midsommar (2019) ended the horror of the 2010s on a high note, being a disturbing and traumatic film about heartbreak, slowly dying broken relationships, and a nightmarish trip to Sweden. Upon release, it felt unique due to the way it combined a grounded story about a protracted breakup with a more outwardly disturbing pagan cult premise, as well as the fact that most of its gruesome scenes took place in broad daylight.
It has successfully blended elements from previous “folk horror films” into something distinct, although this means there are other examples from the horror genre that evoke similar fears or otherwise have a comparable vibe. The following films usually (though not exclusively) precede midsommarand will probably appeal to viewers who have enjoyed or been horrified by Ari Aster second feature film.
10 ‘Wicker Man’ (1973)
Although the plot is different, the visuals and overall style present in wicker man make it perhaps the most obvious influence on midsommar. Set on a strange island, following an outsider - a police sergeant - as he visits the place, finds its population increasingly unsettling, and struggles to make progress on finding a missing young girl (the reason he went there in the first part). place).
Like midsommar, wicker man it’s a slow-motion horror film with a mysterious cult at its center, and it remains frightening despite (or because of) being set in the open air and often feels brighter than most horror films. Avoid the notorious 2006 remake at all costs, but the 1973 original remains a horror classic.
9 ‘Hereditary’ (2018)
Having made a series of obnoxious and sometimes controversial short films in the early and mid-2010s, Hereditary was released in 2018 as Ari Astaire’s debut feature film. It follows a family that is slowly torn apart by grief, all the while discovering that they are being manipulated by some strange clan that has connections to their ancestors.
Calling it a dark and depressing film would be an understatement. midsommar was, parts Hereditary are even more worrisome. Although the plot and setting stand apart midsommar, Hereditary remains comparable thanks to the themes and uncompromisingly disturbing locations, as well as, of course, the fact that it is written and directed by the same director.
8 ‘Witch’ (2015)
Witch The action takes place about 400 years ago, although it still manages to serve up a lot of folk horrors that unsettle modern viewers. The plot centers on a family who have been expelled from their settlement due to religious differences and, while in isolation, are faced with a series of strange and increasingly dangerous events.
It was the debut feature film Robert Eggersand instantly established himself as an exciting new voice in the horror genre (he has since gone on to direct ever more ambitious films such as the 2019 film). Lighthouse and 2022 Northerner). As for the slow, mostly thin horror films of the 2010s, Witch undoubtedly there as one of the best.
7 ‘Barbarian’ (2022)
A surprisingly unpredictable and subversive horror/thriller film, Barbarian turned out to be one of the best releases of the genre in 2022, if not the best. It follows a young woman who arrives at Airbnb, finds out that he was accidentally booked twice, and then proceeds with uneasy interactions with another person (further complicated when they find out they are still in the strange house).
midsommar was a film whose goal was to shock the audience within the first 10 minutes, keeping them on their toes until what followed. Barbarian it takes a little longer to reach this territory, but once it does, it becomes a roller coaster of the movie, making it hard to guess where it will go next. Also, both films draw much of their horror from their main characters visiting unfamiliar places with dark secrets (admittedly barbarian The Detroit setting is not as new or otherworldly as rural Sweden… at least not at first).
6 ‘Apostle’ (2018)
WITH apostledirector Gareth Evans moved away from the action genre, which he mastered in 2011 Raid and its sequel in 2014. apostle instead, it’s a slow and relatively thin film, at least before it explodes with gruesome violence and gore that can make viewers remember an equally violent Raid movies (and for what it’s worth, midsommar can get pretty bloody too).
The story is set in the early 20th century and follows a man who travels to a remote island in search of his younger sister as he believes she has been kidnapped by a religious cult. It has an isolated setting, cult, violence, and horrific daylight sights, which means it’s just as itchy as it is. midsommarwhich was released a year later.
5 ‘Men’ (2022)
Career trajectory Alex Garland - As for his directing efforts, it was interesting. He was released in 2014 From the carwhich was a sci-fi movie, in 2018 he directed Annihilationwhich combined sci-fi and horror, and then released in 2022 Peoplewhich is almost exclusively a film belonging to the horror genre.
People deals with a young grieving woman who ventures into the countryside alone, only to find that the city she is staying in is incredibly unsettling and ultimately nightmarish. This is another film about the horrors of grief and how such horrors are exacerbated when the grieving character is faced with more traditional horror movie-like scenarios, making for a tough and truly creepy viewing experience.
4 ‘Antichrist’ (2009)
Antichrist isn’t afraid to be a weird and relentlessly opposing horror movie, which is what you would probably expect from a director like Lars von Trier step into the genre. It follows a married couple who lose a child before heading deep into the woods to try to heal emotionally and mend their torn relationship, but things only get worse.
This is the kind of movie that might seem a bit too hard for some viewers, so it can only be recommended to those who don’t mind having their horrors taken to the extreme. In terms of setting, brutal violence and harrowing narrative, it certainly compares to midsommar.
3 The Blair Witch Project (1999)
A low-budget hit that made found footage films very popular over the years after its release. The Blair Witch Project is a landmark film in the wider horror genre. It’s about three film students who are filming a documentary in the woods, discover something sinister and then supposedly disappear, and what they filmed is the only evidence to explain what could have happened.
It wasn’t the first low-budget horror film to succeed, but few were made for as little money and proved as profitable as The Blair Witch Project did. The presentation is different, but it successfully makes wide open spaces intimidating, as in midsommar and various other films with folk horror elements.
2 ‘Invitation’ (2015)
Invitation begins innocuous enough, with a couple - Will and Kira - who are invited to dinner one night with a group of friends. She’s at the house of one of Will’s ex-girlfriends, and her new partner, David, seems to have some ulterior motive for hosting the party, or at least Will is beginning to suspect it.
It’s a film that happily paints things, using a lack of confidence in what’s going on to make viewers feel as uncomfortable as the main characters. With elements of horror that come from being (literally) invited somewhere and talking about breakups and ex-partners, Invitation has at least a couple of similarities with midsommar.
1 “Bo is afraid” (2023)
Ari Astaire’s third film, Bo is afraidthough slightly different from Hereditary And midsommar. With a three-hour running time, it’s notably longer than his two previous theatrically released films, and is probably less horror-focused overall, instead aiming to be dark comedic, and with a surreal slant on the film as a whole that occasionally reveals itself. . turns into a nightmare.
Even if it’s not as easily identifiable as a horror movie, it evokes the same unsettling feeling that Astaire’s other films have. It certainly makes for a unique viewing experience and delivers its tense, drawn-out, weird and highly psychological narrative with delightful ferocity and/or brazenness.
Source: Collider
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