Midsommar: An Occult Examination of Grief

by Emma Zeller

Ari Aster stated that the concept for Midsommar (2019)  came to him after a breakup of his own. The first time watching the film I was in shock, but the second time around it was easier to pick up on the details Aster placed within the film.  
One night Dani (Florence Pugh) is sitting by her computer worried about her sister's well-being, she calls her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) a boyfriend who is too afraid to end his long-term relationship, later Dani receiving a horrific call at her entire family, including her parents and sister are dead.  Realizing she has no one left in her life she must stay in her rocky and unstable relationship. On the other hand, Christian and his college friends planned a trip to Sweden with their friend who is a native and wants to take them to the Midsommar festival. Dani is made aware of her boyfriend's trip at a party, when they return home the conversation turns sour and given the circumstances Christian feels obligated to invite Dani both unaware of the events about to unfold.

The audience goes through all the events at the same time as Dani, this causes the viewer to feel Dani’s despair. Throughout the film all Dani wants is Christian’s full attention and devotion. Even when she starts to understand the Cult’s deepest intentions, she still seems to compromise her will for Christians. In the second half of the film, Christian is chosen and rugged by one of the cult’s young women who wants to have a baby. A ritual is performed while Christian and the women have intercourse, simultaneously Dani is searching for Christian to voice her concern and sees him cheating on her. This causes Dani to spiral, and she realizes their relationship has reached the point of no return. She fully realizes with her family dead and Christian no longer being committed to her that she is truly alone, which may be the most terrifying part of the film. At the end of the film when Dani accepts her fate and becomes at peace there is a distinct disconnect between the audience and the protagonist. Dani’s smile in the final sequence represents her full acceptance and the complete disconnect into the cult Which instills more fear into the audience. 
Midsommar is about Dani grieving her relationship with Christian. While rewatching the film and knowing the final scene, I was able to follow Dani’s stages of grief throughout the film. There is a sequence where Christian states that he is going to a party and says Dani does not have to come if she does not feel up to it. Dani denies she is feeling unwell and proceeds to go to the party. The following two scenes show Dani and Christian at the party, then arguing about his trip to Sweden. Once they return home Dani begins to get angry at Christian and when she feels him pulling away she begins to bargain so he will stay. Throughout the whole trip in Sweden Dani is Depressed and feels guilty for asking Christian to go home because she is afraid. It comes to a breaking point when she catches Christian cheating on her with one of the women in the cult. The final sequence, as Dani watches Christian burst into flames, she smiles. This is her full acceptance of her pain and loss. 

The concept of grief and watching the stages that Dani goes through, without Christian’s support, was the scariest part the second time viewing it. Dani’s smile in the final shot of the film  invoked fear in many of the viewers. Ari Aster rooted this film in Dani and Christian’s breakup while adding folk horror elements to almost give the viewer the worst-case scenario when it comes to a breakup.