Being a huge fan of the original The Wicker Man, I thought I would like this movie a lot more than I did. Midsommar expands on that earlier film’s basic premise of luring outsiders to a pagan community’s home turf and manipulating their behavior and perceptions to their own ends.
I felt enough detachment from The Wicker Man islanders to, if not root for them, at least not root against them. The rural Swedes of Midsommar engage more with their college visitors, and I had more context to develop my extreme dislike for all of them. Where’s Frank Castle when you need him?
Unfortunately, my two takeaways from the film are: 1) If your significant other shows ANY signs of mental illness, end the relationship immediately; and 2) Stay the hell away from Sweden.
