Year: 2019
Director: Ari Astor
Well that’s some fucked up shit right there
I’ve half a mind to leave it there cos this may be a film that will have you giggling at its ridiculousness or loving its hutzpah and willingness to go full man gone mind mental.
Basic story is Dani (Florence Pugh) and her boyfriend Christian are having problems but a sudden tragedy prevents them splitting as Dani grieves. In an attempt to keep things together they agree to go to Sweden with some friends (including Chidi from The Good Place and Will Poulter) to an unusual commune full of white clothed smiling young and bearded old people playing panpipes and dancing. If that doesn’t set your “dangerous weirdo alert” alarm bells ringing then you haven’t watched enough movies.
What follows is a descent into bizarre rituals, horror film tropes of people going along with unlikely events until it just gets more and more trippy. Sex, violence, primal screaming, group orgasms and choral singing – one man’s delightfully odd dreamworld can be another’s pretentious twaddle.
Approach with caution as calling it a “horror film” doesn’t really cover it. I enjoyed it and really like it tonight but ask me again in a week or so
Might appeal to people who enjoyed:
To list films it is like might be a spoiler so I wont but if you saw ‘Hereditary’ Astor also directed then you may guess where a lot of this is going
I liked Hereditary until the last bit when it lost its mystery and became just a horror film, and quite a silly one at that. I think I’ll wait for the home cinema experience for this one.
I had spotted the reviews in the Graun and thought that right down my creepy alley. The deeper review confirms it, thanks DFB
Thinking about it more overnight I liked its themes of family and society. I liked that it didn’t follow the usual sexual politics of horror. I liked how it was genuinely funny and wickedly cruel at the most extreme moments.
You knew where the ride was going but you couldn’t find the break
Like an episode of the Singing Ringing Tree by Ken Russell. Good Ken Russell. Ok The Devils
We are much disappoint here as it’s an 18, no problem for me but daughter and son who loved Hereditary will have to wait for the DVD.
Can you not just get one to stand on the other’s shoulders whilst wearing a very long overcoat, in the time-honoured DC Thomson manner? An ill-fitting fake beard may also be in order.
I didn’t think it was particularly gory. It not jump scare frightening just more an overarching nightmare like unease. Yes there are terrifying images but it’s not your traditional blood n guts fare
As a Swede I’m not sure how this film will make me feel. Will it add lots of extra laughs to my experience, or make me wince with embarrasment at how we’re portrayed? Will the fake details take me out of the story? Probably a little bit of everything, I suspect. But I did mostly enjoy Hereditary, so I’m sure I’ll see this one as well.
The rituals and traditions for the festival are drawn from northern European history but I dont think its supposed to be an accurate representation of Swedish society.
Reading comments under the Guardian review some people really hated it and went for the pretentious twaddle choice.
Well, I have now finally seen it and it stinks. Makes both versions of The Wicker Man seem like Battleship Potemkin by compare. Dreadful, dreadful old cock.