Joshua James Pagan vs. Maliek Montgomery & Ashleyann Lozada vs. Melissa Oddessa Parker RBR.

neither of us had ever seen midsommar (we were torn between that and black phone 1), and then she put on the rifftrax of the original 1978 halloween but we didn't even make it halfway through. around when annie strips naked in her kitchen we got distracted.

 

Your read on Aster is almost exactly what I'd expect it would be - admiration for the artistry but appalled by his worldview and balking at his somewhat ham-fisted messaging.

I'm a low-level fan of his, based solely on Beau Is Afraid, which I spent three straight hours laughing my ass of at in theaters. That, and his student thesis film from college, The Strange Thing About The Johnsons - which is horrifically ****ed up and difficult to watch but also a strangely compelling half an hour of viewing that makes you go "damn, this is one talented & creative little misanthropic sociopath...wonder what he could do with a budget". Beau Is Afraid being the answer.

I actually haven't seen Hereditary or Eddington yet, so Midsommar was technically just my 3rd experience with Aster. I'd say it's my least favorite of the three - but I also have a bit of a crush on Florence Pugh, so it wasn't too hard to sit through.

The beat-you-over-the-head "boyfriend bad" stuff did get old about halfway in. It was very predictable what ended up happening. Agree, not a great ending. But very well executed film overall, with some beautiful cinematography.