Why The Midsommar Discourse Misses The Point

This here is a spoiler-filled video essay on the bright and sunshiny A24 horror movie known as Midsommar (2019), written and directed by Ari Aster.

Since its release, Midsommar has sparked some interesting debate regarding how we should interpret its ending and what it all really means. Dani's (Florence Pugh) smile in the final frames seems to communicate she's found a family of demented but authentic weirdos (known as the Hårga) that she can be happy with. However, many have also said that this family of weirdos is a cult, so Dani's been brainwashed and this is no bueno (not to mention she's smiling as her former boyfriend known as Christian burns alive in a silly bear costume... yikes). Well, in this video, we pose that these takes are just two sides of an larger truth coin (the personably emotional and the objective logical) that when considered together, give us potential for a yummy analysis that can steel man and defend both sides, because hey, the most interesting movies tend to be paradoxical in what they're communicating and how people interpret them, much like reality itself.

So, come along with us as we deconstruct, not just the ending meaning, but the entirety of this bizarrely beautiful nightmare fairy tale fantasy and how our interpretation of the horror of Midsommar can be just as accurate as anyone else's very different take on the movie. And as always, we got you on a recap of the plot, incase its been a while since you watched and all that. Not to mention that we also talk for a brief period about the themes found in writer/director Ari Aster's other two movies, Hereditary (2018) and Beau is Afraid (2023), and how all three of his crazy dark and comedic movies convey the philosophy of determinism in their own unique way. Enjoy!

The static transition used in this video and many other Terror Formed videos was created by Dar Golan -    / @dargolan  

00:00 - Dani's smile
01:44 - Plot recap
06:42 - The discourse war
08:05 - One way to look at it
17:33 - Another way to look at it
29:11 - In short, there are many ways to look at it