42. The Opening of Midsommar (17.5 points) Nominated by: jcgamer107 (1/5 remaining) You should just watch the film!
Importance: 1.5 Fear: 7 Snake: 9
This isn't just one of the best horror openings of all time, I think it's one of the best movie openings ever in general. Midsommar opens up on a tapestry, lingering for about 10 seconds on an image that will not really make much sense on first-time viewings, but is off-putting enough to get you into the right mindset for this film. It also technically spoils the entire film on the first frame. If that's not a bold statement I don't know what is. The tapestry opens up to reveal a gorgeous shot of a frigid landscape with snow-glazed trees, cycling through a bunch of equally breathtaking locations, as they take on a sort of still-life quality that makes you feel at peace despite the freezing temperatures. This tranquility is broken by the sound of a phone ringing, and the way these shots are sequenced makes it feel like we emerged from the forest back to the harsh reality of modern life, appropriate since the tradition of midsummer celebrates the magic and reverence of nature. I also love these transitions because we go from the giant, overbearing forest right down to the small coziness of our homes' living room. We get introduced to our main character, Dani Ardor, on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to not being able to contact her bipolar sister. She leaves messages on the phone and the computer, then calls her boyfriend Christian, having pizza with his friends. I like these scenes in particular because it sets up a sort of alternate film and falsely prepares you for your typical vacation-gone-wrong horror film, Christian's frat boy friends spouting out dialogue like "You could be getting that girl pregnant" and "Don't forget all the Swedish women you can impregnate in June" (but, god damn is this line suuuuuper creepy once you realize what it refers to). It lulls you into a false sense of security just enough to let Dani's final phone call to Christian really break the whole vibe of this scene hard. It turns out, Dani's sister committed a murder-suicide on her parents, letting the cars' exhaust fumes overtake the house we saw earlier. Dani becomes practically catatonic, and is what may be an Ari Aster staple, lets her absolutely gut-wrenching, wailing cries carry on for an uncomfortably long time as the title card flashes.
Everything about this opening is basically perfect. In just this short 10-minute span, Ari Aster crafts a visual masterpiece that is worthy of being a short film all on its own. The efficient way it establishes characters, tone, foreshadowing without you even realizing it, calling back to events and re-contextualizing moments that happened mere minutes ago is the type of work only a true master can pull off just right. The framing of shots makes certain scenes feel like paintings, each capturing different shades of human emotion. I've almost never had an opening grab me this much, and I had not seen this film yet when I watched this opening, since I was waiting to watch it with my mom and brother. I was so tempted then and there to watch the whole rest of the film just based on how effective this opening was. This is absolutely the way you introduce your horror movie. Chilling, atmospheric, and emotionally-draining, and the rest of the film only gets better from here. ---
I try in vain to slumber, my reveries gripped by violent terror. My only salvation, the shock of awakening. Something is very, very wrong here.