“The Wicker Man” meets “The Village” with bits of "The Lords of Salem"

This folk horror plays out like “The Wicker Man” (1973/2006) meets “The Village” (2004) with elements of “The Lords of Salem” (2012). The topic of visiting a secluded pagan religious community and the increasing challenges thereof can be seen in other flicks like "Population 436" (2006), “Ogre” (2008), “The Ritual” (2017) and “Apostle” (2018), as well as the recent spare-change Indie “Devil’s Island” (2021).

“Midsommar” delivers the goods for people who like these kinds of movies. Writer/director Ari Aster did his homework, combining fact with fiction, old and new. There’s an insightful comparison between the lack of social intimacy in modern Western culture and the family-like camaraderie of the remote Commune. Plus there are some amusing bits, like the "Austin Powers" line and the fact that each of the cultural anthropology students seriously want to do a thesis on these whack-jobs. Pugh makes for an effective protagonist and there’s some convincing gore. It’s a professionally made piece no doubt.

Unfortunately, the first half is more compelling than the second, which devolves into tedious ceremonies and the corresponding gobbledygook. Hammer’s “The Mummy” (1959) had the same issue but was mercifully an hour shorter. “Midsommar” needed tightened up for a more gripping viewing experience, but writers/directors generally don’t like to cut scenes from their ‘baby.'