By Melissa Antoinette Garza
MIDSOMMAR (2019) is the best feminist anthem since THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975). It isn’t only that. It has a great story, fabulous characters, phenomenal acting, a terrific pace and some freaky moments that viewers will find jarring. Still as a woman, the approach to feminism, freedom and finding oneself is what speaks to me the most.
The movie opens with Dani (Florence Pugh) who is desperately worried about her bipolar sister who left an ominous email to her. She calls her boyfriend Fucktard Christian (Jack Reynor) for support but he’s just a dick. He invalidates all of her feelings, makes her feel like shit and then actually has the audacity to think he’s doing a good job as a boyfriend. Fuck that guy! He sucks. Fuck him and all of his friends except Swedish boy Pelle (Villhelm Blomgren). RAWR RAWR Pelle. I like him a whole fucking lot. I like him and his commune.
So, Fucktard Christian is wrong and Dani’s sister killed herself and their parents. Now, Dani is a wreck. This would be a fabulous time for the brainless boy-toy to start acting like a decent human being, but he doesn’t. He still picks fights with her. He doesn’t even tell her that he’s going to the commune where Pelle’s family lives in Sweden. Then when she inadvertently finds out, he makes her apologize for confronting him about the secrecy. God, I hate this douche. I know that’s the point, but still. I fucking hate him!
Dani ends up going along with the trip much to the chagrin of Fucktard’s shitbag friend Mark (Will Poulter). Mark keeps trying to influence Fucktard to leave Dani – probably because he hasn’t ever gotten laid in his life and is jealous. Have I mentioned I hate Mark?
In all honesty, Fucktard’s friend Josh (William Jackson Harper) isn’t that bad. He’s going to Sweden for his anthropology thesis and has good intentions, but he doesn’t respect the people he researches at all. He doesn’t abide by their requests and they don’t ask much. Basically, he lacks some morals but he’s worlds above Fucktard and Shitbag. I don’t know why he hangs out with those clowns.
So Dani is excited to go and tries to put on a brave face. Every time she breaks down crying, she doesn’t feel comfortable doing it in front of people and runs to a bathroom to get herself together. I get that. If I start crying in public, I’ll punch myself in the arm so I stop. I hate crying. It’s a chick thing. I know dudes don’t like crying either, but guys aren’t accused of trying to manipulate a situation in the way women are. Yeah, other guys may razz them for being weak and that sucks. Fuck those alpha male wannabes. They all have small dicks and wouldn’t know a real man if they saw one, but it’s still different for women. Often men can yell, get pissed off and it’s cool and just as often women can’t cry without being accused of using it for gain or to win an argument. That’s bullshit. Fuck that noise.
Anyways, Sexy Sexy Pelle is the one who planned this trip. It’s his hometown and it’s an awesome matriarchal commune. I’d live there – at least until I was 71. At 72, you have to go and jump to your death and I’m not crazy about that idea. It looked painful – but otherwise, I’m in like Flynn.
So Pelle is the only dude that’s happy Dani is tagging along for the trip. He was raised right! His parents actually died, left him an orphan and he was taken in by this group. Some people would call them a cult. I see it as just a cool community that I’d like to chill in. They relax and get one with nature. They celebrate femininity, dance and are just a bunch of cool peeps who once in awhile have to kill a few bitches. I like them.
Pelle likes them too and wants Dani to embrace the community and culture. Though friends with Fucktard and Shitbag, he sees their true colors and knows Dani deserves better. He could fit that role and wants to. He offers himself to her as someone who would hold her up and not bring her down. He’s also worlds sexier than Fucktard.
So, the commune is hosting a 7 day mid-summer festival. Things start off cool enough. They trip on some shrooms and everyone seems nice, but soon things take a crazy turn. Two of the elders walk off a cliff and die thus making Dani have PTSD flashbacks of her family’s death. Is Fucktard there to help her thru it? NO. That jackass doesn’t even remember her birthday. Do you know who does remember her birthday? Pelle does. Have I mentioned how much I love Pelle? Pelle and Dani would make such a nice couple!
Despite the violent demise of the elders, Dani still tries to jump in to the activities and enjoy the trip. She’s a trooper and she’s strong. She doesn’t know that because everyone around her makes her feel weak and confused. She feels out-of-control but that’s because she’s trying to be what Fucktard wants her to be and she can’t. She’s too raw and too real and too amazing to ever fit in the box that he wants to put her in.
Soon, she is embraced by the commune and takes to it. She finds a bit of happiness here and there and then it grows. She sees the oneness of nature and the beauty of all that is feminine. She embraces their culture and cooks in the kitchen with the other fems. She dances with them and wears the clothing whereas the men defile, use and abuse the people and the surroundings. They don’t give a fuck about the rules, about nature or about simply respecting those around them – except Pelle. Pelle is stellar.
Dani’s journey is a remarkable one and I love it. I love it so much. She finds her inner strength and the beauty that is within her shines so brightly. The conclusion is a fitting one and it makes me happy.
So often movies try to convey feminism as women acting in stereotypical masculine ways and that’s bullshit. They fight and swear and scream and fuck hard without emotion. True femininity is sometimes actually looked at as sexist when portrayed in films. I’ll never understand how masculinity is looked at as feminism and femininity is viewed as sexism, but then again there’s a lot about this world I don’t fucking get.
That said, MIDSOMMAR gets it! It understands how significant the fem role is to society and how denying one’s core primal instincts can break them. Only giving in to those instincts will allow them to be free. Now, I’m not saying all women are feminine. I’m all for a badass chick, who can roll with the boys, but the fem mind should still be celebrated and not cast aside as wrong or bad or without merit. Here it was society’s pressure for Dani to just go with the flow and not show her emotions or feelings that made her crazy. When she hit the commune and embraced it fully allowing her matriarchal powers to blossom, she ruled the roost and owned that shit. I loved it. I love her character and I love the way she was portrayed. More than anything I love how much women were celebrated in this movie.
The parallels to THE WICKER MAN (1973) are 100% justified, but don’t let anyone tell you it’s a rip-off. This movie stands on its own and is unique in so many ways. Though the storyline may be a familiar one, the execution and the characters are something brand new and it’s fucking brilliant.
Go see this movie.
Go see this movie.
Also, on an unrelated note: Go see this movie.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10
