The majority of the film was shot in Hungary rather than Sweden, primarily due to financial constraints, but also as Sweden limits daily film shoots to no longer than eight hours. Principal photography began on July 30, 2018, in Budapest, and wrapped that October. Harper said the shoot was "arduous" due to the heat.

What did Swedish people think about Midsommar?

Indeed, Midsommar never claimed to represent real Swedish culture. Rather than insensitive, many Swedish critics actually found Midsommar fairly entertaining and understood it to be a horror movie rather than a commentary on their national culture.

Can you visit where Midsommar was filmed?

If you want to experience places like you saw in the A24 hit, then you need to head to Hungary. Ari Aster's Midsommar is about Dani (Florence Pugh), who travels with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) to a rare and exquisite midsummer festival in the Swedish countryside.

Why is Midsommar so controversial?

Midsommar even got some heat for its use of eugenics and ableist tropes, as if these plot elements were cheap ways to build horror. However, we could argue this criticism missed the point entirely, as the Hårga are not the heroes of the story.

Is Midsommar based on a real village?

Although there is a town called Hårga in central Sweden, the village shown in the film is fictional. Hälsingland is a region with a rich history, featuring museums that display violent depictions of ancient rituals from centuries ago.

True Story Behind Festival Featured in 'Midsommar' Film

What parts of Midsommar are real?

Some of the midsummer traditions in Midsommar are rooted in reality— dancing around a giant maypole, and wearing flowers in one's hair. But some of the more sinister activities are downright alarming, and it's hard not to wonder if they're concocted for the film.

Are the hårga real?

Seriously, plug it into Google and you'll find satellite images of the locale, seemingly rural, but not overtly occupied by a cheerily sinister community with a penchant for psychedelics. Hårga is indeed real, but the Hårga people, insofar as Aster conceived of them for his movie, are not.

What is Midsommar a metaphor for?

The cause-and-effect relationships between events in the movie feel suggested more than confirmed. The predominant read of Midsommar — one that Aster himself has more or less advanced — is that it's a metaphorical depiction of a relationship in crisis entering a tailspin and plummeting to the ground below.

Is there a message behind Midsommar?

Midsommar is essentially a two-and-a-half-hour study of one woman's emotional journey towards emancipation from a toxic relationship. The film has a happy ending, more or less.

Why do people find Midsommar so disturbing?

Parents need to know that Midsommar is an extremely violent horror movie from the maker of Hereditary. It involves a sinister, ages-old ceremony that includes disturbing rituals. Characters are beaten and smashed, and bodies are cut up and burned (in some cases, alive). A character dies via suicide,…

Why was Midsommar not filmed in Sweden?

The majority of the film was shot in Hungary rather than Sweden, primarily due to financial constraints, but also as Sweden limits daily film shoots to no longer than eight hours. Principal photography began on July 30, 2018, in Budapest, and wrapped that October. Harper said the shoot was "arduous" due to the heat.

What happened to Mark in Midsommar?

Mark finds the need to relieve himself by urinating on a sacred tree, causing a cultist to lead him away. It is not until later in Midsommar that his death by having his skin removed is revealed when an elder turns up wearing his face.

How historically accurate is Midsommar?

The short answer is that the cult depicted in "Midsommar" is not based on one exact group, but is more a combination of elements from several different pagan and pre-monotheistic factions. “It's a stew,” Aster said during a talk after a screening of the film at the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, according to Polygon.

Why does Dani smile at the end of Midsommar?

The Power of Manipulation Throughout Midsommar

In the end, Dani smiles at the memory of her past being set aflame, and we can't help but relate to the cathartic moment. Why? We shouldn't feel pressured to feel as if the perspectives presented are entirely right or wrong.

What was in that disturbing Midsommar scene?

Midsommar's most terrifying scene doesn't involve gore — it's the haunting murder-suicide scene at the beginning of the movie. Ari Aster skillfully exposes the horrors of depression in Midsommar, leaving audiences disturbed. Terri's suicide in Midsommar sets the stage for a dark journey of mental health struggles.

What does the bear symbolize in Midsommar?

Bears in Swedish culture represent evil and dishonesty. Christian's evil and dishonesty throughout the film is punished by him literally taking on the skin of a bear, and being sent to Hell. This is a horror movie, but the way it looks is very non-traditional to the genre.

What was so traumatizing about Midsommar?

The depiction of the cult's rituals, such as the Maypole Dance and the Copulation Ritual, are disturbing and filled with sinister undertones, highlighting the unsettling nature of the story.

Did Pelle set them up in Midsommar?

Despite seeming like he respects Christian and sees him as a friend, he is actually apathetic to his existence and it is later revealed that he was planning ways to separate Dani and Christian, given that he showed fellow Harga member Maja a picture of Christian to set them up.

What do the runes on Danis dress mean?

The meaning behind the runes that we see sewn into Dani's Swedish clothes represent her move away from Christian and towards self discovery. According to an article published in The Week, the Radio (ᚱ) rune sewn into Dani's Swedish clothing means “journey” in the Nordic tradition.

Why do Christians drink a different color Midsommar?

Christian's Drink Signaled His Fate In Midsommar

Many people will have noticed one of the most obvious Midsommar Easter eggs, that Christian's drink in the last act was a different color from everyone else's. And in hindsight, it couldn't be clearer why — he'd been selected for the traditional mating ritual.

What happens to Connie in Midsommar?

Connie Was Drowned As A Tribute To The Element Of Water

As she's wheeled into the building, her body is blue, wet, and covered in seaweed. It is obvious that Connie was drowned by the Hårga members and left in the water until they needed to use her for the appropriate ritual.

Why was Dani the May Queen?

Dani was destined to be the Harga's May Queen, and Christian was destined to breed and then die, and everything involving their visit to the village was orchestrated in a way that would best facilitate those outcomes.

What mythology is Midsommar based on?

A lot of what you're pulling from you've said, are from pagan influences and folk stories from Swedish history. MARTIN: We pulled from Sweden, northern Europe, some Viking stuff and some of our own fantasies. I'd say about four years or something like that.

What god do they worship on Midsommar?

Although their exact beliefs are somewhat ambiguous, it's possible that they are a Religion of Evil. However, they sometimes refer to the sun as their "Father" and there is mention of the Norse giant Ymir earlier in the movie, though it's never made clear if he's a deity they worship.