pick Hereditary to watch over Midsommar any day.
I completely agree. Midsommar is highly ambitious in the way it develops atmosphere and mood but Hereditary is hitting every note with perfection as if watching all the classics and developing them into a single masterpiece. Hereditary all day.
I always say about Midsommar that it's absolutely incredible but I do not want to watch it again any time soon. I can't compare the two because I like watching hereditary, while watching midsommar was an incredibly unpleasant experience (and I loved it).
Hereditary is definitely “scarier” without being like any scary movie I’ve ever seen. It actually embodies horror so much that it makes “horror” and “scary” seem like two different genres in this case. I love how there are basically zero jump scares in this movie and by the last 15 minutes, I was still cowering into my couch, slack jawed at was ensuing on the screen. Let me tell you, this movie was the embodiment of a staircase plot, with, arguably, the end of the movie being the climax. It almost seems like there is no falling action to this movie, which makes it interesting and disturbingly different. Midsommar was different than Hereditary almost entirely at first watch, especially in overall visuals and aesthetic, but they both carry haunting portrayals of grief, trauma, and acceptance. Midsommar was technically less “scary” than Hereditary, with hereditary being mostly in the eerie darkness and portraying a classic horror movie type filter. Midsommar is shockingly different in visuals, because 98% of the film is in the ethereal, colorful, breathtaking Swedish daylight. There is zero lack of color and visual creativity in the movie, and that’s a fact. Midsommar is, overall, more unnerving and disturbingly unsettling. It creates that sense of “trapped in paradise”, with the entire plot being in this open, beautiful swedish landscape, but still managing to make the characters, especially Dani, seem utterly trapped. I also love the fact that every one of the secondary characters quietly disappears every 20 minutes or so, SORT OF following a typical scary movie plot, but making it entirely different and much more terrifying in the end. One thing that stands out especially in this film, despite its already magnificent color theme, is any scene involving blood. It creates such a terrifying contrast against the mostly light and pastel palettes in this movie, and has much more of a shocking effect than one would expect. Overall, hereditary is the more scary, classic but shockingly different horror movie, while Midsommar is a hauntingly beautiful art thriller.
I feel like the film Mandy depicts LSD visuals really well, but Midsommar got mushroom visuals as well as the connection experience while on them spot on.
I really love how Ari Aster does horror in a world of stereotypical bland mainstream horror films. I loved both Hereditary and Midsommar, Midsommar is definitely harder to understand though.
I don’t know I thought that the idea of tossing out toxic elements in favor of an empathetic and loving family structure was much more thorough and well put together than Hereditary’s message.
Nicholas P there was. It’s all about how the cycle of abuse passes down through your family and if you aren’t careful your abuse can manifest into becoming an abuser yourself. I don’t think it’s as well done as Midsommar though.
@@MicoDossun Yeah...but Midsommar was kinda dry, and lost my interest at times. Hereditary always kept me invested, and it was a lot more fun trying to decipher what was going on in the movie. It felt more rewarding with Hereditary, while with midsommar i almost didn't care anymore towards the end.
@@MicoDossun I hear U! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie and it's message, but this one just didn't do it for me personally. It wasn't terrible by any means, but i feel it was just average at best
I found Hereditary more "scary" while Midsommar was more straight-forward disturbing. Hereditary blew my mind and traumatized me last year, and while Midsommar didn't quite do the same (not as much as Hereditary) I still really enjoyed it and Ari Aster once again proves the effectiveness of his craft
Midsommar is the only movie I’ve ever seen that I didn’t come out of it with a clear “I loved this, I hated this” mentality. I went into it 100% blind (no trailers no reviews nothing) and boy, that just added a whole new dimension to this bizarre piece of art. Days later, I can’t even form a full opinion or recommendation for this movie outside of “go for it, it’s definitely mesmerizing”. I THINK I liked it a lot. And the fact that it has stayed with me for so long (unlike, say, Pet Sematary 2019) is also something I take into consideration. A visually stunning, utterly bewildering experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, with so many (what I feel is) unintentionally funny moments that all culminate to form one hell of a movie experience. Also, IMO, definitely go see this with friends!
Hereditary is one of the best horror films ever made I was floored the first time I watched it. It’s even better the second time. The acting, incredibly layered story, cinematography, soundtrack, etc is perfection.
I was terrified the first time I saw it. If I had a complaint though, it’s that for a movie about heredity, it’s not really about heredity. Or at least my idea of genetic heredity. I was thinking of it as a musing on the heredity of mental illness. I thought the ending with the naked people in the woods was a really powerful visual of how this illness has aped this family for generations. Then my friend told me no they’re actually a cult. So I was super-disappointed when the story I thought was happening was not the actual story. I think the involvement of the cult muddies things thematically too much for me
"Midsommar" is a terrific sophomore effort, and I'm still thinking about it days later. But I do not think it will stand up against "Hereditary" in years to come. I can't put my finger on why, "Hereditary" just felt like such an event in and of itself.
exactly! it's like hereditary as aster's first work was so different from anything we had seen before, but midsommar as his second work felt a bit familiar, like we already knew his style so it didn't hit AS hard but was still amazing, it'll never live up to hereditary tho, but still a spectacular movie
while both are absolutely great: hereditary made me feel so much more. i remember crying and shaking like a kid in the theater. and i'm really not usually that kind of girl. but i just feel like heredetary was just a lot more brutal emotionally
I feel like it's because even though Hereditary took it's time to unfold the story, Midsommar is even slower paced (and therefore less accessible to the average viewer). Hereditary was an artsy horror film, Midsommar was a horror-y art film, and art films are very niche.
I managed to see Midsommar last night and, honestly, it blew me away. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. It was so beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Also, loved how both Midsommar and Hereditary portray grief, absolutely crushing
Hereditary made me feel very uncomfortable, even in a bad way, I felt a bad energy in my mood after watched it.. On the other hand I really enjoyed watching Midsommar, disturbing scenes, great photography and everything but it didn’t affect me the way I felt with Hereditary, so yeah, Midsommar is more entretaining to watch, but Hereditary was a whole another experience..
yes! after hereditary I just felt dark and super low and miserable, it just sucked happiness out of me. After Midsommar it was like I was still on a drug trip and everything felt kind of off but not in a necessarily negative way. I just felt like out of sync or something and all I could think about was Midsommar it was so weird
@@moxenremon3251 Hereditary made me ask myself, out loud, what the fuck am I watching. I love horror and have watched and read decades worth of it, but there was something about Hereditary because it was so...unexpected.
Midsommar is even more enjoyable when you know what mushrooms are like. I'd say they got a very realistic portrayal of mushrooms. And Will Poulter freaking out about the "new person" entering the group, and wanting everyone to lay down with him was so damn relatable. Made his comedic relief in the movie so damn, well, relieving.
I agree tbh. they’re both excellent, amazing movies but midsommar to me was just so much more powerful and it was so impactful. i loved every moment of it. it was less scary but my god i walked out of that theater simultaneously thinking “what the fuck,” “i loved that,” and “i need to see that three more times.”
Lol the only thing scary about the Swedish holiday Midsummer is the amount of alcohol people drink before they make the genius decision to do ten fast spins with a stick against their forehead.
Hereditary is my favorite. I just LOVED how after Charlie’s death scene we watch the family fall apart. Yes, we see the family dynamic shift and they all have to deal with the death in the family, but each character slowly becomes more, and more unhinged. They start to become more delusional and depressed. Peter becomes the target of both of his parents and is haunted by the death of his sister. His mother slowly loses her mind to the point where she becomes possessed and kills herself. And the father is sort of in the middle of all of the drama.
i think midsommar triggered all my anxieties and fears that i actually dread in real life like loss, abandonment, being laughed at 😭all of it . I never had a movie do that to me ever .
Hereditary is more of a horror film than Midsommar, it's utterly devastating the entire way through. Strangely enough, I thought Midsommar ended on a somewhat hopeful note, at least for Dani. So I think it's a more well rounded film.
I didn't think Dani was saved at all. no one was. I thought the ending was so sad but so real. its like that fable where the sparrow is too cold to fly, he's on the brink of death and so a cow shits on him to keep him warm and the sparrow survives the night. then in the morning he can't get out of the cow shit so he cries for help and a cat clears him out, and eats him. the moral is: not everyone who gets you into shit is your enemy and not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. In Midsommar, Dani is the sparrow, the boyfriend is the cow, and the cult is the cat.
Dani's "happy ending" was being the cult's "it" girl which she felt ecstatic about, in a maniacal fucked up way, but i felt like they were just using her only to replace her later with the next hot thing
I agree, Midsommar is better. Many people prefer Hereditary and I feel like that’s because it’s more traditional horror than unsettling horror like in Midsommar (not saying Hereditary is run of the mill-it was amazing too!). However in my opinion, I really loved the theme of Midsommar. Dani’s tragic beginning involving her family kickstarts her whole journey into a culture that eventually she accepts as her new family. With themes of grief, family, and release of what binds you, I feel as if Midsommar was more centered with the point. It was unsettling yet enjoyable seeing Dani’s journey. It was also quite beautiful, which is always a big plus. The runic alphabet details were a really nice touch as well. I’m loving Ari Aster’s female leads too. Both female leads in Hereditary and Midsommar presented such emotional performances and made me feel so much empathy in the process. Can’t wait to see what Aster has next up his sleeve!
Yeah I see what you mean about the unsettling horror in midsommar ,but I feel like other then the beautiful production thats all it had going for it. The scenes where shes upset kinda are oversaturated for me by the end of the film. The story doesnt develop really at all, atleast not in the way hereditary developed with scenes that complimented eachother . Also most of the charcters in midsommar were kinda meh and i didnt care for them too much or if they survived, just didnt get to know them much. I think its an alright movie but just not what i expected after watching Hereditary
I agree! I love Midsommar because it was a weird, disturbing, but simultaneously beautiful and satisfying story. And the cinematography was truly unparalleled. Hereditary is fantastic, but it didn’t touch me the way Midsommar did
Disagree! Hereditary isn't traditional horror, which is why it was soo split between audiences. Hereditary just had more layers to it, better acting, story, scares. Midsommar was hardly even a horror film, and felt more like a thriller imo. Sure it was nice eye candy to look at, but it dragged on after the first 30 mins to an hour. It just wasn't as a interesting film, and tried a little too hard at times to be gross or weird. The message is fine and i understand it perfectly, but towards the end i just wasn't invested much anymore. It's not a terrible film it's just pretty unbalanced and average, and didn't have as good as the payoff Hereditary gave.
Yeah it was definetly the most accurate portrayal of psychedelics I’ve ever seen in a movie. Mark freaking out about “a new person” entering their circle early in the film was priceless and spot on for what being on mushrooms is like
@@noahbobrow if you pay close attention since the moment someone mentioned the trees were "breathing" small things all around the film pulse constantly from flowers to trees to just anything in the background will move and shift, as well as peoples faces. I think they just stayed high most of the trip haha
I was a bit disappointed with the story of Midsommar (the fact that for me, it was a bit unfulfilled), but something about it...just makes me want to watch it again and again
Eddie Cardwell if you liked Hereditary most likely you’ll like Midsommar! Personally, I felt that Hereditary was a better movie (with a better story) but Midsommar is really special! Definitely worth a watch :)
Both movies are spectacular and highly disturbing. I watched Hereditary after an extreme life event in theaters (probably not my best decision) and I had a full on anxiety attack. Stuck in theaters, crying, not breathing correctly, and unable to take my eyes from the screen. I haven’t seen it since, but it is by far the best horror movie I have ever seen. Midsommar was equally fascinating, albeit in a very different way. I did not cry during this movie, but I did get extremely nauseous at the gore and the breathing themes. Both films induced an intense physical reaction from me, and I hated every second. But they also stuck with me in deeply personal ways that I’m sure will continue to stay with me far into the future. Ari Aster is a genius at what he does. I can’t wait to see his future work. Thank you for this video, your analysis was well thought out and persuasive, and helped me gather my own thoughts after seeing Midsommar
For both movies, but especially Hereditary, watching it in theaters was such a communal experience. It felt like everyone in the theater was having the exact same experience, like everyone wanted to look away but couldn't. In Hereditary, I had the impulse to comfort the strangers around me, it was like nothing else. Midsommar made me so tense that I didn't notice my feet had fallen asleep until I walked out of the theater. I felt that movie in my body. I might have felt this way after Hereditary, I don't remember, but Midsommar made my mind race for literally days. I sound like a big drama queen but holy shit those movies kicked my ass.
midsommar literally had me speechless afterwards i couldn’t even articulate what i thought just happened it was a crazy experience all the way through and it’s a god tier movie
1:47 This movie was filmed in Park City, Utah where I grew up and the road in which she gets decapitated is a super long straight road me and my buddies used to race on, oddly enough the road is 300 yards from a hospital.
I love ur film references right off the bat. The upside down tracking shot in the car, like the down-the-hall inverted shot borrow from Villenueve’s Enemy: the female “spider” down the hall. They are visual representations of transitions to an alternate reality.
totally agree. thought the imagery (esp. the bear... wow) was particularly interesting and captivating. i also love how you kind of know what is going to happen (spelled out by little easter eggs he puts in) but the suspense still stands, you still feel so uncomfortable knowing it is about to happen
Yes! The Easter eggs are huge in midsommar. Like in the beginning when mark told Christian "you could be getting swedish girls pregnant" and pelle says "I'm sure you will be impregnating swedish girls" that one was interesting to me. As well as the embroidered towels that show visuals of the love spell before it was executed in the film
New subscriber! I love Hereditary, but Misommar is on another level for me. It actually gave me more anxiety and was even more overwhelming to me than Hereditary was. Plus the visuals are just mesmerizing, the tripping scenes are so accurate, and the ending is oddly empowering and mesmerizing. The entire second half in general is just a total overload of the senses. I loved it. And that music. Anyway, yeah. Midsommar for the win.
3 weeks after seeing Midsomer, I’m still looking up reviews and post analysis...... Ari Aster has done what he set out to do. He made 2 films that got stuck in my brain 2 times in a row! I really believe this guy is a future legend in the film industry.
Hereditary is about family dynamics after loss and Midsommar is about relationship dynamics after loss. Similar to the eye, yet very different under the surface
I like hereditary more because when I watched it for the first time, the ending was more shocking and intense than midsommar's. I still adore both films and air aster
Sadie landis i feel like the reason i didn’t like hereditary initially was because i didn’t understand the ending. yes i know the meaning now and it was definitely shocking and overwhelming, but with midsommar i understood it which made me more favorable towards it
I think the coolest thing is that they are both like ying and yang to each other: •One is set mostly in the dark, is pretty fast-paced and doesn’t show you what’s to come, using the background of shots to add to this, making things all add up masterfully by the end •One is set almost completely at day time, is slow-paced and the plot is practically given to you you just have to put it together (btw well done Ari for making a horror movie set in the day and actually making it suspenseful 👏👏)
I think hereditary was the superior film. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable, unnerved, and disturbed from a movie in my life. Whereas misdsommar was ok, the cinematography was beautiful but I didn’t feel as hopeless as hereditary made me feel. Hereditary stuck to me and made me think about it days after whereas midsommar was well done I just thought about it an hour later and left my brain. Hereditary for me will go down as one of the best films it was set up well, the actors gave an amazing performance, nothing was expected, it made you think hard, created visuals that sticks with you, and evokes emotions that amplified the overall mood. Ari is probably hands down my faveorite director now, it’s truly an art form with those two movies.
Hereditary has about the most horrific first 45 minutes or so but I don't think it reaches that height again because with the increasing madness I find it increasingly difficult to find it relatable. Midsommar never freaked me out that much while watching ite but it did give me an existential crisis.
I loved Hereditary, but Midsommar is simply STUNNING. Formally perfect, conntections with Expressionism (Caligari) and Pasolini (the last 20 minutes reminded me of Salò, absolutely unsustainable) and, last but not least, an amazing portrait f a toxic relationship, which is the focus of the entire movie.
this has probably been said but i absolutely love how midsommar portrays the feeling of homesickness/abandonment. something about the isolated setting combined with the unnatural lighting perfectly captures that feeling of being in an unfamiliar place and uncertain of your own safety.
I went on a road trip to the Patagonia with my sister, my best friend, and her husband. We went there a few months after my best friend's brother committed suicide in a gruesome way that disturbed us all and will haunt us probably for the rest of our lives. We visited a Swiss colony in the middle of nowhere during our trip. It was a... weird experience, right out of the uncanny valley. Like, GPS stopped working, shops closed as soon as we stepped out of them, very strange looking people (like a guy blind in one eye with hair over the bridge of his nose) giving us directions and approaching us out of nowhere, to some cards being gifted to us with strangely specific messages written behind them (my friend greatly struggles with anxiety, her card had a guide on how to deal with an anxiety attack, and mine had a translation of the lyrics of my favorite song, Anthem by Leonard Cohen, a song I don't think anyone I've ever met has heard) Coming back from this place we stopped by the Nahuel Huapi lake to sit down and watch the sunset. We were alone in the woods, trekked a bit away from the car, and ended up screaming out at the water to let the overwhelming emotions pour out of us. It was immensely cathartic, to just yell our lungs out to the water. We found a deer carcass by the shore. When I watched Midsommar almost 6 months after that trip, I have to say... I understood it on a much deeper level than I expected to understand it. That's to say: I felt it.
Midsommar is a swedish event for summer being halfway over. I am Finnish and we have the exact same thing but you never hear about it. Juhannus. You-hon-ohhs
imo it’s no contest. midsommer had jaw dropping moments but feels unfocused at times. hereditary has these moments too but every single scene is just bone chilling. i had the chills for maybe an hour straight and my jaw was dropped for even longer
i don’t know why anyone hasn’t mentioned this but the use of the sun-yellow and the darkish blue in almost EVERY scene makes the movie for me. the aesthetic of it makes the movie that much better, along with the soundtrack and the vibrant colors.
Midsommar was just weird and lots of naked awkward moments. The only scary part was the cliff jump. Hereditary was more scary to me. The scene where she was going through her moms stuff and turned off the light and saw the mom standing in the dark gave me serious goosebumps! And the classroom scene with his arm in the air was really creepy
I fully agree with this summation. I would put it as “there are clips from Hereditary that I could decontextualize as magnificent but Midsommar must be enjoyed as a work in its whole”.
ok i finally finally watched both these movies just to be able to watch this video. it took me way too long to get to them but it was definitely worth it and im chastising my past self for not seeing these sooner. thank u for making this Karsten !! it's always cool to hear you dissect films the way u do :)
If either of these films are an indication, alongside Jordan Peele, the 2020s are going to be a fantastic decade for horror films, one that will probably surpass the 1970s in iconic and legendary film. I loved both of these films. I've only seen Hereditary once, when it came out in theaters. It left me in a state of absolute shock and contemplation for like 2 weeks. I want to see it again but honestly, I'm afraid! It was truly the most terrifying horror movie I've ever seen. Nothing really compares in terms of just the feeling of absolute horror you get from watching it. Midsommar, on the other hand, is *thought provoking* and *makes me feel.* It's definitely scary, but the fear factor is not the central component of it, nor is it meant to be. Midsommar is a movie about a woman whose life is in shambles and who has absolutely no control over anything. She makes two choices in the whole movie: the first one to go to Sweden, and the second... well, watch to find out. The first is spontaneous and the second is very deliberate. By the end of the movie, I can't help but feel *happy* for Dani. The final scene makes me feel relief for her- in a very satisfying, yet twisted way.
One of my favorite parts of midsommar was when she started speaking Swedish. That bamboozled me so much. I felt like Dami was literally understood and belonged.
how incredible it is to watch a horror film so dark and yet so colorful at the same time. i loved midsommar and hereditary as well ari aster is talented af
IMPORTANT: So upon rewatching I realize I didn’t actually spoil Midsommar. I do spoil Hereditary though.
Oh, now I can watch it. Thanks.
And I’m grateful for I only viewed Hereditary
No one will understand Hereditary until they deal with its take on the acquisition of riches. It is in all actuality "What would YOU do for a Klondike Bar?" (Money, Power, and Control) to an extreme. But any attempt to speak to this is shot down due to the political climate of The West currently.
I
I'm seeing Midsommar tomorrow by myself and I'm just so nervous
The good thing about both films is that it avoids current horror tropes like jump scares and neither film will have unnecessary sequels and spin offs
We've said the same in the past but Hollywood will spin off or make a sequel of anything even if it doesn't need one.
Jonathan Mulondo thank god for that. Such a breath of fresh air for 2010 horrors.
@@the.littlest.toaster Thank God for independent studios.
Damn true!!
Hey r u the real blade
Anyone gonna talk about Ari Aster's obsession with triangular house structures? Both of these films ended in almost the exact same way....
HiNeighbor i noticed this too
I thought you were gonna say "Ari Aster's obsession with scary naked people."
Ari Aster and the Naked Old Lady
HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA ALSO HIS WEIRD OBSESSION WITH DECAPITATED HEADS??? OR DISMEMBERED BODIES
I noticed a LOT of similarities. Peter's head on the pillow (after Charlie's death) and Dani's head on the pillow; the spokes of the Sun around dead Charlie's head/the spokes of the Sun in the village; the shot of model house turning into real house/Dani's walking into a toilet then turning into the plane's toilet; just little things, I noted. I had a bit more, but those were just from the top of my head.
Edited to add: The seemingly good hearted friend with VERY sinister agendas (Joan/Pelle)...the inner circle all being eliminated sans one of the original group...
I thought MIDSOMMAR did a fantastic job of tapping into our deepest relational fears and insecurities: losing all of our family, being left, being talked shit about, being laughed at, being abandoned, being tricked. It was psychologically brilliant.
That's actually very true another reason I loved the main girl in this was that I related to every one of her freakouts and the pshycological torment she went through while disturbing made the film riveting and it stuck with me for days. I appreciate u mentioned laughed at cuz now that scene makes more thematic sense to me.
All that happened in my last relationship 🤦🏽♀️😭
In a way, it was kind of like her friends were the antagonists.
@Catharsis You obviously didn't get it, but that's no reason to question its quality like that. It was about a traumatized city girl, with no emotional outlets/ validation even before she lost her family, finding true comfort in the arms of a cult that took empathy and naturalism to horrific extremes. The gore wasn't even gratuitous; it just didn't cut away. It's a horror movie...also, you are completely ignoring the scene just before the "vapid staring" / drugged and traumatized ending, when the entire group of young women were grieving with her. I can't believe you are questioning her acting.
@@discoskull you get it! I dont understand the people who dont empathize with her. She was looking for family and people who understand how to grieve. Its like therapy for her. Honestly in her situation id probably join the cult.
I felt horrified during Midsommar, but after a point, I felt like I was on a really weird drug trip. Hereditary was more of a buildup of horror and dread that left me disturbed for several days. I enjoyed both.
So, watching Midsommar, you did in fact end up feeling the way the characters of the movie felt.
Hereditary didn't let me sleep for days, just couldn't stop thinking of it. I got over Midsommar as soon as it ended
I had to text my brother while watching Hereditary for the first time when it was released on digital. He knew what was up, we do that with one another when a film grabs one of us. It didn't really scare me, it disturbed me. And for someone like myself, that's worse.
I feel like the pacing of midsommar was better thought out, because the first hour of hereditary was kinda slow, the same happened with midsommar but I still felt the transition was much better
@@davidkonevky7372 True!
I feel like Hereditary was about feeling powerless in grief and letting it consume you and Midsommar was about a journey through grief and emerging on the other side with a new perspective.
jellybeansushi YES!! THIS
All with the help of a little LSD
Lol. And your description is scarier than both the movies..really.
I haven't even seen Hereditary because i know it would trigger some bad shit for me but I've seen smalls clips of it and honestly it made me emotional. Movies just aren't made that way anymore it's one of the only movies that invoked feelings for me.The only other i could name are Endgame, Infinity War, Armageddon, and a movie starring Robin Williams called 'What Dreams May Come' and honestly i want to see more movies that take a different perspective on family, grief, and loss in the future. Granted all these movies have very different takes of those themes but all of them just hit me in the gut with emotional scenas.
shame the other side turned out to be a white nationalist death cult... whoopsie!
Hereditary: the horror involving the disintegration of a blood-related family.
Midsommar: Horror involving the integration of a family of choice.
Topher S Great point
Yes!!
I look at midsommar as disintegration of a relationship more than the integration of the family.
Frank Slavik I see both
Midsommar: Elaborate plot to steal your best friends girl. :)
when i saw midsommar in theaters i was seated next to a much older couple like in their 70s+ and when it ended the man was just like well... i’m not going to sweden...
Omg 72 !! Its the Elders !!! 😱😂 aahh !!
Hahaha!!
Relatable
A classic tradition to celebrate Midsommar is dancing around a post that symbolizes a penis, so that's something to keep in mind
Laura B
😩
I will never forgive the Academy for snubbing Collette. She should've been nominated and won Best Actress.
Seriously!! Anyone actor or not can agree what she did was INCREDIBLE.
They’ll snub Pugh too. She carried Midsommar on her shoulders.
Agree
Paige Bjerke exactly
Yup snubbed collette and nominated black panther instead..
The suicide sequence in Midsommar is one of the most beatifully executed and impactful scenes I've ever seen. Seriously. The queezy, whirring synthesizer, long, marinating, slow-zoom shots...all of it makes for this perfectly alien and yet comforting feeling about death.
which suicide scene lol
@@PK-cg5ej the cliff scene
@@PK-cg5ej The murder-suicide of her parents was the FARTHEST thing from "comforting," lmfao
K_airo I don’t think that’s the scene they meant but honestly i don’t know for sure
The cliff scene lmao
Ari Aster is just spooky Wes Anderson
Christopher Walken so accurate
now i want this printed on a t shirt
disagree
SPOOKY PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
i love them both!!!
"someone should tell them they're walking stupid."
-Mark, Midsommar (2019)
"OHGODNOTMYFAAAAAAAAACEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
- Mark: Midsommar (deleted scene)
Lmfao!!!
There's new people! Or whatever he said
The way the camera panned down as Mark said that made me laugh hard in the theater.
japbuffalo I laughed during that
For Midsommar's lack of character development, Ari Aster intentionally under-developed most of your relationships with these characters to portray the way Dani felt around Christian's friends. She knows them enough to get their surface level character traits but doesn't know much more about them, just enough that it's awkward and a little un-nerving.
Exactly
or...not hhahahhahha just like David F. Sandberg said, sometimes people overanalize something that the director never had in mind.
unless Ari said that in some place, did he?
Then why doesn’t Pelle have a bigger role? He’s the character she’s supposed to build a connection with and realistically some romance, but his lack of development just shows that he’s a poorly written character that the whole purpose of was to be Swedish
@@BrunoBritos he did say it somewhere, I'd have to look, but I read hundreds of midsommar articles per my obsession directly after watching the movie
@@prodcrumley oh hahahahahah i understand. if u find it would luv to read it. i was the same with hereditary. hahah
the average person: midsummer
me: *MID SO MAR*
It needs that Ikea-furniture-pronounciation
Ok same
megan m thank you
Try pronouncing it as "mééd-sa-marr" and I think that's as close as it gets to the Swedish pronunciation
It’s how you properly pronounce it
the bit in hereditary when the mum is howling over her dead kid literally gave me a panic attack. midsommar didnt really get me in the same way imo
Idk, both did the trick in that area but Midsommer's slow build up with the eerie music to show Dani's dead family and then hearing her distressed sobs was heart-wrenching for me.
It was so real. I found it interesting that she was in a position of giving birth and saying things that birthing women do like I can't take the pain and I can't do this. There was a similar scene in midsommer but the grief didn't feel as real.
That’s because it’s even more shocking and gruesome in Midsommar that you don’t know how to react.
Her preformance was amazing. Ari brings out the best preformances.
when dani was crying in the beginning i got the same feeling i had when the mom cried over charlie dying. i mean just absolutely brutal crying. maybe though for me the mom in hereditary’s crying was a bit more impactful when i think about it because she’s DISCOVERING the dead body of her daughter. dani in midsommar just like got a call that her family was dead.
Midsommar spoilers: A man is seen consistently juuling
Marc is annoying
I literally just got home from seeing Midsommar in the theater. Ari Aster is a master of building dread. The portrayal of grief in both films is absolutely heart wrenching.
I left the theater fucked up for a good hour or two.
Hereditary left me more scared while Midsommar left me pondering more. I liked Midsommar's message more.
@Ashland Drue Oof
Imagine ari aster directing the conjuring universe
justin vhv Maybe they’d actually be good movies
Both Hereditary and Midsommar contained:
- a man holding his grief-stricken wife/gf
- barely held together relationships
- camera turning upside down when entering a liminal space
- memorable, recurring vocalization (cluck noise in Hereditary, quick breath in Midsommar)
- smashed in faces
- a triangular room for final ritual
Ari Aster is allowed to do these things twice, but a third time would really be too much.
Great eye! They also both have
-Creepy looking kid
-Tense music
-Layers of tension
-Soooo much crying
They also have a character being crowned by a cult-like group and the pervading sense of a dreaded inescapable fate.
also protagonist losing everyone around them, and at the end accept all the chaos
Also they're both filmed in the visible light electromagnetic spectrum ranging from 380-740 nanometers. Totally unoriginal.
zombifonicaghoulism spoopy is this sarcastic?
i watched midsommar only a few weeks after getting out of a relationship that had almost the exact same dynamics as dani and christian's. let me tell you, that movie hit DIFFERENT.
great video, as always.
Same. Couldn’t get over how realistic the relationships between characters were portrayed throughout the film.
You boyfriend was put into a bear hide and then immolated?
Oh my god, I felt the same way.
This. My gut felt like it was twisting into knots watching the familiar relationship dynamics. Honestly almost scarier/creepier than the rest of film
Same, I couldn’t believe I related to their dynamic so much, seeing Dani cry made me feel the same way she felt when the other women cried with her: understood
“I wanna give her a bath”
Michael Tasker Mark is hilarious
@@nicocho9544 was
@@riverstyx928 huh?
Pippi Spoilers
He dies
he's just the worst lmao
Midsommar’s cinematography is crazy cool. My favorite is that almost all conversations are captured in one shot sometimes one person is behind the other, sometimes they’re next to each other, sometimes they’re in a reflection but they’re always both visible in the frame.
DJ Howard Yes, I loved that too! The firs POV style shot that looked natural.
I haven’t heard anyone talk about how some of the cinematography in Midsommar feels very Wes Anderson-esque? Like a lot of perfectly symmetrical shots of carefully constructed sets, intricate folk art, even the opening shot of the movie with the art panels separating like some sort of fairy tale. I didn’t realize how creepy this style of photography could be when paired with such horrific imagery, but I feel like it’s that pairing that makes it feel very uniquely “Aster.”
Makenna Sullivan nah
Ju Bean okay
At the beginning of the film I came really close to leaning over to my friend and saying “You getting Wes Anderson vibes?” Like the shots at the beginning of different places in nature just looked like Wes Anderson to me
The symmetry of the camerawork in Wes Anderson films are completely different from the shot composition in Midsommar. The bright colors/production design are similar, but the shot composition doesn’t really invoke Anderson at all imo.
(SPOILERS)
the look & dry comedic timing of the hard cut from the guy being like "two of us have already primed themselves for the sacrifice" to the two cult member bodies stuffed with sticks and fruit felt VERY wes anderson
imo, Hereditary is a better horror film while Midsommar is a better art film (with suspenseful elements).
I'd pick Hereditary to watch over Midsommar any day.
C. Babs
I’ can’t watch any of those films again. Both very disturbing!!! But my money was well spent. Lol
I completely agree. Midsommar is highly ambitious in the way it develops atmosphere and mood but Hereditary is hitting every note with perfection as if watching all the classics and developing them into a single masterpiece. Hereditary all day.
I agree. I couldn’t watch Hereditary again but I could definitely watch Midsommer twice.
I always say about Midsommar that it's absolutely incredible but I do not want to watch it again any time soon. I can't compare the two because I like watching hereditary, while watching midsommar was an incredibly unpleasant experience (and I loved it).
i rewatch hereditary all the time but i saw midsommar once and probably won’t watch it again. only reason i’d watch again is to adore the visuals 😩
Hereditary is definitely “scarier” without being like any scary movie I’ve ever seen. It actually embodies horror so much that it makes “horror” and “scary” seem like two different genres in this case. I love how there are basically zero jump scares in this movie and by the last 15 minutes, I was still cowering into my couch, slack jawed at was ensuing on the screen. Let me tell you, this movie was the embodiment of a staircase plot, with, arguably, the end of the movie being the climax. It almost seems like there is no falling action to this movie, which makes it interesting and disturbingly different. Midsommar was different than Hereditary almost entirely at first watch, especially in overall visuals and aesthetic, but they both carry haunting portrayals of grief, trauma, and acceptance. Midsommar was technically less “scary” than Hereditary, with hereditary being mostly in the eerie darkness and portraying a classic horror movie type filter. Midsommar is shockingly different in visuals, because 98% of the film is in the ethereal, colorful, breathtaking Swedish daylight. There is zero lack of color and visual creativity in the movie, and that’s a fact. Midsommar is, overall, more unnerving and disturbingly unsettling. It creates that sense of “trapped in paradise”, with the entire plot being in this open, beautiful swedish landscape, but still managing to make the characters, especially Dani, seem utterly trapped. I also love the fact that every one of the secondary characters quietly disappears every 20 minutes or so, SORT OF following a typical scary movie plot, but making it entirely different and much more terrifying in the end. One thing that stands out especially in this film, despite its already magnificent color theme, is any scene involving blood. It creates such a terrifying contrast against the mostly light and pastel palettes in this movie, and has much more of a shocking effect than one would expect. Overall, hereditary is the more scary, classic but shockingly different horror movie, while Midsommar is a hauntingly beautiful art thriller.
the mere fact that ari aster made a movie terrifying in BROAD DAYLIGHT is amazing in itself already
It's pretty colourful too. there's a looot of flowers in midsommar
A Classic Horror Story: “Hold my beer”
No movie depicts psychedelics as accurately as Midsommar.. just sayin
I completely agree. Not only the visuals but the conversations. “Oh no there’s a new person, I don’t want a new person right now”
i suggest Enter the Void
I feel like the film Mandy depicts LSD visuals really well, but Midsommar got mushroom visuals as well as the connection experience while on them spot on.
Check out Gaspa Noé's Enter the Void & Climax, both do it really well also :)
levi mendoza - Check out “Taking Woodstock” LSD scene.
I really love how Ari Aster does horror in a world of stereotypical bland mainstream horror films. I loved both Hereditary and Midsommar, Midsommar is definitely harder to understand though.
I don’t know I thought that the idea of tossing out toxic elements in favor of an empathetic and loving family structure was much more thorough and well put together than Hereditary’s message.
@@MicoDossun Was there a message in Hereditary?
Nicholas P there was. It’s all about how the cycle of abuse passes down through your family and if you aren’t careful your abuse can manifest into becoming an abuser yourself. I don’t think it’s as well done as Midsommar though.
@@MicoDossun Yeah...but Midsommar was kinda dry, and lost my interest at times. Hereditary always kept me invested, and it was a lot more fun trying to decipher what was going on in the movie. It felt more rewarding with Hereditary, while with midsommar i almost didn't care anymore towards the end.
@@MicoDossun I hear U! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie and it's message, but this one just didn't do it for me personally. It wasn't terrible by any means, but i feel it was just average at best
“Here’s an opinion you didn’t ask for”
Literally this whole channel but that’s why I love it
I found Hereditary more "scary" while Midsommar was more straight-forward disturbing. Hereditary blew my mind and traumatized me last year, and while Midsommar didn't quite do the same (not as much as Hereditary) I still really enjoyed it and Ari Aster once again proves the effectiveness of his craft
I think midsummer is more of a keep you up at night the first time you watch it, and heredity sticks with you and kinda gets scarier over time.
Midsommar is the only movie I’ve ever seen that I didn’t come out of it with a clear “I loved this, I hated this” mentality. I went into it 100% blind (no trailers no reviews nothing) and boy, that just added a whole new dimension to this bizarre piece of art. Days later, I can’t even form a full opinion or recommendation for this movie outside of “go for it, it’s definitely mesmerizing”. I THINK I liked it a lot. And the fact that it has stayed with me for so long (unlike, say, Pet Sematary 2019) is also something I take into consideration. A visually stunning, utterly bewildering experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, with so many (what I feel is) unintentionally funny moments that all culminate to form one hell of a movie experience.
Also, IMO, definitely go see this with friends!
Hereditary is one of the best horror films ever made I was floored the first time I watched it. It’s even better the second time. The acting, incredibly layered story, cinematography, soundtrack, etc is perfection.
Personally I liked Hereditary better, but Midsommar is pretty amazing as well. More on a technical level though. The cinematography is amazing.
god, the music in heredetary...! chills!
Hereditary is the first movie i've loved but never want to see again
@@louispemberton4156 agreed, it was a one time thing for me too, that movie left me f$%ed up for a month
I was terrified the first time I saw it. If I had a complaint though, it’s that for a movie about heredity, it’s not really about heredity. Or at least my idea of genetic heredity. I was thinking of it as a musing on the heredity of mental illness. I thought the ending with the naked people in the woods was a really powerful visual of how this illness has aped this family for generations. Then my friend told me no they’re actually a cult. So I was super-disappointed when the story I thought was happening was not the actual story. I think the involvement of the cult muddies things thematically too much for me
"Midsommar" is a terrific sophomore effort, and I'm still thinking about it days later. But I do not think it will stand up against "Hereditary" in years to come. I can't put my finger on why, "Hereditary" just felt like such an event in and of itself.
Hereditary will be considered a legendary horror movie. Midsommar will be a cult classic mostly appreciated by art and film buffs.
exactly! it's like hereditary as aster's first work was so different from anything we had seen before, but midsommar as his second work felt a bit familiar, like we already knew his style so it didn't hit AS hard but was still amazing, it'll never live up to hereditary tho, but still a spectacular movie
while both are absolutely great: hereditary made me feel so much more. i remember crying and shaking like a kid in the theater. and i'm really not usually that kind of girl. but i just feel like heredetary was just a lot more brutal emotionally
I feel like it's because even though Hereditary took it's time to unfold the story, Midsommar is even slower paced (and therefore less accessible to the average viewer). Hereditary was an artsy horror film, Midsommar was a horror-y art film, and art films are very niche.
European Colonist fun fact, the director doesn’t think that Hereditary is a horror film and went into Midsommer as his first horror film.
I managed to see Midsommar last night and, honestly, it blew me away. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. It was so beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Also, loved how both Midsommar and Hereditary portray grief, absolutely crushing
Hereditary made me feel very uncomfortable, even in a bad way, I felt a bad energy in my mood after watched it.. On the other hand I really enjoyed watching Midsommar, disturbing scenes, great photography and everything but it didn’t affect me the way I felt with Hereditary, so yeah, Midsommar is more entretaining to watch, but Hereditary was a whole another experience..
Truuuue. Hereditary has made me confused about my feelings after every watch. Once- in- a- lifetime filmmaking, in my opinion.
yes! after hereditary I just felt dark and super low and miserable, it just sucked happiness out of me. After Midsommar it was like I was still on a drug trip and everything felt kind of off but not in a necessarily negative way. I just felt like out of sync or something and all I could think about was Midsommar it was so weird
@@moxenremon3251 Hereditary made me ask myself, out loud, what the fuck am I watching. I love horror and have watched and read decades worth of it, but there was something about Hereditary because it was so...unexpected.
True
At Charlie's death, and from that point forward, I just kept sinking lower and lower into my sofa, and my mood just kept getting more and more dour.
Midsommar is even more enjoyable when you know what mushrooms are like. I'd say they got a very realistic portrayal of mushrooms. And Will Poulter freaking out about the "new person" entering the group, and wanting everyone to lay down with him was so damn relatable. Made his comedic relief in the movie so damn, well, relieving.
Too fucking accurate
I never felt so uncomfortable watching a movie the way I’ did with Midsommar. 😩
Darion Wilson You ever seen Human Centipede 2?
Same. The sex scene was so uncomfortable, and I’ve seen some crazy movies
Eraserhead still fucks me up
Catharsis Do you feel superior now?
psych780 I mean both are just dumb disturbing shit but at least midsommar has actual pros
I agree tbh. they’re both excellent, amazing movies but midsommar to me was just so much more powerful and it was so impactful. i loved every moment of it. it was less scary but my god i walked out of that theater simultaneously thinking “what the fuck,” “i loved that,” and “i need to see that three more times.”
Lol the only thing scary about the Swedish holiday Midsummer is the amount of alcohol people drink before they make the genius decision to do ten fast spins with a stick against their forehead.
Also, the "midsommarstång" (the post people dance around) symbolizes a penis and I found out about it the same day I was celebrating lmao
I don’t think the movie was meant to be scary tho.
INESSA yep, truly terrifying
Hereditary is my favorite. I just LOVED how after Charlie’s death scene we watch the family fall apart. Yes, we see the family dynamic shift and they all have to deal with the death in the family, but each character slowly becomes more, and more unhinged. They start to become more delusional and depressed. Peter becomes the target of both of his parents and is haunted by the death of his sister. His mother slowly loses her mind to the point where she becomes possessed and kills herself. And the father is sort of in the middle of all of the drama.
i think midsommar triggered all my anxieties and fears that i actually dread in real life like loss, abandonment, being laughed at 😭all of it . I never had a movie do that to me ever .
Will Poulter is amazing in Midsommer...he needs his own dramedy vehicle to flex his comedy chops.
luckyducky16 “you could be getting that waitress pregnant right now”
That fucking guy sucks
I thought his mushroom-trip acting was a little rough, almost like a teenager pretending to be high on weed
@@mskcrc is that not the point of his character. He's meant to be annoying in that sort of way
Too bad he got his fucking face torn off
I highly disagree. I think Hereditary is the far superior film. However, I respect your thought process.
dank stank oK dank StaNk
Yeah. Agree. I really didn’t like mid summer. So drawn out and boring. Bleh
@@ryanhoward9757 Its not boring lamo
@Gerry Buckets Same! When Midsommar was over I was like, "Whew, I made it!" 😅
Sophisticated Luna lmao. Umm ok. Did ya see it?
There doesn't need to be a winner. Both are great films and both soar in the categories you listed.
Hereditary is more of a horror film than Midsommar, it's utterly devastating the entire way through. Strangely enough, I thought Midsommar ended on a somewhat hopeful note, at least for Dani. So I think it's a more well rounded film.
I didn't think Dani was saved at all. no one was. I thought the ending was so sad but so real. its like that fable where the sparrow is too cold to fly, he's on the brink of death and so a cow shits on him to keep him warm and the sparrow survives the night. then in the morning he can't get out of the cow shit so he cries for help and a cat clears him out, and eats him. the moral is: not everyone who gets you into shit is your enemy and not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. In Midsommar, Dani is the sparrow, the boyfriend is the cow, and the cult is the cat.
its not hopeful at all for dani. its even more hopeless than what she got to start with
Dani's "happy ending" was being the cult's "it" girl which she felt ecstatic about, in a maniacal fucked up way, but i felt like they were just using her only to replace her later with the next hot thing
HOPEFUL????
@@ricardoh87 Once the interest of the cult for her ends she'll become another one of the many Hårgan women who mainly live to make babies and harvest
I agree, Midsommar is better. Many people prefer Hereditary and I feel like that’s because it’s more traditional horror than unsettling horror like in Midsommar (not saying Hereditary is run of the mill-it was amazing too!).
However in my opinion, I really loved the theme of Midsommar. Dani’s tragic beginning involving her family kickstarts her whole journey into a culture that eventually she accepts as her new family. With themes of grief, family, and release of what binds you, I feel as if Midsommar was more centered with the point. It was unsettling yet enjoyable seeing Dani’s journey.
It was also quite beautiful, which is always a big plus. The runic alphabet details were a really nice touch as well. I’m loving Ari Aster’s female leads too. Both female leads in Hereditary and Midsommar presented such emotional performances and made me feel so much empathy in the process.
Can’t wait to see what Aster has next up his sleeve!
AGREE👍
Yeah I see what you mean about the unsettling horror in midsommar ,but I feel like other then the beautiful production thats all it had going for it. The scenes where shes upset kinda are oversaturated for me by the end of the film. The story doesnt develop really at all, atleast not in the way hereditary developed with scenes that complimented eachother . Also most of the charcters in midsommar were kinda meh and i didnt care for them too much or if they survived, just didnt get to know them much. I think its an alright movie but just not what i expected after watching Hereditary
I agree! I love Midsommar because it was a weird, disturbing, but simultaneously beautiful and satisfying story. And the cinematography was truly unparalleled.
Hereditary is fantastic, but it didn’t touch me the way Midsommar did
Disagree! Hereditary isn't traditional horror, which is why it was soo split between audiences. Hereditary just had more layers to it, better acting, story, scares. Midsommar was hardly even a horror film, and felt more like a thriller imo. Sure it was nice eye candy to look at, but it dragged on after the first 30 mins to an hour. It just wasn't as a interesting film, and tried a little too hard at times to be gross or weird. The message is fine and i understand it perfectly, but towards the end i just wasn't invested much anymore. It's not a terrible film it's just pretty unbalanced and average, and didn't have as good as the payoff Hereditary gave.
Fuck that wack ass movie
I really liked midsommar and its horror vibe but strong family feel. also mushrooms were very interesting. lotss of mushrooms.
Yeah it was definetly the most accurate portrayal of psychedelics I’ve ever seen in a movie. Mark freaking out about “a new person” entering their circle early in the film was priceless and spot on for what being on mushrooms is like
@@noahbobrow if you pay close attention since the moment someone mentioned the trees were "breathing" small things all around the film pulse constantly from flowers to trees to just anything in the background will move and shift, as well as peoples faces. I think they just stayed high most of the trip haha
I was a bit disappointed with the story of Midsommar (the fact that for me, it was a bit unfulfilled), but something about it...just makes me want to watch it again and again
How so?
I've seen it twice, I picked up A LOT more the second viewing. It's almost necessary to see it at least twice
I feel like too much of the horror was done off screen, but I feel the same about wanting to keep watching it.. it's a beautifully shot movie
MJmojito - So as someone who adored Hereditary, should I watch Midsommar?
Eddie Cardwell if you liked Hereditary most likely you’ll like Midsommar! Personally, I felt that Hereditary was a better movie (with a better story) but Midsommar is really special! Definitely worth a watch :)
I'd rather watch hereditary alone in the dark and watch midsommar with new viewers just to see their reactions.
Dude, the Midsommar soundtrack is everything !
“If you thought Hereditary was crazy this thing is absurd..” LMAOOOOOOO loved this movie so much
suspiria is still one of my faves
kensou the Blood Eagle torture of Simon reminded me of the suspended state utilized in Suspiria (my favorite film Iof 2018).
it's so fucking well layered and the more i think about it the less i see any of the films flaws. suspiria is just that bitch
Suspiria is better than both Hereditary and Midsommar imo. Way more talent in that film for sure.
Same here. Felt a little attacked by his boring comment haha; literally gasped.
Same, I adore the Suspiria remake as much as I adore Hereditary.
Both movies are spectacular and highly disturbing. I watched Hereditary after an extreme life event in theaters (probably not my best decision) and I had a full on anxiety attack. Stuck in theaters, crying, not breathing correctly, and unable to take my eyes from the screen. I haven’t seen it since, but it is by far the best horror movie I have ever seen. Midsommar was equally fascinating, albeit in a very different way. I did not cry during this movie, but I did get extremely nauseous at the gore and the breathing themes. Both films induced an intense physical reaction from me, and I hated every second. But they also stuck with me in deeply personal ways that I’m sure will continue to stay with me far into the future. Ari Aster is a genius at what he does. I can’t wait to see his future work. Thank you for this video, your analysis was well thought out and persuasive, and helped me gather my own thoughts after seeing Midsommar
For both movies, but especially Hereditary, watching it in theaters was such a communal experience. It felt like everyone in the theater was having the exact same experience, like everyone wanted to look away but couldn't. In Hereditary, I had the impulse to comfort the strangers around me, it was like nothing else.
Midsommar made me so tense that I didn't notice my feet had fallen asleep until I walked out of the theater. I felt that movie in my body. I might have felt this way after Hereditary, I don't remember, but Midsommar made my mind race for literally days.
I sound like a big drama queen but holy shit those movies kicked my ass.
midsommar literally had me speechless afterwards i couldn’t even articulate what i thought just happened it was a crazy experience all the way through and it’s a god tier movie
1:47 This movie was filmed in Park City, Utah where I grew up and the road in which she gets decapitated is a super long straight road me and my buddies used to race on, oddly enough the road is 300 yards from a hospital.
love the way you shoot your videos ! had to chuckle a lot thanks man
I love ur film references right off the bat. The upside down tracking shot in the car, like the down-the-hall inverted shot borrow from Villenueve’s Enemy: the female “spider” down the hall. They are visual representations of transitions to an alternate reality.
totally agree. thought the imagery (esp. the bear... wow) was particularly interesting and captivating. i also love how you kind of know what is going to happen (spelled out by little easter eggs he puts in) but the suspense still stands, you still feel so uncomfortable knowing it is about to happen
Yes! The Easter eggs are huge in midsommar. Like in the beginning when mark told Christian "you could be getting swedish girls pregnant" and pelle says "I'm sure you will be impregnating swedish girls" that one was interesting to me. As well as the embroidered towels that show visuals of the love spell before it was executed in the film
Hereditary is amazing, I love seeing naked old people in the background, can’t wait for It Chapter 2.
I hope Ari gets over his edgy “isn’t it so fucked up to see an old person NAKED?” in his third movie
New subscriber! I love Hereditary, but Misommar is on another level for me. It actually gave me more anxiety and was even more overwhelming to me than Hereditary was. Plus the visuals are just mesmerizing, the tripping scenes are so accurate, and the ending is oddly empowering and mesmerizing. The entire second half in general is just a total overload of the senses. I loved it. And that music. Anyway, yeah. Midsommar for the win.
Yes, sir!
people that think midsommar had an empowering ending terrify me
3 weeks after seeing Midsomer, I’m still looking up reviews and post analysis...... Ari Aster has done what he set out to do. He made 2 films that got stuck in my brain 2 times in a row! I really believe this guy is a future legend in the film industry.
hereditary is probably my favorite horror ever made so i can't wait for midsummer!
have you seen The Witch?
*Midsommar, no midsummer
Yup i also think it literally is one of the best horror films of all time!1
sis.........it ain’t shit compared to hereditary.
They are both great, but very different.
The difference between Midsommar and Hereditary is that one is called Midsommar and one is called Hereditary
Hereditary is about family dynamics after loss and Midsommar is about relationship dynamics after loss. Similar to the eye, yet very different under the surface
GreshTooFresh you spoiler😭
GreshTooFresh theyr more different than that
no wayyy stop playing
this sounds like an essay i would make in 5th grade
I like hereditary more because when I watched it for the first time, the ending was more shocking and intense than midsommar's. I still adore both films and air aster
Sadie landis i feel like the reason i didn’t like hereditary initially was because i didn’t understand the ending. yes i know the meaning now and it was definitely shocking and overwhelming, but with midsommar i understood it which made me more favorable towards it
Annie banging her head in the attic and sawing her neck is the most horrifying shit. You can't change my mind.
I agree. They're both so iconic, but I prefer the same one as you.
Toni Collette was robbed 🤭⚖️🔪🏆
“You definitely get less ‘Ah’ and more ‘What the fu-‘ “ 😂😂
Great video as always. I adore both of these films. Aster has fast tracked himself into my top directors list
I felt that I had watched something that I shouldn’t have with hereditary. Def felt that I had opened up a doorway for demons.
I think the coolest thing is that they are both like ying and yang to each other:
•One is set mostly in the dark, is pretty fast-paced and doesn’t show you what’s to come, using the background of shots to add to this, making things all add up masterfully by the end
•One is set almost completely at day time, is slow-paced and the plot is practically given to you you just have to put it together (btw well done Ari for making a horror movie set in the day and actually making it suspenseful 👏👏)
One time, just for kicks, l decided to look at myself in the mirror and do that creepy smile he did. I avoid mirrors now.
I think hereditary was the superior film. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable, unnerved, and disturbed from a movie in my life. Whereas misdsommar was ok, the cinematography was beautiful but I didn’t feel as hopeless as hereditary made me feel. Hereditary stuck to me and made me think about it days after whereas midsommar was well done I just thought about it an hour later and left my brain. Hereditary for me will go down as one of the best films it was set up well, the actors gave an amazing performance, nothing was expected, it made you think hard, created visuals that sticks with you, and evokes emotions that amplified the overall mood. Ari is probably hands down my faveorite director now, it’s truly an art form with those two movies.
Midsommar was so beautiful.
Hereditary has about the most horrific first 45 minutes or so but I don't think it reaches that height again because with the increasing madness I find it increasingly difficult to find it relatable.
Midsommar never freaked me out that much while watching ite but it did give me an existential crisis.
I loved Hereditary, but Midsommar is simply STUNNING. Formally perfect, conntections with Expressionism (Caligari) and Pasolini (the last 20 minutes reminded me of Salò, absolutely unsustainable) and, last but not least, an amazing portrait f a toxic relationship, which is the focus of the entire movie.
Agreed
I vote Midsommar, but it’s not like it’s an easy choice.
Midsommar rivals some of the works of Akira Kurosawa in terms of cinematography. Truly amazing movie.
i thought midsommar was okay. meanwhile just seeing the actors from hereditary is enough to give me fucking flashbacks and put me on edge.
3:15 the editing here is so good! good job Karsten 👏👏👏
this has probably been said but i absolutely love how midsommar portrays the feeling of homesickness/abandonment. something about the isolated setting combined with the unnatural lighting perfectly captures that feeling of being in an unfamiliar place and uncertain of your own safety.
Loved Midsommar but for me it’s hereditary for sure. Hereditary is a 10/10, midsommar I’d go like 8.5
I went on a road trip to the Patagonia with my sister, my best friend, and her husband. We went there a few months after my best friend's brother committed suicide in a gruesome way that disturbed us all and will haunt us probably for the rest of our lives.
We visited a Swiss colony in the middle of nowhere during our trip. It was a... weird experience, right out of the uncanny valley. Like, GPS stopped working, shops closed as soon as we stepped out of them, very strange looking people (like a guy blind in one eye with hair over the bridge of his nose) giving us directions and approaching us out of nowhere, to some cards being gifted to us with strangely specific messages written behind them (my friend greatly struggles with anxiety, her card had a guide on how to deal with an anxiety attack, and mine had a translation of the lyrics of my favorite song, Anthem by Leonard Cohen, a song I don't think anyone I've ever met has heard)
Coming back from this place we stopped by the Nahuel Huapi lake to sit down and watch the sunset. We were alone in the woods, trekked a bit away from the car, and ended up screaming out at the water to let the overwhelming emotions pour out of us. It was immensely cathartic, to just yell our lungs out to the water. We found a deer carcass by the shore.
When I watched Midsommar almost 6 months after that trip, I have to say... I understood it on a much deeper level than I expected to understand it. That's to say: I felt it.
Midsommar is a swedish event for summer being halfway over. I am Finnish and we have the exact same thing but you never hear about it. Juhannus. You-hon-ohhs
imo it’s no contest. midsommer had jaw dropping moments but feels unfocused at times. hereditary has these moments too but every single scene is just bone chilling. i had the chills for maybe an hour straight and my jaw was dropped for even longer
i don’t know why anyone hasn’t mentioned this but the use of the sun-yellow and the darkish blue in almost EVERY scene makes the movie for me. the aesthetic of it makes the movie that much better, along with the soundtrack and the vibrant colors.
Midsommar was just weird and lots of naked awkward moments. The only scary part was the cliff jump. Hereditary was more scary to me. The scene where she was going through her moms stuff and turned off the light and saw the mom standing in the dark gave me serious goosebumps! And the classroom scene with his arm in the air was really creepy
I fully agree with this summation. I would put it as “there are clips from Hereditary that I could decontextualize as magnificent but Midsommar must be enjoyed as a work in its whole”.
Aren't you'll gonna talk about how cute the guy is
Midsommar looks like you're in heaven but actually in hell.
Midsommar: a disturbing bad trip
Hereditary: scary as fuck, I'm still checking ceiling's corners!
I've been waiting!! Would love to see how you rank the A24 films you've seen, whether it be a video or Letterboxd list 😍
Hereditary was a lot scarier, but Midsommar got you thinking for weeks afterwards. In that case, I loved both but Midsommar more.
Hereditary is one of those extremely rare, genre gems. 10/10 horror film.
ok i finally finally watched both these movies just to be able to watch this video. it took me way too long to get to them but it was definitely worth it and im chastising my past self for not seeing these sooner. thank u for making this Karsten !! it's always cool to hear you dissect films the way u do :)
THANK YOU for including the iconic Climax opening dance scene
If either of these films are an indication, alongside Jordan Peele, the 2020s are going to be a fantastic decade for horror films, one that will probably surpass the 1970s in iconic and legendary film.
I loved both of these films. I've only seen Hereditary once, when it came out in theaters. It left me in a state of absolute shock and contemplation for like 2 weeks. I want to see it again but honestly, I'm afraid! It was truly the most terrifying horror movie I've ever seen. Nothing really compares in terms of just the feeling of absolute horror you get from watching it.
Midsommar, on the other hand, is *thought provoking* and *makes me feel.* It's definitely scary, but the fear factor is not the central component of it, nor is it meant to be. Midsommar is a movie about a woman whose life is in shambles and who has absolutely no control over anything. She makes two choices in the whole movie: the first one to go to Sweden, and the second... well, watch to find out. The first is spontaneous and the second is very deliberate. By the end of the movie, I can't help but feel *happy* for Dani. The final scene makes me feel relief for her- in a very satisfying, yet twisted way.
“We should have seen the incredibles 2” - the guy behind me in the cinema during hereditary
Midsommar reminded me of a bad acid trip I had once...
When I saw it in theaters, I literally had acid flashbacks. Never had such an uncomfortable movie experience before but I loved every second of it!
One of my favorite parts of midsommar was when she started speaking Swedish. That bamboozled me so much. I felt like Dami was literally understood and belonged.
how incredible it is to watch a horror film so dark and yet so colorful at the same time. i loved midsommar and hereditary as well ari aster is talented af