Hope you enjoyed this video, I know it was a little different. Jake worked incredibly hard on writing and editing this so be sure to let him know how great he did over on our discord! dsc.gg/charlescornell
oh my god! just in time as I am currently binge-watching Ryan Hollinger's channel! Charles, you are amazing and this type of content as a series would be sooooo cool!!
I remember having a conversation back in high school about how horror movies are never set in broad daylight. This, of course, was prior to midsommar's release.
Having never seen this film, I’m getting the feeling that I can’t possibly fully comprehend the horror of the final scene. Knowing nothing about it, it looks genuinely beautiful, relaxing and fulfilled, as if the protagonist had finally reached their goal and this was a happy ending. I cannot possibly feel otherwise based only on the music and cinematography. So I can only imagine how discomforting it must be to know the full story.
Well cults do have that effect so don't get too uncomfortable you're justwatxhing a successful brainwashing that's hopefully just the effect of the movie and not a character quality of the person
At the end she was finally able to let go, free herself from all traumatic human ties. It reminds me of 'fight club', where this was also romanticised. Tyler Durden wanted his friend to reach this 'point zero', where nothing matters, you have reached nirvana... Or is it just a mental breakdown?
I saw it twice, once in theaters, and then once again to further appreciate the stuff I didn't notice as much cause I was so taken by the story, like the cinematography and music.
i dont blame you at all. i saw it twice in theatres and ive seen it twice at home to really comb through all the details. truly one of the most disturbing movies of all time.
Horror always plays on our deepest fears, and this one works with our fear that peaceful seeming cults/religions are secretly built on extremely creepy and evil stuff, regardless of how beautiful and positive they look on the outside. There's a spiritual horror in the idea that demon-worship is lurking everywhere, and people are too blind to realize. In that realm, everything is turned upside down. Being released really is being imprisoned, luminous rise is a tragic downfall, happiness is fear, peace is menace, destiny is possession. Everything is fake. Those who promise you salvation are out for your soul. The music supports those central ideas of the movie.
You hit the nail right on the head! And better yet, a lot of these horrors are anchored in reality. Things like this *do* happen. The only time we hear about them is when they irreversibly falter. I really would love to see more media that shines a light on that.
@@jellyfishi_ I'm not anti-religion, I'm just saying this movie did a clever play with the fear of religions/sects people don't understand. It's not necessarily a depiction of the truth, but our fear of what the truth about something unknown could be. The movie's theme (which is centered around fear) feels paranoid, that's why the last few sentences were written like statements, to get my idea across. No, I did not intend to hate on religions or call them all demonic, and I'm kind of annoyed that it was read that way, but what can be done (except explaining it now)..
@@jellyfishi_cult =/ religion unless it forces you to comform, and lots of cult use somebsort of religious facade, he didnt talk badly about religions but cults. The ones who use god to make people do awfil things, likr that one canadian cult
@@jellyfishi_I interpreted their comment as maybe referencing cults similar to Heaven’s Gate or Jonestown. A cult is obviously not the same as religion, as there is a clear difference (I’m even a part of a religion myself). However, many cults do use the excuse of hiding behind the label of religion to get away with a lot of horrible things. Their comment was posing a question of what would happen if the very belief systems and religions that people had ascribed to in order to provide them with comfort for so long were found out to be the opposite of what they had believed it to be?
Fun Fact about Midsommar: The Director, Ari Aster, wrote Midsommar when he was recovering from a breakup. Imagine being the girl who broke up with now popular horror director, Ari Aster, and influenced him to write one of the best horror movies.
One of my favorite things is unhappy songs that sound happy, and horror movies using happy sounding music. It just puts into perspective a lot of things; masking sadness, people not realizing someone is sad unless they really listen to them, the horror of falling into a bad thing and thinking it's good, the fact that depression happens in broad daylight and people ignore it or choose to believe it doesn't exist, or that they SEEM happy, so they must be. Something about happy music paired with something not so happy. Terrifying, and I love the way it captures that.
It’s the difference between luring you to a false sense of security and breaking it, like an attack when you are completely vulnerable, as opposed to an attack when you are already on guard, the pain and impact is gonna be maximized when you least expect it.
All i could remember about the soundtrack is how unsettling the music made me feel. If i remember correctly, there wasn't much of a dramatic or intense thing going on musically but still managed to make me feel like something is wrong but i can't point it out
The villagers playing the flute is really interesting to me. Like you said, sometimes the music gets so loud that you get the feeling you’re not in control. They’re playing the music. They’re in control. Scary stuff! Awesome movie
At 8:48 when Ari Aster uses this upside down shot, the movie implies that this is the point of no return for the characters. He also used this shot in Hereditary I believe. I think that makes it even more unsettling, because it is so early in the movie.
I love how uncomfortable Midsommar makes me. It's one thing to be scared, but it's another to be deeply, deeply disturbed by cognitive dissonance, by knowing something terrible is happening and yet it is unironically being portrayed as happy.
Watched this last night at 11pm. Casual horror connoisseur since I was a child. Constant ride of unknowable anxiety by the title card, never felt so viscerally uncomfortable in my own skin by the ending, basically felt like I was losing my mind throughout. Horrible experience, this will probably haunt me forever. 11/10 would watch again, bravo Ari Aster xoxo
Would never watch again, I haven't even watched it, and I never will. Not because it's bad, but because being manipulated into a lull of numbness and fake joy by a perversion of religion, is nightmare fuel, especially being in a country as religious as mine.
Normal scary music in horror: this thing is scary Angelic music in horror: *the thing you’re facing is completely out of our world and unknown. You do not have the mental capacity to visual the true scope of the horror that will happen*
God those strings when the firefighters are walking through the house that cuts abruptly to horrible sobbing By far the hardest part of the film for me to handle. So jarring
I saw this movie in the theaters and I can safely say that the opening scenes ending with Dani sobbing on her couch were probably the most terrifying out of the whole film to me. Like, it hit me on such a visceral level I almost didn’t know how to handle myself, because it was like I was being surrounded by the sound and sucked into the heartbreaking scene in front of me. Brilliant stuff.
I've always felt like when the score tells you to be scared then it must mean that this moment is as scary as it gets. But when a score says anything other than "be scared" or "be sad" or "be grossed out" WHILE something very scary or sad or gross is happening, then it means the worst is yet to come. And that *is* scary
Maybe this is the right way. I watched it, but some graphic details were so disgusting, that I feel that my boundaries were transgressed. Even though I knew that the film was a horror movie :/
And here we have a leitmotif representative of human connection, which derives from *35 minutes of ranting and raving about the Ring Cycle and other tangentially related stuff*
At a new school for 3rd grade, I was befriended by someone who turned out to be incredibly good at emotional abuse. We were "great, best friends" and she gave me tips on what not to do and acted outraged about something she stole that she claimed I stole from her (for example). Something felt so wrong about the whole thing, no one in the class seemed to notice anything weird going on, including my teacher. Watching this movie felt so validating, because to this day I have panic and paranoia trying to make friends with people, and I can't trust it will go well. This movie makes you doubt yourself constantly and never really feel at ease. The bullying I experienced (intensive for one year then more distant until college) has affected me a lot and yet to everyone I was around at the time, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Thankfully my parents were on my side, and I've been to therapy and now know this is something SO many people who've experienced emotional abuse have to deal with. Brainwashing is a crazy thing..
Ari Aster seems to just attract incredible soundtracks for his movies. Colin Stetson’s work on Hereditary is incredible, but I’d argue that Bobby Krlic’s work on Midsommar, while maybe not as iconic as songs like Reborn from Hereditary, is even more effective. If he continues this trend, the music for Aster’s next release is going to be insane.
I feel like Hereditary's score complements and heightens the tension of the already tense film. Midsommar's score instead tells a completely different story than what we see on screen. That is just amazing
i get that midsommar is like a very well known movie and that may seem “basic” to some ppl when i call it my favorite movie but- literally i cant think of another movie that has made me feel so much emotion and exposed me to so many new things and feelings i cant describe?? literally everything about this film is a work of art and i wish i could watch it again for the first time
The movie sucks and your a pleb. Just making a video and saying over and over excitedly "SEE HOW THE MUSIC SUBVERTS WHATS HAPPENING" is not clever. the writing in misommar is the worst
okay, but the fact that there's an URGE to feel happy during the may queen dance may be the reason why it's a favorite. It's a joyful folk tune and it's upbeat, making you want to dance with it as well. If maybe I had heard this without the context that this was a song for dance, I probably would've danced to it either way. But to understand the context now, it's not voluntary, nor was it even an urge, it doesn't feel like it, if feels like it's forcing you to be happy. Which is scary.... considering everybody in the town feels emotion in unison, not individually. The music doesn't want to make you happy, it wants you to join them, to feel like them, to dance like them. The fact that most of the music doesn't want you to understand what you're feeling is exactly why it's like that.
I think midsommar was one of the best movies on 2019 but I can not in good conscience recommended it to anyone. It is by far the most traumatizing, brutal, piece of media I've ever seen. However, I would say that if you want to watch this video, you should probably watch the movie. but again. its some fucked up shit. be prepared
I started watching this, paused it, watched all of Midsommar, and then came back just because the first five minutes of this video inspired me to finally watch it. Bravo Charles. Your passion and enthusiasm is down right contagious. :)
@@ashtons.8501 yes, triggered. Midsommar was a quite jarring movie, and for a lot of people made them feel great dread and anxiety. So you could be reminded of that feeling by hearing the music or name or other things associated with it
the music flipping back and forth between serenity and terror reminds me of how some cults get people to stick to them permanently. introduce them to stuff that'll stick with them or scare them or exhaust them and such and they'll grow further closer and closer to the safety of the group, and i think that meshes greatly with the themes and nature of midsommar
I like how there’s this sort of background droning that gripped me when I watched the movie. It’s like hmmm, that droning, didn’t mean to build a tension in me, but I only realised I was tense when I saw her smile and it felt like all hell broke lose.
For anyone who is going into this movie expecting or to be terifying or scary- you'll be left disappointed. It's more of a creepy feeling that crawls up your back throughout the whole movie which finally climaxes at the end of the movie with that smile.
Midsommar is one of my favorite movies in terms of horror. Daylight scares, themes of indoctrination and genuine shock and contrast. As a horror fanatic, I love it!
Good scoring in film is a bit of a lost art, but I'm glad there are still directors like Ari who acknowledge the fact that it's insanely helpful and that the music can actually be a character. Thank you for doing this essay-type video, Charles! On one of my favorite movies from the last couple years, no less. Do more! I think it'll help grow interest with people who may not always notice when there's a strong connection between the movie and the music. It helps promote curiosity and critical thinking when watching. Outside of video games, movies truly are the most compelling ways of telling a story where you hit on so many levels simultaneously; the visuals, the audio, scriptwriting, acting. Keep making whatever content you want, Charles, but I think movie score analysis should stay for the long haul.
That's basically a soundtrack that underlines the sect's way of operating (and any sect for that matter). It's confusing your emotions, and when something feels happy, it feels too happy. There's always something wrong and twisted lurking underneath. The scariest thing of all with this movie is that a lot of people actually think this is a happy ending. They fell for the brainwashing too.
Watching midsommar as a Swede is w e i r d as heck because a lot of it feels very home-y and a lot of it is SO alien. One of my absolut favourite folk songs is "Hårgalåten" (The Horga song) which is about how the devil played the violin so that the people in the village of Hårga danced until they died 🙂🫠 the music is very up-beat, romantic and pretty but the lyrics are extremely dark.
It's a pity you didn't cover the music at the end of the old couple's feast. That's the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard; it matched the peaceful acceptance, the underlying fear, the love they have for each other, the joyful celebration of the end... all on a bright summer's day. It's extraordinary. Perfect.
okay, i clicked on the video and realized that this would be an extremely interesting film to watch, so i went to watch the movie and not even 10 minutes in, i realized what i was getting into… now, two and a half hours later, i am deeply disturbed but also i have a collection of feelings that i cannot describe, it’s like i’ve just watched someone’s entire life played on a screen in front of me and this score exaggerates these feelings. i have no idea what what i am feeling but if almost feels like a deep darkness dwelling in everyday people, and they can be anywhere. i appreciate your interpretation of this amazing score but this has legitimately left me scarred…..
I feel so weird because everyone talks about the calm and almost joy they feel with Danny at the end and I never have felt that. It’s just discomfort and sadness because even though they’re crying with her they don’t really care about her and she’s just as alone as she was before but now with the facade of those people caring about her personally when that’s not really true
absolutely not; they truly care about her; she truly thinks she has found community here; and everything in the movie leads to this and it is earned. She decide the fate of her boyfriend; and that doesn't come from some brainswashing; he's truly an horrible person. It's crazy people apply a black and white point of view on this community; they have a genuine culture that is coherent; they care for each other; they just have truly disturbing traditions from our point of view; and that is exactly what makes this movie brilliant; as opposed to a boring "evil cult that brainswashes people" that the film was not about.
She s not "just as alone". She s been lured and trapped into this cultish, disfunctional community. They really think they can be there for her. Because everyone else is so horrible to her anyways she s left with no other choice but to accept them.
@@valdir7426 Killing is not a solution for any problem... no matter how horrible someone is.... killing is never right... .murder IS A black and white situation
@@jeppy4021 I happen to agree but state sanctionned murder through capital punishment or war is still the norm in our societies. yet I don't believe every american is evil due even if they're somehow complicit in the murder of so many people. I don't believe the aztec society is inhertently evil because they had human sacrifices either.
3:52 that over the head shot of the firemen going up the stairs is so powerful not only because of the music, but also the slow camera tilt making the shot unaligned to the stairs. It makes you feel so uncomfortable and almost physically dizzy. The colors also makes the scene cold and makes me feel empty inside. Definitely the opening of a movie to whish I had the strongest emotional response. I had the same feeling just watching the scene in this video and had to pause it for a sec.
If it weren't for Charles's voice over on these fragments, I would probably have a lot of nightmares 😅 for me, the sound of a horror movie is what makes it scary or not
Exactly! That's the only reason I get scared from horror movies, not from the actual killing or whatever, it's the terrifying music. But turning the sound off and being in silence while watching a horror movie is even MORE terrifying
I don't know what people are talking about when they say they're happy for Dani at the end. I was NOT happy for her. I was horrified by her brainwashing and scared that she would live the rest of her life in a community of gross murderers. Not happy. Not a happy ending. Horror. Bad. Nope. Nope. Good essay about the music, though. I appreciate y'all's work on this.
This is kind of something I realized today. I was listening to a horror audiobook and realized the a smile can take on a completely different feeling in a horror context
I think nobody on the entire internet has mastered the combination of making super interesting educational videos while also being a meme god like charles has
Best soundtrack in years. It was robbed an Oscar. As was Pugh. *Edit* Would have loved your thought on the music of *THAT* sex scene and the use of Frankie Valli at the end.
As we're doing horror movies, have you ever checked out Annihilation? It shares some things in common with Midsommar! In particular, the track at the end "Alien" is tense, otherworldly, but also kinda serene? And like in Midsommar, you have to decide for yourself how to feel about it. Is this encounter terrifying? Wonderous?
This movie was so beautiful, terrifying, and strange all at once. The execution of the characters and plot was crazy good. I am such a big horror lover, even tho I’m only 14, so this movie was crazy for me to watch, but I LOVED it!!!!!
I liked how the strings imitated the sound of emergency vehicles, but can we just talk about how it eventually starts to sync up with the lilt and force of Dani's heaving sobs? The opening to this film seriously made me want to vomit (on an emotional level). I'm genuinely surprised it didn't trigger a panic attack. I have multiple comorbid conditions, a considerable number of them mental or neurological, and that's kind of what the various instruments remind me of in the tracks. The clashing of comorbid maladies into an orchestra of emotional turmoil. Idk is that too much??? Sorry.
As with Hereditary's ending, it leaves you with this feeling of "this is absolutely horrifying...why do I kinda feel warm-fuzzies, though?" It's the very *opening* of the film that's possibly the most emotionally gut-wrenching (not the mural part; first responders part + the protagonist's wailing)
I’d love to see you do more videos like this. I liked this movie well enough when I saw it, but the more time I spend away from it, and the more I think about it, the more I kinda love it. You hit the nail on the head with what I think the movie was trying to accomplish: At the end, along with Dani, the audience is also brainwashed into the cult. We feel joy, and it’s... wrong, lol
The music is brilliant. The cinematography is brilliant. The blocking is brilliant. Notice, no matter what scene it is, there's always someone just doing something in the background. For such a small village, there is always activity, thus giving the viewer that you are not alone, you are never alone, and that within itself, is terrifying. I noticed a small moment the last time i watched it, before the Fire Ritual, Villagers are paying their final respects on one side of the preparation barn, while Maya is being consoled on the opposite It's an odd, minor contrast, yet given the circumstances that lead to this moment, and the events following, it adds it's own allure. Why is Maya being consoled? Also, how is it that the audience feels that Dani is safe? Furthermore, what would have happened had she chose differently? This movie is brilliant on many levels, but the very fact that there are numerous videos analyzing it speaks volumes The real question is this: How badly was Swedish tourism affected?
I loved how the soundtrack impacted what's on the screen. That's why I love Kubrick and Lynch films. The music in the Shining for example is as much of a character as everything else in the film.
So I swore I would never watch this again, but my husband never saw it so we watched it together. I picked up on SO much shit the second time around, it was mind-blowing.
As a Swede I can confirm that this movie accurately depicts a Swedish Midsommar, except the fact that there is a lot more snaps (Swedish liquor) in reality. Also, I loved the video essay, keep 'em coming!
My ex recommended me this movie while we were still dating, I didn't realize it at the time but she was extremely emotionally abusive and funnily enough she didn't seem to realize that she was doing to me some of the things the boyfriend does, watching the movie i actually saw some of the interactions between the protagonist and her boyfriend and went "huh... Why does that feel familiar?" But being absolutely manipulated i didn't give it much thought 'til some time in therapy. Now knowing all this and watching this video i can tell you that this music is kind of also THE feeling i had with her, being absolutely left in the dark as to what is going to happen, what is she gonna do to guilt trip me today? What will randomly make her mad? Will she be lovey-dovey today or will she be cold and dismissive? The feeling of walking on eggshells. Is as you said, is the feeling of not knowing how to feel. Really good analysis btw, i really like this kind of deep analysis content of very specific media, I'ma go see what else you have rn.
Man, just the day before you released this video, I was listening to Midsommar's soundtrack and searching for a rich analysis like this one. Thanks for sharing this amazing work.
love this man, as a musician and horror fanatic I think the world of horror movie scoring is infinitely fascinating whether we are talking about John Carpenters scores, the music by Krzysztof Penderecki in The Shining, the prog jazz band Goblin on all the Giallo stuff, David Lynch use of juxtaposition, to Ari's use of music. People dont give enough due to the multi-sensory medium horror is
I was just telling my mom about Midsommar yesterday (she hasn't seen it; I have, and LOVED it) and then you uploaded this! I think it's a sign I need to watch it again with my mom this time. Would love to see more videos like this!!
I loved midsommar sm, it's weird how you are kind of left feeling happy for Dani in the end, despite it being gruesome for everyone else. I kind of found myself routing for her the whole time and in the end she was finally happy or more at peace
I’m so happy you did this. I freakin love Midsommar and it’s so fascinating that someone like you decided to breakdown the score like this. It helps me understand why Midsommar made me feel so strange haha
Another thing I loved about the opening is the fact that even though you're overwhelmed, scared, excited- you can't turn it off. Turning it off, pausing the movie, is almost worse than just letting the scene play
7:11 It's funny; the reason we laugh when we're tickled is because our brain can't identify what the heck is going on and just goes "Hey, let's laugh."
I absolutely LOVE in-depth analysis' on film scores, (and music in general) so this was a real treat and I would LOVE to see more of this from you! Another commenter mentioned the RU-vid creator Sideways - and I would love to see yourself, Jacob and Sideways collab on something similar to this in the future! Very well done!
It seems like some of the tracks make use of shepherd tones, which are special tones that sound like they are infinitely changing pitch, and are known for making people feel uncomfortable.
I find it really interesting that they made a combined musical and visual overture. I'd love to se more movies using visuals to foreshadow or introduce their narrative in the future.
Watching the movie by yourself is the real experience, I felt barely anything from this commentary alone but then I watch the actual movie and I feel like going to sleep is a bad idea Love this movie, will never watch again
I Will NEVER Forget this Movie!!! The Music, The Graphic Content, The Feeling of Sheer Grief and Unsettling Horror is PERFECTION!!! One day I’ll bring myself to watch this again, but I will forever Praise the Work Behind this Film, We’ll Done Ari Aster, You are Going Places! 👏🏻👏🏻🥶😱
I personally see Midsommar as a ballad. The Atmosphere of the film reminds me of ,,Kytice" by Karel Jaromír Erben (the scene with firefighters really fits with ,,Vodník" story), there's a film version too, I hope it's as good as I remember it to be You really did a good work on this video 🤟
I haven't watched Midsommar as I'm not a fan of horror movies, but I've watched quite a few analysis/review/explain videos about it and I can see that Midsommar is a great film! However I haven't heard anything about the music in this movie and this video gave it a whole new layer. I admittedly imagined "typical" horror movie music but now I have an even greater understanding of how wild this movie is!
Best unintentional “movie review” ive seen for this movie hahahaha You did a great job on it; definitely has wisecrack vibes but your musical knowledge really takes a movie review/essay skewed to other level.
This made me think a way of interpreting the film as cutting ties with toxic people, just the music has this hurting but peace of mind feel towards the end of the film
Would love to see more of this type of content! So cool to learn more about the power of music in film. You could tell how much time and effort was put into this video and it paid off!
The opening sequence gives me a sense of childlike wonder. It feels like an overture for a children's storytime at the public library like "gather around kids. Today im going to tell you a story of [image shown at the opening]"
