As a director, Ari Aster has mastered the art of the horrific. With both last year’s Hereditary and this year’s Midsommar, the auteur crafted films that defied the expectations of horror convention and created two of the most memorable horror films of all time. As far as one-two punches go, Aster has delivered a devastating combo that changes the scope of modern terror.
His are films that strive for something higher than your usual slasher fare, delving in the personal and philosophical using horror as a means to an end rather than the goal in itself. Hereditary was, at its core, an intimate musing on generational trauma stemming from abuse. Wrapped in the guise of a possession/haunted house film, Aster was able to explore the affects of psychological and emotional abuse more clearly than any film sharing similar aims has been able to achieve in a long time.
Similarly, Midsommar was an exploration of a relationship going wrong. While some traditional horror fans, who have, over the years, come to expect shocking amounts of blood and gore and violence, were somewhat turned off by Aster’s approach to the genre, the director is clearly operating on a level so rarely seen in today’s horror climate. Like Hereditary, Midsommar uses the horror veil as a lens through which we can view the situation, not as the goal in itself.
This has led to some debate about what the purpose of horror is. It’s kind of silly when you think about it. Horror has never been one thing and never will be. While Aster consciously lacks in a definable villain, eschewing the trends that have beset the genre for decades, his careful blend of character and situation allows for a rising tide of tension and madness to close in around both his cast and his audience. Those seeking the cheap thrills of jump scares and one-liners need not apply—although they should, if only to stretch their minds and open their hearts to the idea that horror need not be bloody to be horrifying.
Midsommar was a psychedelic nightmare of deepening psychosis and one of the most beautiful films of the decade. As far as break up films go, I can think of few that match the creative intensity of Aster’s vision. While, yes, it lacks the trappings of what we might normally consider horror, Aster’s designs run much deeper than a bloody machete ever could. It is the kind of film that demands rewatching, with multiple viewings giving way to an increased insight that a single viewing could never give.
Which brings me to the good news/bad news of Midsommar’s home release. The good news, of course, is that Midsomar is now available to own on Blu-ray, giving audiences the chance to experience and re-experience one of the year’s most captivating films again and again. The bad news is how thin the release is.
For a film such as Midsommar, you would expect there to be a wide variety of special features and behind the scenes footage for viewers to explore and delve into. You might expect some commentary tracks to give deeper insights into the film and its challenging narrative. You might even expect the much-touted director’s cut, which hit theaters secretly for a single weekend this past summer. You might also be a fool for expecting any of that. Or even anything.
This home release is as bare bones as they come, offering home audiences the movie and, well, that’s about it. Sure, there’s a special promo which is…cool, I guess? Kind of? Okay, not really cool at all. The release feels like a half-assed slap in the face to those who still desire and collect physical media in this world of increasing digitization. Those wanting more than the film itself will have to turn to iTunes, which offers not just the director’s cut with 30 minutes of extra footage but, additionally, more special features than you can shake a maypole at.
As of now, there doesn’t appear to be any release date set or even considered for the director’s cut version of Midsommar outside of AppleTV which, frankly, fucking sucks. It would be nice to see more of this world and to hear more about Aster’s creative vision without having to pay for a download that, ultimately, you don’t even own. But if you’re the type of movie watcher who doesn’t care about much beyond the movie, then there’s no excuse for you not to check out Aster’s latest work. And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll get a proper release to add to our collections.
Midsommar is now available on Blu-ray.
See our original review here.
2 Responses
Italy is getting a 4K release next month that comes with the Director’s cut on standard Blu-ray
Germany got a BEAUTIFUL release. Ironic too that I cannot for the life of me find a single DVD with Swedish subtitles. If you’re Swedish, you’d better speak English, Dutch, German, Italian, or Spanish because that’s all I could find. You’re right. Pitiful release. I was ready for at least a sweet steelbook or something.