On the surface, Ari Aster’s follow-up to his absolutely chilling debut “Hereditary” seems like it exists in stark contrast to the haunted family portrait of that first film.
“Midsommar” takes its characters through a psychotropic journey in a strange place in a strange land that leads to a bizarre ritual sacrifice.
“Hereditary” traps a family together in a claustrophobic tragedy that ends with them essentially tearing each other apart.
“Midsommar” is also brightly sunlit, taking place entirely during the day while “Hereditary” seems shrouded in darkness with scenes taking place mostly at night.
Ari Aster, himself, didn’t necessarily see any connective tissue between the two films either, usually referring to “Hereditary” as “a horror film, unabashedly,” and carefully calling “Midsommar” an “adult contemporary fairy tale.”That description of “Midsommar” from an interview with Fandango was most likely Aster trying to craft a soundbite to describe a very complex story.
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