'Midsommar' is a depraved and horrifying nightmare of a 'breakup' film

Ari Aster's latest horror film "Midsommar" follows a young American couple, Christian and Dani, as they navigate the end of their relationship amidst the backdrop of an eerie Swedish summer festival that only happens once every 90 years. Christian and Dani are joined at a remote Swedish commune by three of their friends. Upon arriving, they're charmed by the idyllic landscape and constant sunshine, until the villagers start committing unthinkable acts of violence — all a part of the festival, which celebrates rebirth and, more importantly, death. As the festival grows increasingly depraved, Christian and Dani are forced to reckon with the remains of their relationship, culminating in a seriously twisted ending. Read more: 2018's "Hereditary" was widely praised as one of the best horror films from that year — and "Midsommar" seems poised to follow in its footsteps. Although Aster trades dark family drama for a sunny, sinister summer festival, several themes present in "Hereditary" — namely, the effects of grief and tremendous loss — can be seen in "Midsommar" as well. Aster confirmed in an interview with INSIDER that "Midsommar" is a "companion" (not a a sequel) to "Hereditary." "In making it, I realized this is... almost like an accidental companion, in that both films are dealing with grief, kind of extreme grief," Aster told us, adding that in each of his films, "the main characters are kind of navigating extreme circumstances, or not being able to navigate these things." The director also said that he was inspired by his experience with a breakup while writing "Midsommar." "I did want to make a big, operatic breakup movie," Aster said. "[One] that feels as big and as consequential as a breakup feels." Read more: The dissolution of Christian and Dani's relationship provides much of the suspense during the film. At the beginning of "Midsommar," Christian is on the verge of breaking up with Dani. However, after she tragically loses her parents and mentally ill sister, Christian decides to stay with her, much to the chagrin of his friends. He even invites Dani to come with them as they visit northern Sweden for a mystical summer festival. Upon arriving in Sweden, however, Christian and Dani's relationship rapidly deteriorates. As their friends disappear one by one, Christian and Dani are each drawn into the villagers' sinister plans — with Dani eventually reaching her breaking point with the relationship in the final act. While "Midsommar" has many of the conventions of a typical horror film — although Aster told INSIDER "the film is a fairy tale more than it is a horror film" — Dani and Christian's story line gives the genre's setup a refreshing update. Within the context of a failing relationship, Aster's film, and all the terrifying moments in it, take on a whole other meaning. In "Midsommar," the psychological violence that partners sometimes inflict on each other in the midst of a breakup is warped and exaggerated to dangerous eff

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