Pele comes with better advice by offering him to come on a trip to the Swedish Summer festival his family attends. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Those who don't die during the fall are killed afterwards by being struck repeatedly on the head with a large wooden mallet. For Dani, though, the purging is complete. (If youre confused, recall the cloth the camera panned across earlier, hanging on a clothesline, that Pelle calls kind of a love story.). further reading: Midsommar Talks Folk Horror to a New Level. While some try to leave and try to investigate, they all meet their end with a lie and are supposedly killed. The group arrives at the midsommar festival where everything is a bit off. That the bear image comes from a fairy tale also reminds us that Midsommar is more of a fairy tale than anything else, though as Aster pointed out to me in an interview its also clearly a folk horror film, in which outsiders visit a foreign place and start disappearing in pagan rituals. The left-hand side of the quilt shows the overture. A24. Hes currently paralysed. Thats a classic opening to a fairy tale (think of Cinderella or Snow White, for instance). Ari Aster's new horror film Midsommar has an ending that's about as horrifying as you'd expect from the writer-director who made last year's Hereditary. Peles sister won last year, and he hopes Dani wins this year. This film makes me wonder how the horrific suicides of the two older people didn't send them running for the hills. Also Read:Caveat Ending Explained: Did Isaac Escape From The House? The one on the top is Algiz, which literally means shield. Traditionally, a dance around the maypole could have ended in the year's new May Queen. The Midsommar ending explained the Pele's excitement for Dani joining them. This could, incidentally, be read as a nod to Swedens history; when they first land in Sweden, Mark remarks crassly on how beautiful Swedish women are, and Josh tells him its because the Vikings dragged the most beautiful women from other lands back with them.). The young women ofHrga drink a drugged tea and then dance around a maypole until they fall down from exhaustion. Theres a stark juxtaposition at the end of the film seeing Dani covered in beautiful flowers as she watches her former friends, many of whom have already died, be burned alive in the ceremonial structure. Midsommar, the latest from Hereditary director Ari Aster is a complicated beast. Something went wrong. It is a community that sees life and nature as cyclical. Others, like some of the ritualistic sacrifices, are a mixture of Aster's imagination and Viking folklore. The public celebration, organized by towns, villages, and community groups, was historically held on April 30th. They just seemed to buy their explanations and eat or drink everything offered, pubes and all. And what if she hadnt won the dance? Reaching back to films as old as 1933's King Kong through to the folk horror of The Wicker Man and Blood on Satan's Claw as well as strange genre fare like Satan's Slave (1976), human . Ari Asters second outing after the creepy and disturbing Hereditary. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Dani bitterly states how she thinks Christian would do the same. Thats just scratching the surface. What Happens At The End Of Midsommar In the third act of Midsommar, all other guests Pelle has brought over to his ancestral commune for the once-every-90-year midsummer celebration have been. Shes hysterical because her suicidal sister isnt returning any of her messages. Please enter a valid email and try again. What Ari Aster's new folk-horror film might do, however, is spark some curiosity as to the film's mythology and just how far it deviates from reality. Swedish actor Vilhelm Blomgren, who plays Pelle, described Midsommar as "coming home" in a way. There are six outsiders, four or possibly five are getting sacrificed. Instead weve come up with a bunch of things that made us scratch our heads and a range of points that, frankly, we just really want to talk about. After Dani soffers from a severe parsonal tragedy, the couple decides to go on a vacation to roral Sweden with their friands, Mark and Josh, to visit a small village that is hosting a fastival held once every 90 years. In Danis house theres a painting of a little girl wearing a crown reaching out to a bear. Originally, B-Reel Films and producer Patrik Andersson brought Aster an idea for a folk horror picture centered on the concept of "Americans going to Sweden and getting killed off." Meanwhile, Dani has been dressed in the white dress and flower crown the rest of the girls are wearing, and she lines up to get a small dose of potent, pungent tea before the dance begins. [EMBED_VIMEO]https://vimeo.com/39345149[/EMBED_VIMEO]. Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this. The ending of Midsommar kicks off after Dani sees Christian having sex with one of the villagers. In the final act, before Midsommar's memorable movie ending, Dani is crowned the "May Queen" after winning a maypole dancing content, and the film ends with a fiery ritualistic sacrifice. The R-shaped Raido represents a journey, but the reserve of it cam symbolize crisis or even death. Anthropological finds, however, put a focus on sacrifices in wells; Odin was said to have given up one of his eyes in order to drink from Mimir's Well and thus gain its cosmic knowledge. Midsommar is essentially a two and a half hour study of one woman's emotional journey towards emancipation from a toxic relationship. This festival is to keep the community clean. She's been given drugged tea that's causing her to have strange visions, danced to the point of exhaustion, and experienced the emotional trauma of seeing Christian have sex with another woman, followed by a release of emotion with her newfound sisters. The scene near the end of MidsommarwhereDani sobs and her new "sisters" huddle around her, turning her cries into a chorus, is a parallel of the scene towards the start of the movie when Christian holds Dani silently as she cries about her family's deaths. So its unlikely that luring her over to become the new May Queen was the plan, but more an opportunity Pelle saw present itself once he realised Dani was going to come with. The events of the end of Midsommar are fairly straightforward, even though theres a lot that happens offscreen (like most of the deaths, for instance, and clearly some Harga machinations and plotting as well). Christian is caught and has a powder blown in his face that paralyzes him, rendering him unable to speak or move. You go your own way, girl. When she catches Christian cheating on her, she runs out of the hut screaming and crying, but something different happens. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. And needless to say, this article will be packed with spoilers from the get-go so if youve not seen the movie move along! Throughout this section, Dani is trying to put on a brave face; she only lets out her guttural sobs in private bathrooms, with the doors closed. Unbeknownst to them, the fastivities include violant and disturbing pagan rituals, and the locals insist that they join in. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. This isforeshadowedtowards the start of the movie, in a conversation about how Swedish women are so beautiful because the Vikings captured thebest women from around the world and brought them back to their own country. The visitors are treated with a mushroom tea, as in drug. But it could also just be because its a cool image. She's hysterical because her suicidal sister isn't returning any of her messages. For example, theres a moment everyone believes Simon left the village without telling his girlfriend Connie behind. During the May Queen celebrations, Christian is given a drink with hallucinogenic properties, and then flower petals are laid out to create a path for him to the barn where Maja is waiting. The Midsommar ending explained the Peles excitement for Dani joining them. The final step is for Dani to be accepted by theHrgan elders, but she hears the singing from the mating ritual and walks to the barn. TheHrgans watching outside the temple scream and thrash along with them. As for ritual human sacrifices, known as "blt", the history gets a little murkier here. Lets dive into our next explainer on Us. These scenes give the movie a more surreal atmosphere. Shes also a future queen. Aster also uses the background to foreshadow whats to come. So Dani's successful survival of the dance suggests that not only has the devil been driven out ofHrga but that she's got an important part to play in community's future. Fury of the Gods Brings Back the "Shazamily": Inside DC's New Superhero Adventure, Scream 6's Brutal NYC Trip: "You Can't Trust Anyone" This Time, Cocaine Bear Is Not Just About a Killer "Coked-Up" Bear, It's Also an "Underdog Story", How Marvel's Wastelanders Podcast Created an Exciting Story with No Visual Safety Net, Midsommar Explained Questions and Theories. Due to Christian's drugged-up state, the lungs appear to be breathing. Later, when Dani is lying on her bed, we see that theres a large print hung above it. Midsommar is a visually gory and disturbing movie, even more so in the director's cut. The second section takes place throughout the midsommar ceremony. Peeping from the keyhole, she didn't see the full truth. The movie follows a group of college students who travel to a pagan festival in Sweden and get caught up in a terrifying ordeal. So who are the locals who are dressed up like trees? Dani . Midsommar borrows heavily from these celebratory and romantic aspects of the festival, though Aster obviously adds a vicious edge to them all. You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K, Midsommar's Ending Explained: What Happened & What It Really Means, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper and Vilhelm Blomgren Interview: Midsommar, Ari Aster and Jack Reynor Interview: Midsommar, The New Mad Max Might Break A Decades Old Series Rule. Hrga at first seems like paradise - full of soft music, white clothes, flower-picking, and dancing. is Ari Asters haunting folk horror film that stunned audiences in 2019. Josh is mad at Christian for stealing excuse me, collaborating on his thesis idea. After watching Midsommar the first time around, you may be hesitant to watch it twice (it gets pretty gruesome after all). After all that, you might want to participate in a late-night but still sunlit dance by the lake or, if you'd like to be that romantic sort but don't have a significant other, go pick seven different flowers and lay them under your pillow; your future betrothed is supposed to appear in a dream. This is why Dani smiles at the very end of Midsommar, despite the horrors of what's happening around her. Those who wish to carry on the May Day celebration can participate in parades and march while displaying traditional slogans on banners. The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries and Discoveries. Theres the overture: everything that happens before the title cards appear, in the snowy undefined landscape, when Danis family dies and she is plunged into grief. This causes a tiff until Christian advises her to come along to recover as well. She peers through the door, sees Christian having sex with Maja, and begins crying hysterically. She is given a flower crown and pride of place at the May Queen feast, and then taken to bless the harvest and animals. They are joined by an English couple as well. So heres a quick overview of Midsommar leading up to the ending, what happens at the end, and what it (probably) means, though there are plenty of alternate interpretations available. Business; Politics; Military; Elections; Law; Immigration; Technology. Its rich, gorgeous, lucid nightmare of a movie (check out our review) packed with shocks and images you cant unsee. Now, as Dani is Queen May, she needed to decide between Christain and a random stranger from the community. Their research included visits to local folklore museums, tours of centuries-old farms with paintings on the walls similar to those found in the movie, and traditional cultural solstice celebrations, along with studies of British and German folklore. She chooses Christian. The young women ofHrga gather around her and cry with her, matching her screams. We soon learn the Swedish people have captured the outsiders to use as part of a ritual burning. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Jump to content US Edition Change Shortly after this, she witnesses Christian having sex with one of the Swedish girls (after he becomes under the influence of drugs). By the end of the movie, four of the new blood sacrifices have already been made: British visitors Connie and Simon, and Christian's friends Josh and Mark. But Aster was also going through a personal relationship break-up at the time and found a way to make "this big, operatic break-up movie" that "became very personal." Rosie Fletcher is the UK Editor of Den Of Geek. Examine Dani and Christians relationship in the films overture. Suggestions welcome. During the feast following, Dani is led away to bless the crops, while Christian is led away to, uh, mate with Maja, surrounded by a dozen naked women in a semicircle who sing and match Majas breathing. (Which seems, if youve seen Hereditary, to be Asters signature move.) But if Connie and Simon were always for the chop, why were the elders annoyed with Ingmar? Florence Pugh wearing the famous May Queen Gown. Wed love to hear your thoughts too, let us know what you made of all this in the comments section. This leads to another weird ritual which sees the community inserting Christians body into a bears skin and putting it inside a temple. Because he pisses on an ancestral tree of the place where peoples burnt ashes are put into place. Related: Midsommar's Secret The Exorcist Easter Egg Explained. As the whole community mourns, so does Dani to close the film. We think this decision is more a journey of discovery decision. Then theres the first section, which begins two weeks before the group Christian, Mark, Dani, Josh, and Pelle head to Sweden, and ends when they walk through the big wooden sunburst and into the idyllic village of the Harga. Weve come up with our own theories about what might have happened and what they might mean. There has never been a boyfriend whos more of a wet lump of nothingness than Christian. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, and the Easter egg-ification of the Hollywood feud, The Supreme Court signals that a terrifying attack on voting rights will vanish for now, Brad Pitt was the only winner of the Aniston-Jolie tabloid battle. Pay special attention to when they show up on screen because they're representing more than just a tie to pagan lore. As Christian burns in his bear skin, he represents the symbolic casting out of evil for the community, and the exorcism of Dani's pain and grief. Towards the ending of Midsommar, most of the characters meet their end. Dani staggers around in her May Queen costume, sobbing, but eventually calms down and then smiles as she watches the temple burn - which is where Midsommar ends. Also Read:Roh Ending Explained: Netflix Horror Story Plot Summary. There are some exceptions to the rules against incest; cousins inHrga are sometimes permitted to mate, and each generation has an "unclouded" oracle who is the deliberate product of inbreeding. Pelle certainly seemed to be grooming Dani to become one of them. Ari Aster's new horror movie Midsommar follows a group of friends on a trip to a commune in Sweden, where the locals have some disturbing rituals. Then Mark was guided by a beautiful girl. Well initially shes coerced by Christian but later it seems as if shes gently seeing some positives in the community after all, its not all bad. The mushrooms the group takes upon entering the field before the village nearly unhinge her, but she runs into the woods to hide their effect and is only found by the group after she falls asleep. What began looking like a beautiful ritual with all-white color and unique structures and dances turned into one of the most disturbing to look upon. The bodies of the other sacrifices are also brought to the temple and placed around the walls. The Reality Star Opened Up About The Ongoing Expecting Rumors, To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 19: Release Date, Spoilers & How To Watch. At the same time, Christian is taken away and drugged as well with the same tea. The one which they burn later. Look closely and you can see other events from the film within the quilt. She came toHrga with no family, and now she has a new family. At least they're actually there. Aster's take on the people of Hrga is that their culture is deeply rooted in reciprocity, which is an aspect that's missing in the core romantic relationship at the heart of the story; this is where the focus of Midsommar really lies. Related:Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper and Vilhelm Blomgren Interview: Midsommar. For example, as The Week sums up, said runes are used in literal ways throughout the film, though it helps to know what they mean ahead of time. The pagan cult in "Midsommar" depends on many rituals that emphasize community, shared emotions and especially the shared ritual of grief. The outsiders are of course Mark, Josh, Connie and Simon. Later, Christian has a meeting withHrga elder Siv (Gunnel Fred), where she tells him that he has been granted permission to mate with Maja. Perhaps the sacrifice of the outsiders isnt dependent on transgressions at all, though that does make you wonder what might have happened if Dani hadnt become the May Queen. That seems to shake something loose in Dani. Furthermore, another thing to note is that this only happens every 90 years. You can split Midsommar into a few distinct sections. Should you. Midsommar has an abundance of overt and obscure references to Swedish folklore. She breaks down in hysterics, but the other women join her in her pain. Over the course of these days, we see Dani slowly realize how manipulative and emotionally abusive Christian has been. The core theme running through Midsommar is one of belonging. Dani likely stays because she doesnt want to lose someone else at this time, but theres a lack of shared empathy between the two. So who's the sacrificial character who gets to wear this rune? Pelle tells her that he, too, lost his parents (in a fire the details arent clear, but after watching the film, you might have a better sense of how that happened) and asks her if Christian feels like home to her, whether he holds her. When he is finished, Maja declares that she canfeel herself becoming pregnant - at which point Christian has, unfortunately for him, outlived his usefulness. Nearing the end of Midsommar, more than two hours in to its run time, Dani (Florence Pugh) is indoctrinated into the cult and sacrifices her thuggish and moronic . The paintings above the beds that Christian and Dani sleep in depict what will happen to them, like a kind of prophecy.). The sacrifices are an offering of life in exchange for life, and every year the May Queen chooses the final and most important sacrifice. The grim spectre of death overlooks the image. Midsommar's endingis about letting go of a bad relationship and opening yourself up to a better one - in a very twisted way, of course. With the yellow pyramid building aflame, the whole community gathers outside, howling as they did at the ttestupa. Theyve all been killed and are placed within a ceremonial hut. In the end, after she becomes May Queen, Dani hallucinates her sister amongst the crowd. Drawn intoHrga's culture and traditions by curiosity, a search for belonging, and the hypnotic nature of the Midsommar rituals, Dani and Christian each become a central part of Midsommar's grim final ceremony. Josh, who was writing a thesis on the place and studying this places Holy book, was advised not to take photos. Ari Aster. The outsiders, still reeling from watching the brutal deaths, are seated at the table with the others, and the novelty and beauty of the place has worn off. A lot of the traditional May Day celebrations have been shifted to the night before during "Last of April" festivities, and some of them have moved to Midsummer itself. But this time, they also clutch at their faces and bodies, almost dancing, as if something bad is leaving their body.