Since Ari Aster established himself as a uniquely ambitious director with Hereditary last summer, horror fans have been anxiously awaiting his next wild film, Midsommar. The movie promises cultish nightmares and graphic imagery, all during a gorgeous Swedish festival.
Jack Reynor, who plays boyfriend to Florence Pugh’s Dani in the upcoming release, has shared his first experience watching the film in New York with the cast… and he knew exactly what he was in for. In his words:
We all laughed through the first two-thirds of the film, at all that gallows humor, and then for the final third of the film, all of us were silent. When the credits rolled, there was no ‘High-five! You did an amazing job! Oh my God, you’re so good in the film!’ It was just silence. All of us sat there with our heads in our hands. It was a good 10 minutes of not talking.
Here’s a fair warning! Be prepared to walk out of Midsommar in shock at the messed up thrill-ride you just witnessed. Jack Reynor and the rest of the cast -- including Will Poulter (We’re the Millers, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) -- found themselves sitting in silence after watching their film, perhaps in an attempt to process their own film? Reynor continued to EW:
It’s a hard one to digest, and there’s a lot unpack in it. But that’s the kind of shit that it’s worth doing.
There is something special about a movie having this kind of effect on an audience. Going out of a film in complete awe (trauma?) is a rare occurrence when so many releases these days are remakes, sequels, or reimaginings – even in horror where Child’s Play and It are hitting theaters this summer.
Jack Reynor and the cast are not alone in their reactions, as early screenings had people exclaiming a whole lot of “what the fuck” in response. Jordan Peele even weighed in to Midsommar by saying it has “some of the most atrociously disturbing imagery” he’d ever seen, along with calling it “the most idyllic horror film of all time."
The movie has been heavily praised by critics, as it has an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes with a little over 70 reviews filed (check out CinemaBlend’s 4.5 star acclaim). It follows the big buzz Hereditary received last year, many claiming Toni Collette was snubbed for a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Midsommar follows a young couple named Dani and Christian on the verge of a breakup who end up going on a trip to Sweden for a festival with a group of Christian’s friends. Their vacation goes sideways when the festival’s rituals soon get out of hand. Check it out in theaters on July 3.
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