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| Topic | Board 8 Ranks 2010s Horror Movies - The Final Chapter - *THE RANKINGS* |
| Snake5555555555 05/27/22 9:39:23 PM #239: | And, again, Aster does a great job with the horror. I think there are some missteps here or places where he couldve done better, but there is also a lot of things here that are just excellent. Even little things this is the first movie I think Ive seen where I was creeped out by the architecture. It all takes place during the day for the most part and it isnt like theyre wandering around haunted houses, but between that one building that looks almost 2D when they walk in and the strange building where they keep the books that looks like it is collapsing in on itself to the weird yellow building where the sacrifices occur, there is just something wrong with this community from the very first time you see it. It never stops being unsettling, which is maybe something that makes the plot so obvious. But even with it being obvious, it isnt like that takes away from the creepiness at all. I felt like this does a better job with the horror than the vast majority of the list, and it is impressive it is able to do so in the daylight while we know exactly where the movie is headed. The visceral, raw violence also does a great job of highlighting the horror, and while there arent any scenes nearly as breathtaking as sudden unexpected beheading, there are a handful that are elicit something close-ish to the same response. The elderly couples suicide is completely brutal and I almost gasped even though I knew exactly what was going to happen when they showed them heading towards the cliff. I was less prepared for the still breathing corpse of the dude from the couple hanging over the chickens while his lungs were still inflating and deflating while on the outside of his body. Aster is great at this sort of imagery, something truly brutal that at the same time doesnt feel exploitative. It serves a part in the story, but still manages to shock you just by looking at it. Theres so much more here I wish I had time to talk about, but this is too long already. I havent even mentioned that absolutely gutting intro or the off the charts cinematography in any real detail or one of the bigger laughs I had from any film when the boyfriend goes I think I ate her pubes and the elder woman goes that sounds probably right. Theres so much here I just cant stop thinking about. I think this is a flawed film at times and I fully expect this to be in the bottom five of a list or two or three. When Snake was like there are x number of films in the top six and bottom six of lists I was immediately like ok Midsommar and hmm what else. I get that this is going to be divisive and I understand the reasoning for it. But, at the same time, I love it. I love it in spite of all its flaws and its predictability and all the very real criticism Im sure multiple people have. It is just so interesting and well done and I just wish it was longer. This is a flawed classic for me, and I look forward to Asters next film. Plasmabeam - A chilling love letter to fans of The Wicker Man (the 1973 version, not the Nicky Cage one). Midsommar creates a sense of isolation and draws terror from a location that would normally be described as pleasant. Camerawork is top-notch, and once this movie gets going, its unstoppable. Cults terrify me more than any other horror trope, and the Midsommar sex rituals are among the most disturbing Ive seen on film. So why isnt this movie higher? The characters. I never got attached to them. I get that were supposed to feel sorry for Dani, but she never quite won me overnor did the rest of the cast. PrinceKaro - A group of friends take a vacation on a commune that is pretty much similar to what probably goes on at Amy Coney Barrett's family reunion. It is a bit slow to get started, and is way longer then it needs to be to tell its story, but the story it does tell is a good one. Even as the cultists get increasingly sinister as the film progresses, they are never fully demonized into generic horror killers as a different movie might have done. We even see the female protagonist finally finding peace at the end as a member of the their ranks. It is a good enough movie that could have been better with a runtime of half of what it ended up being. A simple little story like this one does not need to be three fucking hours long. Learn what editing is, please. Rockus - If Midsommar has anything over Hereditary its that it probably looks better. Aster gets a lot out of his exterior landscape shots and his often slow moving wide shots that feel creepier the longer they overstay their welcome. Like Asters previous movie its also anchored by a great lead performance though if I have anything to say against it I felt that so much of it feels inactive while things happen around Pughs Dani and her visiting party. I suppose thats just the nature of its premise as the truth behind the festival starts to unravel but for a 2 and a half hour film it can feel more strained than it would in say a 100 minute movie. Still rather strong though and something that I look forward to watching again to see what more I can get out of it. Thesmark - Its borderline as an effective piece of horror, but I enjoy it as a movie about grief and healing with the help of a loving communitytold in the most demented way possible. I was high on Florence Pugh after seeing Lady Macbeth in 2017 (highly recommend assuming you havent seen it) and this was her big breakout-without a good performance, the movie is just meanly humorous towards everyone involved and thats a bit hollow; she makes you invested in her character and her pain to give the film an emotional core thats maybe not fully in the script. Its a bit too long(even before the directors cut thats 30 minutes longer) and most of the film feels like one giant set-up to a punchline thats not completely worth it, but I still dig the setting, the production design, the thrills and Pughs performance too much to put it any lower on the list. FFDragon - literally what did I just watch BetrayedTangy - Ugh, I really dont know how to rank Midsommar. Its technically impressive in every way, it has a brilliant atmosphere and Dani has a brilliant story arc, but it just feels like a chore every time I go to watch it. The first and third acts are great, but theres something about the middle that I just cant vibe with. I think it just feels messy? We have all these side characters that are here just to pad out the length of the movie, but most of them die off screen. So, it all just feels like a waste, especially after seeing what they do to Simon, it makes me want to see more of their rituals in action and with the ungodly amount of foreshadowing this movie uses youd think wed see a tapestry for them or something. I mean it could be in the background somewhere, but with how prominently the other two were displayed youd think it was more obvious. Which leads me to my other grievance. Why did they show the love potion tapestry before the scene even happens? Its like they just slapped a Midsommars Secrets Revealed video in the middle of the film. Its like the movie cant decide if it wants to explain everything or if it wants to be vague and mysterious. Every time I reach this point in the movie, Im just completely taken out of it. Honestly, its a real shame too, because the entirety of the third act is just pure art. Especially if youre high for it, theres so many small details to notice. Im a particularly big fan of Danis flower that pulsates to her heartbeat. Very nice touch. I do have a lot of respect for this movie. It really just is the second act. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. https://www.instagram.com/horror_obscurities/ ... Copied to Clipboard! |
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