Ari Aster on Midsommar, Cathartic Endings, the Director's Cut, and His Favorite Films

Ari Aster joined us last summer for a talk at Film at Lincoln Center to discuss his previous feature, the unforgettable Hereditary, and we were delighted to welcome him back for another Film Comment chat on Tuesday, July 10. In front of a packed house, Aster sat down with author and Film Comment mainstay Michael Koresky for a discussion about his Swedish countryside-set horror film Midsommar, working with star Florence Pugh, and favorite movies such as 45 Years. Also, listen up for a few details on the forthcoming director’s cut of Midsommar, and don’t forget to read about Aster’s inspirations for the film in the July-August issue of Film Comment: www.filmcomment.com/issue/jul...
Film at Lincoln Center is dedicated to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema and enriching film culture.
Film at Lincoln Center fulfills its mission through the programming of festivals, series, retrospectives, and new releases; the publication of Film Comment; the presentation of podcasts, talks, and special events; the creation and implementation of Artist Initiatives; and our Film in Education curriculum and screenings. Since its founding in 1969, this nonprofit organization has brought the celebration of American and international film to the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center, making the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broad audience, and ensuring that it remains an essential art form for years to come.
More info: filmlinc.org/
Subscribe: kzbin.info_c...
Like: / filmlinc
Follow: / filmlinc

[@alexfortunato61]

imagine breaking up with ari aster and then he goes and writes midsommar

[@b_i_l_l_w_i_l_l_i_a_m_s_o_n]

When you think of it as purely a break up movie it really is legendary

[@ThePyroSquirrel1]

I saw it with an ex girlfriend and it was almost like therapy

[@MoleyRusselsWart_]

He’s the Adele of Horror 😬😆

[@novakai6668]

No no the Taylor swift of horror

[@frederickvictor2038]

The Ariana Grande of horror

[@jmcieslak0]

"I have like 10 screenplays lying around" bruh

[@yutarokida]

I KNOW RIGHT??? Watching his movies and shorts make think that I have no imagination, I would NEVER thinked the things I witnised and felt in Hereditary and Midsommar and I'm so excited of see how twisted his imagination can be.

[@AnAbstractMind]

Knowing that he’s barely even started is a gift for us horror fans. We’re in for some tasty treats.

[@_mel_9953]

WakeYourselfUp But we gotta remember, he might be planning on things other than horror as well. Which is fine ofc, but a bit of a bummer for us horror fans.

[@Austin-xu9ty]

@callmecatalyst he has stated his next movie is going to be an abusrdist piece, we don't know if their will be horror elements yet, but he has quoted he wants too make a 4hr nightmare comedy so fingers crossed :D No matter what he does ill always be at his next film though!

[@rebeccahopkins9522]

That made me SO happy when he said that. Inside I was like “MAKE THEM MAKE THEM MAKE THEM” 😂

[@jmcieslak0]

Imagine being on your phone while Ari Aster is talking

[@natashaprinsloo3718]

So happy other people also picked up on this.

[@emilyplacke6395]

I felt the disrespect 🤬 I would have loved to be there 😔

[@carlitostcb]

Why is she even there?!!! No attention span.

[@PaganPoetry]

probably not attendant just a production crew member sitting there...damn, it has to be an emergency to be on your phone and not listening this amazing director ....

[@lorelaiblaqk8093]

THANK YOU! I was screaming at the screen. Ugh. If I had the opportunity to hear him speak in person, I’d be on the edge of my seat. How rude.

[@fredskiify]

"There's plenty left. I'm just dipping my toe in the pool of despair." I've never been more happy to hear someone say something so awful.

[@behindtheveil6645]

We are lucky enough to see a legendary director being "born". We haven't yet noticed how lucky we are. It's like we are seeing a young Kubrick doing his first steps. I'm so excited to follow this guy's career!

[@Alligators_in_the_sewer]

As Above So Below don’t get ahead of yourself lol he kinda ran out of ideas and rehashed hereditary again. That should worry you. Let’s see if he has something new next time right?

[@stasis7127]

I feel the same, very exciting. Disagree with this Paul dude but he's right in that we should wait for what comes next!

[@Alligators_in_the_sewer]

@@stasis7127 something NEW lol not rehashed family drama nihilism

[@stasis7127]

@@Alligators_in_the_sewer Neither of these films was nihilistic, get a dictionary.

[@Alligators_in_the_sewer]

@@stasis7127 They are both nihilistic yes. In one a whole family murders itself and the son becomes a demon. In the second the whole group is murdered and in the end she murders her own boyfriend. Yea that's perfect nihilism. Explain to me why it isn't instead of your non-argument.

[@bethcrook8137]

I honestly would watch the four hour cut of this film 😱

[@lilchadaldrich]

Hes still working on the extended cut, he said it wont have the extra hour and a half but will at least have 30 minutes of extra footage. They cut a really big fight between Christian and Dani during the middle of the movie where Dani actually fights back with Christian fir the first time. I also heard that the film was NC-17 for about 6 weeks and one of the ways to drop it to a R rating was to get rid of Christian having a full on erection during the sex scene, and that actor actually wanted as much frontal nudity of him as possible. I'm going to see it for the 2nd time tonight. I saw it last night by myself and there was only 2 young couples sitting a few rows behind me. And I could hear the girlfriends getting so upset by the cliff jump part and the boyfriends trying to calm and quiet them down. Lol. I would love to see this movie with a packed theater.

[@Paperflower.]

@@lilchadaldrich he wanted as much frontal nudity???

[@lilchadaldrich]

@@Paperflower. the actor that played Christian wanted to go all out and show as much of him being naked as possible. He said you always see the girls get naked in movies but never the guys. So he wanted to expose as much of himself as possible. He talks about that sex scene for about 15 minutes in a interview. Search KZbin: (actors nane) sex scene midsommar, I'm sure you will find the video and he can explain what he wanted to do a lot better than I can.

[@willthomas2310]

Oh god! Lol! More power to you...

[@yutarokida]

@Jerom Of course! are you kidding me? I want to watch that!

[@jamiebull1685]

Ari aster should write and direct an episode of black mirror.. I think he would do it justice

[@eddietheguy12]

Absolutely. He could bring it back to it's former glory.

[@LordJagd]

Black Mirror is shite compared to Ari’s work, imo

[@jamiebull1685]

Jagd Töpfer Exactly, that’s why I think ari would make it so much better

[@Itstravbitch]

YES!!!

[@alexfurnas1263]

Leave Black Mirror to the dogs, Ari Aster should write and direct more of his own movies

[@gladysnajar2254]

I am a widow, and your films have helped me deal with my grief thank you.

[@Julietly76]

Me too. Thank you, so much, for your depiction/acknowledgement of the unspeakable nature of extreme grief- the life-changing pain, and isolating undeserved shame that drives us to endure it alone, in hiding...

[@bullsheet88]

How? Im just curious

[@Julietly76]

@@bullsheet88 I've been staring at my laptop for the past minute or so, confounded by my seeming inability to explain how, exactly... my thoughts put into words all sound obvious and trite.... I'm realizing that's because these films both had a genuinely profound effect on me, and my grieving, and I just can't distill that experience into a youtube comment, I love these movies too much for the oversimplification that would require.

[@Julietly76]

I will say this- awful, bare, raw grief, personified genuinely, is very rare in Hollywood...

[@Julietly76]

...But it's so much more than that

[@LuisMartinez-gt8my]

He’s wearing the same outfit he was wearing last year during the same interview aww 🤗

[@relatingwithrowan8689]

Luis Martinez IM SCREAMING. I didn’t realize that lmfaoooooooo

[@gavinoakleereed]

I noticed that lol

[@Intunewithtmill]

Maaaaaan i thought i was trippin i saw tje thumbnail like " i saw this before but why is it labeled midsommar"

[@christopherschmitt7989]

Proof that he has been working straight through Hereditary to now

[@realmediummike]

Nobody: Me: looking for someone to point this out in the comments

[@Intunewithtmill]

The girl sitting behind him is the girl he broke up with

[@Danusha_Goska]

:D

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

That's more horrifying than his films.

[@Julietly76]

I hate that I LOVE you for telling us this! But wow. I do.

[@Julietly76]

Although, given his brilliantly controlled and immersive approach to everything, her actions are most likely staged per his direction.

[@Intunewithtmill]

@@Julietly76 youre welcome juliet, and given his brilliance im convinced you are on point for sure.

[@bobtheman1]

Ari Aster ruined my life by turning me into a horror film convert :)

[@toxicsugarart2103]

bobtheman1 welcome to the cult lol

[@fluffy6628]

Yeah dude.

[@_mel_9953]

Fr I used to think that horror fans were weird creeps but look where I am now lmao

[@Wilsnap]

Kinda setting you up to be disappointed!

[@antoniettabombardelli8868]

@@_mel_9953 same...

[@bourbonernie9534]

Aster, and most of A24 directors, are a shining light and inspiration for modern, existential and psychological horror. Popcorn horror is fine but this is the real stuff that leaves you feeling empty and floored.

[@antoniettabombardelli8868]

You can say that again!

[@alicechapa]

Totally agree

[@marygaczewski5334]

Agreed

[@thebarky1988]

Spot on

[@surplusrevenge2013]

Most A24 films are total trash.

[@Tikklil]

I paused this video to go watch 45 years. Now I'm back, sobbing. Let's continue.

[@FongioHELS]

my favorite thing was that at the end of seeing this movie, one person in the audience clapped. one person, everyone else was confused. love that.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

Everyone clapped. I laughed.

[@desmondchristoper3049]

I thought about clapping but I restrained myself

[@fayedolan8882]

thats insane! the exact same thing happened when i saw the film yesterday

[@withnail-and-i]

My only notable theater moment is during Ad Astra during the climactic ending between the two characters, there was a moment of silence between two Hans Zimmer horns and the whole room resonated with a dude's snoring.

[@Gabriel-qg7vv]

Man...Midsommar litterally haunts me...the movie completely moved me, going out of the theater I felt a mix of sadness, fullfilment and...happiness ? The movie is so vast, so many things to see on the screen (the walls, the different characters in the background), you really identify to what Dani is going through. We litterally are witnessing masterpieces and future classic movies from this genius. Hereditary was more "horrific" in a way because it felt more "classic" in the way Ari was using horror but damn...Midsommar really moved me guys, am I the only one ?...

[@1564joho]

GabrielGunslinger completely agree.

[@joylessbananacomedy4858]

same

[@Nicolas-pf2qf]

fully agree, I felt like if I've just witnessed my favourite film of all time

[@emilyplacke6395]

SAME!

[@withnail-and-i]

I'd felt the same if there wasn't so much time dedicated to characters which I wasn't invested in (aka anyone other than Dani), dilutes it to a 4/5.

[@Sadtape]

Girl behind Ari was totally dragged along by a friend or something. LOVE his take on the ending of A.I. Didn't really predict he'd be such a fan but I think it makes perfect sense now.

[@BruceWayne-zj1kw]

Yeah, Spielberg is for lame-o-construct-o's. Ari is a real genius. He changed my life. Jurassic Park sucks.

[@nimblebimble]

@@BruceWayne-zj1kw Aster mentinoed you in this

[@19RaxR91]

too bad he spoiled it, like with the other movie he talked about, but at least he acknowledged it.

[@benedictusowenwijaya9702]

@@BruceWayne-zj1kw tf that has anything to do with spielberg and his movies, obviously a different genre! Get a life u miserable pathetic 🤡.

[@WilkyWonka]

First Hereditary and now Midsommar. This man has done it again with Midsommar. It was brilliant, it was horrifying and it was terrifying. I didn’t like it quite as much as Hereditary but, it is still amongst one of my favorite modern day horrors to date. I recommend you all to get to a theater near by and watch this one with an audience.

[@johnwright2911]

I can't wait for his next film, Disappointment Boulevard with Joaquin Phoenix!!!

[@justincox9915]

How can anyone sit and text the entire time this amazing interview is going on? She obviously has no clue who she is (or isn’t) listening to. Show some damn respect!

[@gavinoakleereed]

that really irritated me as well

[@thunderbirdrap]

Justin Cox what if she was going through a break up through text

[@orionsbelt7028]

@@jesselee2549 One thing is the indifference she seems to show the whole time but c'mon, you have to call her "bitch" and judge her by her looks? Tinder? :(

[@ammo76534]

Gabriel M Notes? I don’t think she even glanced at Ari throughout this whole interview

[@tomkyuu8426]

@@ammo76534 she hasn't watched the movie too

[@natalier4859]

One of many reasons as to why Ari Aster if my fav director is simply because he isn’t afraid to make obnoxiously disturbing films

[@renatoantelo5822]

Extended cut of Hereditary please sir.

[@esyphillis101]

Preferably one with that rumored ending where Peter stabs his eyes out.

[@LordJagd]

There’s a lot of deleted scenes online if you haven’t seen them already

[@freddiefrezza]

He's confirmed it's coming, 30 mins longer

[@jmeijer6995]

@@esyphillis101 Yes I need to see this!

[@ilovesecretagents]

@@freddiefrezza details?

[@rhythmoriented]

There is catharsis in closing the book on a relationship that has resulted in pain and regret. Midsommar does this from a woman’s perspective, and the brilliant Nocturnal Animals does this from a man’s perspective.

[@marceloaguires]

Well tecnically both perspectives are male. But yeah. I liked nocturnal animals way more

[@MrJamesC]

@@marceloaguires No. It's the character's perspective. Saying that it's a male perspective just because a man wrote the screenplay basically denies his capacity for empathy.

[@marceloaguires]

@@MrJamesC I'm not denying his capacity of empathy. And I'm not saying he didn't do a good job in doing it he did an amazing job. Bo burnham made also a great film of a teenage girl. I'm just saying it's still a male who wrote it.

[@MrJamesC]

@@marceloaguires But it's technically not a male perspective, at least not necessarily

[@bluebrawler3558]

a good movie to watch after a break up

[@JUNKO____]

A good movie to watch just BEFORE a break up.

[@moonr9023]

It´s so weird, my boyfriend broke up with me ( 3 days ago) , I decided to look for a horror movie to distract myself, Midsommar jumped into my eye out of nowhere... I´m so in love with it, I couldnt believe while watching.

[@imlistening6211]

exactly

[@emilyplacke6395]

I want the 4 hour cut! I think he's brilliant. Hereditary and Midsommar stand out from other "horror" movies in such a profound way 👏

[@depressedtv]

I really like the first question - "I think this might be a happy ending...and I'm curious what your response is to that"

[@polisherci]

I watched so many other interviews of him but this is the only one where he looks comfortable and understood (by the audience and the interviewer). thank you for uploading this.

[@kayla3751]

He kept apologizing for his tangents but every single one was so delightful and fascinating.

[@richardsantanna5398]

Just watched an interview of Robert Eggers and now this. The personality contrast of the 2 most talented horror movie directors today is intriguing.

[@davidbailey6397]

Ari’s initial response tells me that he was uncomfortable with the idea of the ending being “happy”. It’s really a cautionary tale.

[@bardoface]

Most occult stories are and don’t end well.

[@deusakremosa]

Hereditary and Midsommar are INCREDIBLE cinematic experiences, I do not have social medias other than YT, so, congratulations to Ari Aster, he has laid his name on Cinema History already, and keep it up, man!

[@chrissymoltisanti1892]

i remember getting broken up with when i was 19 and obviously at the time it felt like the end of the world, and on the evening of the day i was broken up with me and my best friend went to the cinema to see midsommar to try and make me feel better. i’ve never walked out of the cinema feeling more empty of emotions ever. masterful work mr aster

[@lailasanchez3172]

Ari Aster doesn't realize how prophetic he is through this film. I left feeling so many different emotions, the darkness, the codependency, the justice, and the grief. There was so much historical context mixed and matched, he's so humble, but Aster knows he's a genius. Brilliant writing and brilliant film making. The actors were also genius and really transformed into their characters. I feel like Aster's room for creative intuition as really made this film what it is... I feel like he tapped into something beyond us, he entered the midsummer nights dream. The spirits are dancing around him and he might not even know it. If Aster ever tries to write a film and puts the effort it will not be the same. This can literally be picked apart using new criticism, it was so real, hopefully, literary critics get a hold of this film and start a dissertation on it LOL.

[@djork6518]

i just want to give ari aster a big hug

[@anniedmusic]

what a genuinely humble, thoughtful, generous interviewee.

[@lesliechan31]

This movie is brilliant. I really hope they release the director's cut on Blu ray.

[@Terry-Cybil]

It's a happy ending. Joyous... In the most demented, maniacal way.

[@bluebrawler3558]

JoeEyeMonster well said

[@Terry-Cybil]

@@bluebrawler3558 :D

[@Alligators_in_the_sewer]

Bizarre lol

[@PkrBarMovie]

Happy? She just killed her boyfriend for being neglectful toward her and is about to spend the rest of her life in a phony extended family obsessed with morbid traditions and inbreeding... In what way is this ending supposed to be happy?

[@PkrBarMovie]

​@@Alligators_in_the_sewer To be fair, the movie itself seemed to imply that the ending was far from positive. In the last shot, her smile was tense, her gaze aloof and lost, and the music swelled in that Mulholland Drive-esque, eerily peaceful way.

[@Ivosferatus]

We have to say that if it wasn't for that girl who broke up with Ari, we wouldn't have Midsommar

[@twinlakepictures9601]

I keep going back to that scene from hereditary : " I am your mother " . It reminds me of my own mother and I break down every time.

[@kalibhakta8640]

"I am your mother who forced you to take your sister to an age-inappropriate party that she didn't even want to go, didn't send her epi pen and then blamed you when she died as a result". I felt that moment, especially since my own mother once tried to kill me by not getting me to medical attention when I was having an allergic reaction to some Christmas candy.

[@Dapryor]

@@kalibhakta8640 “tried to kill me”?

[@Marx-Lennon]

I don’t understand the negative reviews for this film. Another brilliant film in my eyes.

[@dredog710]

me either and I've noticed the people that don't like it have terrible taste in movies and don't have an open mind while watching this movie as they're used to the shitty typical horror movies with jump scares

[@conneroneill8506]

I think it was the stock college kid characters that cheapened it and made it feel like art school Eli Roth. And It was a script for hire situation, payed for by a tourism company.

[@conneroneill8506]

L B he was literally hired to write it by a Swedish tourism corporation who already dictated the premise of the film. It’s stock characters and he did his best but it’s not original or inspired. I think he’s a great director but this will be looked down upon in his filmography in the future.

[@ashlynsmith5159]

Conner O'Neill he’s spoken multiple times about the inspiration for the screenplay and the idea and how hard him and his team worked on every little detail in the movie, and even if that’s true you can’t honestly say that’s why people don’t like the movie. half of the people saying they don’t like it say it’s because it’s just like hereditary which makes absolutely no sense, and the other half are just calling him untalented, which is the opposite of true

[@monkem]

@@lb7661 If I don't like the movie I'm an idiot? That sounds like something an idiot would say :/

[@corytheweirdo12]

Listening to him talk about 45 Years makes me want to hug him so much

[@byrne_mazz]

i could listen to his voice for hours, it’s so therapeutic

[@BruceWayne-zj1kw]

I love hearing creaky voiced dorks stammer their way through explaining themselves.

[@magusking9215]

Jordan Peele over the top-praised this movie, without even having the music on it - as an early cut. And the music, I felt, is a huge asset to Midsommar

[@delonking301]

It's more raw and real without the music that's why its scarier same with midsommar.

[@orionsbelt7028]

I've just discovered Michael Koresky and I really like his way of interviwing. He is not afraid of exposing what he actually thinks and, at the same time, he is polite; he asks good and deep questions... I'm happy Good interview👌🏻👌🏻

[@markpfeffer7487]

Same! His interviewing style is really really reminiscent of Terri gross from fresh air. Listens. Let's the guest sit in their questions. Really digs into the work too.

[@Witchofthewoods.]

I wish I could get inside Ari's brain and dig around in there. He's a freaking brilliant genius. The master of cinematics.

[@ShaaneOh]

wow I’d say this is my favorite interview for ari that I’ve seen. Great questions, I loved listening to these guys talk

[@ThePeterWilliam]

The Shining is very brightly lit on the whole...

[@jeremyjohnfauvel]

I love how right off the bat he mentions how important the score was to the ending. Bobby Krylic did a fantastic job!

[@Roemilo]

I saw this movie right after I got out of a deep depression and my agoraphobia was finally leaving. At the end, I was so happy. I didn't feel sick or weird at all...but I think because where I was mentally.

[@Roemilo]

It was actually a turning point for me, it forced me to get comfort instead of cutting off the ones who love me when I normally feel low.

[@selenaparsley1122]

eye have such a crush on him. brilliant shy sicko. eye can't wait to see what else he creates.

[@andrewulrich5570]

Selena Parsley I*

[@prettynpetty8342]

I don't think I've experienced a film that made me feel physically sick quite like this movie. Combining the anxiety Dani feels constantly and the gore had me constantly on edge.

[@lucidguru2229]

Agreed.

[@gavinoakleereed]

got so pumped when this morning when I saw this pop up in my feed. I've seen their interview with Aster on Hereditary last year probably 3-4 times, and I was crossing my fingers they would bring him back for Midsommar!

[@hildamurphy4287]

Me too! I watched that Hereditary interview many times and when I saw this pop up I was beaming.

[@pwan280]

Saaaaaame, I’ve been studying Ari’s interviews and try to get exactly how he creates these beautiful movies I’m always up to date with his stuff so I was happy as fuck when I saw this on KZbin.

[@gavinoakleereed]

@@pwan280 same!

[@Talesfromtheshelf]

This man is an actual genius

[@mrbojangle6118]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@RichardJennings1234]

Modern Alfred Hitchcock, can’t wait to see what he has in store

[@skt1611]

Really interesting how he said Hereditary and Midsommar were wrote back to back and how they spilled into each other. As the “similarities” in the reviews I’ve seen so far have been a criticism (Which is beyond me). He’s completely aware of the similarity (now) so I’m very interested to see what emotions he’s going to dredge up and discover. Also - such a chilled and humble dude.

[@jbliv831]

Look at the girl in the background. Completely not present. So depressing.

[@johnny1334]

Justin Bliven one of those hereditary cult leaders I think

[@bforty79]

Far too common. :(

[@bethcrook8137]

Justin Bliven, It’s annoying that she is doing that because I would and probably others would too, give anything to be there.

[@PurpleNinjas297]

right? so unfortunate

[@xodancerxo]

perhaps an employee? I noticed that she didn't raise her hand when Ari asked who'd seen the film

[@24pablox]

Fight Club was the first movie that ever made me feel disgusted by the time the ending rolls up. It's my fav movie ever, and it honestly changed me and now I only enjoy movies with endings like that and now Ari might be one of my favorite directors ever and we've only seen 2. Wtf. More pls

[@imaminxkitty]

THANK YOU ARI, for reawaken awakening my love for horror films! 😭

[@saya1720_]

Is it weird that I want him to be the director of any possible future live action adaptation of Ito Junji manga?

[@saya1720_]

@Jed White lmao

[@franksfeet413]

THIS

[@kdog9922]

@Stevie Ray Klon same 🤣

[@kdog9922]

JUNJI ITOOOO 🖤🖤🖤💀💀💀

[@PrinceOfPersia8888]

Such a treat to listen to this guy muse in person and pick his brain a bit! (I was dude in the hat front row)

[@meow8174]

right?

[@NickRedfieldPlays]

@cyrus Are you with the mustache? Wearing black hat?

[@mattlawrence1932]

The score at the end made everything 100 times more disturbing!!!!!! Good job for taking your time with it!!!!

[@karlgarza7338]

Towards the end I did feel a bit of sympathy for Christian Ari has become an inspiration for me

[@tony69979]

This wave of contemporary horror is amazing, and ari will be know as a huge influencer on this genra. Aronofsky's mother, was an incredible peace of art in my opinion, and one of my top 5 of all time, but it didn't get enough recognition, What ari excels in, is using his excellent format of story telling while using the most subtle and impressive editing and sound design, Creating two consecutive masterpieces, that are different enough yet unmistakably came from the same source

[@jakegetscake4672]

Can’t believe he’s gonna go away from horror for a bit he’s seriously the best doing it right now

[@sidbullet1]

yea i was so sad to hear him say that he's pivoting away from horror for a few films

[@kalibhakta8640]

IKR? Romero's dead. Craven's dead. Carpenter's way past seventy. I expect that Ari Aster, Jordan Peele and Guillermo del Toro are set to be the new holy trinity of horror directors. Really, Mr Peele, lay some more of that social horror on me because right now society is the most horrifying thing there is and I just said that in a comment thread of an interview with Ari Aster.

[@looney1023]

That 45 Years and Andrew Haigh shoutout was absolutely everything

[@nickborrrego]

I have a lot of respect for this interviewer's awareness of Ari's personal takes during this.

[@qarsiq]

waiting on the director's cut!

[@AshtonGleckman]

This man is a *GENIUS.*

[@micah_noel]

The thing about horror is often that a death or even excessive multiple deaths will happen for the shock value of the viewer and then the characters seem to move on very quickly. But films like these portray deaths with actual consequences for the plot and the mental states of the characters moving forward.

[@sg6293]

He is a huge Bergman fan. I guarantee that his next file will be a melodrama and it will haunt all of us until we die. I cannot wait. Midsommar is the best film since There Will Be Blood; Hereditary is a close second.

[@sg6293]

*film

[@withnail-and-i]

Burning, Once Upon A Time in Anatolia and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives.

[@nickelbutt]

My favorite director of all time, and his career is not even 10 years old. Guys like this make me pumped for the future.

[@foxadeus]

shout out to Ari Aster the Master ;) the gift we don't deserve

[@JohnORourke.]

If you blink and look away, he's a dead ringer for Ethan Coen.

[@kaylabutcher3565]

I saw this in theaters and had the worst period cramps of my life during it but I still loved it, it's one of my favorite movies now

[@dafanciest392]

This guy is an absolute genius when it comes to writing and directing movies. Absolutely amazing. Real talent...

[@Dietpill]

This is a fantastic interview. Enjoyed every second

[@JasonPuckettNY]

wonderful interview, so many insights and disclosure from Ari. Looking forward to whatever he and his team does next

[@jessicadesmond-robitaille5972]

Would straight up watch the 4 hour version

[@Frederick0220]

Jess, you look scrumptious :)

[@plastiqbeach7487]

@@Frederick0220 down horrendous

[@BlueVelvet116]

I feel like the zombie girl behind him is some sort of a surreal teaser for his next film.

[@cirquedude123]

AFTER HOURS! Love that film!!!

[@Le-Big-Makke]

Ari Aster and Robert Eggers are the most promising talents right now. Very excited for the movies to come.

[@brentulstad3275]

Regarding the great "cut to black" being utilized in a film, I couldn't help but immediately think of PTA's Magnolia. Real & total perfection!

[@malicewonder8345]

The family finally _having you_ is not a happy ending. It's a satisfying one, though.

[@briankoontz1]

*Spoilers for Hereditary and Midsommar* Both Hereditary and Midsommar had happy endings *for the cult families*, while many of the characters, the *individuals*, were sacrificed. Both movies are about individuals being transformed into cult family members, while the rest of the characters serve that goal, wittingly or otherwise. Hereditary is the much stronger movie, in part because the mythology of the demon allows for a rich justification of the events of the film. There's a certain lack of justification in Midsommar - for example, the commune has plenty of contact with the outside world, including technology produced there, yet the *ideology* of the outside world is completely rejected. What happens in the real world is that cultures are "corrupted* through contact with other cultures - they don't retain their distinct form. In Hereditary, the cultists are never *separate* from the outside world - the culture of the cult is merely *on top of*, or in addition to, their identities as Americans, or Husbands, etc. In other words - WHY are the cultists doing what they are doing in Midsommar? Besides the explanation of "it's just our way" and some degree of anti-modernism there has to be the understanding among the cultists that torture and murder is part of a greater good. So take the "suicide at age 72". This makes more sense in a pre-modern world, when the lack of medical science meant that old people *indeed did* often lead very painful lives. But again, this commune has plenty of contact with the outside modern world, and can just send their 72-year-olds to a nursing home, or just wait until they actually need to be sent there rather than follow "Nature's mathematics". The cult in Hereditary feels much more logical and is much more believable as a result. I just didn't believe that Midsommar's cult had been around for thousands of years. They felt like Swedes who had had enough of the modern world and were trying something new.

[@plamondonworks6948]

@@briankoontz1 honestly, having grown up in a cult, the hypocrisy and the nonsensical part of the cults reasoning stays pretty true to actual cults. That said, hereditary was the stronger film in my opinion as well

[@kalibhakta8640]

@@briankoontz1 the cult in Midsommar to me has more of a feel of having gone to observing that this seemed to be the natural cycles of a person's lifetime and then trying to force them onto a timetable. That never ends well.

[@marjorieanquilero8616]

I NEED THE 4HROUR CUT! I WATCHED THE TRAILER AFTER I WATCHED THE MOVIE AND I AM CURIOUS WITH THE SCENES I DIDNT SEE ON THE MOVIE THAT IVE SEEN ON THE TRAILER. SO YES PLS.

[@gloverelaxis]

Absolutely fantastic interview, thakns so much

[@lolimass]

You are so honest and transparent as i image you when i was watching your films. amazing

[@kaylajackson9896]

I watched this film for the first time a couple weeks ago and was in awe the whole time. then I slept immediately after. I had dreams of death and flowers and an overall beautiful haunting feeling. I love how this film made me feel and I love how I keep coming back to it

[@jayrealuglah6011]

I took a 4 day tolerance break on weed and watched this after smoking and it changed my view on the movie compared to when I watched it sober. I can't imagine watching this on psychedelics

[@Ecutt]

I loved the synopsis ❤️

[@buzzbeats8245]

I'm really happy there was some decent banter from the audience and they knew some of his short films

[@chrisrookie1456]

Hopefully we get another next year!

[@laetitiapohl138]

i'm no director and have no idea about film, but i can relate so much to ari and can't wait to see more of his work

[@Bei.Incubi.Omnus.]

I was the only person in the theater that laughed audibly at the sublime horror during the mallet moment. I also was so tearful at the end that I averted meeting other audience members eyes on the way out. Ari Aster is freaking brilliant. I can’t wait to see the longer cut. I wish that he was making films when I was in film school. So many cryptic metaphors. Scholarly, for certain. And if he ever reads this? All I can say is that I’ll never hear car horns the same way again.

[@theuniversewithin74]

To me, Midsommar is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Me an my buddy were laughing at a lot of the stuff that is shockingly disturbing when the rest of the theater were in silent awe and disgust. I freakin love Midsommar, even more than Hereditary. I feel it's a much grander vision and even more unique than his first film. I knew we could expect greatness after Hereditary, but I never thought we would get such a protruding masterpiece. He's such a versatile director, his pacing, framing, his humour, script writing, etc etc are all top notch. Can't wait for his next project and I'm sure he's going in a completely different direction. I was in awe when I came out of the theater and I thought I wouldn't want to see it again to cherish the feeling it gave me, but now I can't wait to see it at least one more time.

[@Bei.Incubi.Omnus.]

The Universe Within oh definitely. Multiple times! I am most definitely looking forward to the extended version as well, just so I can freeze frame and study the details. Incredibly masterful. And I haven’t seen Hereditary yet still, but I’m almost afraid that if I see it I will compare it and it won’t live up to the feeling I got first seeing Midsommar and that it will be a letdown somehow. It kind of speaks to me on a seriously similar level to my own experiences, but in a way that makes it a lot easier to stomach. Ari Aster is deserves an award, for sure. And maybe a hug.

[@theuniversewithin74]

@@Bei.Incubi.Omnus. you won't be disappointed with Hereditary, it's a brilliant film. It's much darker than Midsommar, which feels like a comedy side by side. Ari Aster is incredibly imaginative and he has a original voice as a film maker. Can't wait for his next project.

[@Bei.Incubi.Omnus.]

The Universe Within I’ll definitely see it. The grief that Toni Colette displays in some of the clips I have seen, however, freaks me out on a truly horrific level that I am also familiar with. I’m concerned that might be a trigger for me, though it might not be... I do know “spoilers” so, there’s no real surprise, which may allow me to remind myself that all is well in the moment. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@warrenphilbert6856]

Hereditary stands alone! I'd never seen anything like it before!🤕💜🤘

[@withnail-and-i]

Diabel

[@aximtaioreunin7917]

Man, I don't know, when he said he still has 'plenty of despair left'..I hope he keeps it under control

[@monkem]

He's an asshole that gives his negative energies a stage - sure he feels despair when he sees what hes done

[@juju-vl7oj]

The ending of the movie is awesome, I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling first viewing even though I knew narratively it was bad. Then I thought about it in terms of how I interpreted the symbolism and metaphors and I became convinced it was a happy ending. Now Ari says it was meant to "feel" like a happy ending and now I feel like I have to watch it again.

[@timk6181]

I found the last stretch of the movie hilariously funny, and kind of joyous in the most counterintuitive way. I don't think I've seen a film do that before - is it still a horror movie if the horrific elements are not trying to inspire, well, horror? And if not what even is it?

[@gingram2]

@@timk6181 idk man even though they may not be trying to inspire horror, thinking about what is actually happening on screen makes me still feel horrible. Especially the sex scene. When she was singing and he starting going faster i laughed, but I still felt gross and uncomfortable.

[@Largentina.]

@@timk6181 Your comment could also be said about movies like Evil Dead 2 and American Werewolf In London as well. Most horror movies aren't always trying to horrify you, they're more just putting you in the shoes of horrific people or in a horrific setting. Then making you feel different emotions within them.

[@Psyteth]

@@gingram2 the sex scene to me was uncomfortable, weird, and for a moment with the woman singing and staring at Christian, almost wholesome. Then the old woman pushing on his ass cheeks and just the huge wtf look he has the whole time made me laugh as well. I loved thst this movie had me feeling multiple things from upon leaving the theatre and making it home. Like Hereditary, it is a film you can sit on and ponder for some time.

[@DrGregoryHouseIT]

I have to say I never did find it a happy ending, as Dani is broken and alone with an entire village of people who have secretly been manipulating her since she arrived, and in the case of Pelle, even before. And she has no way out. When they said that this was just the BEGINNING of the celebrations I even thought that they will end with her sacrifice.

OMG A.I. is my favorite tooooo!!! That's crazy because no one I know even likes it and most didn't even make it to the end. It always makes me cry like a wild banshee. Omg

[@buzzbeats8245]

yes we want the four hour version!

[@buzzbeats8245]

I want to see how pele manipulates the boys into being his mates

[@setniessesed6896]

Ari is cute as hell and so nice and respectful for someone who comes up with such messed up stuff. Hereditary affected me so much & I'll be looking forward to anything he does in the future. Want to rewatch it but I'll have to work up the courage first lol

[@SharonElizabeth2]

Please please please keep making films!

[@Scrumpilump2000]

Mr. Aster...we'll be watching your career with great interest.