How Midsommar Brainwashes You

The ecstasy of indoctrination.
Support my work: www.patreon.com/NathansArtProject
paypal.me/AcolytesOfHorror
Twitter: LIGHTNINGWOW
Special Thanks to Phoebe Kuhlman. She made this video a million times better in so many ways, big and small.
Featuring the Voices of Anthony Backman, Phoebe Kuhlman, Tim Kopacz, Guy Picot, Bruno Oliver, Marian Gonzalez, Sarah Cortez, David Miller, Tyler Wellman, Jaime Andrews, Jessie Bias, Kellen Crager, Jason Matthis
Check out my pre-Acolytes of Horror video essays that also analyze scary stuff:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Soundscape of Sally’s Screams kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXjRdHqNedpsrdk
Degenerate Art vs Hitler kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKTWYoRqeM1nhpo
The Night of the Hunter: Victims of Faith kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooarpWOmlN1jgq8
Darren Aronofsky: Horror as Greek Tragedy kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJK7hZSLjMyHbLs
Misery: Monsters Aren’t Always Mysterious kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXyZc6KYZdiYosU
The Existential Dread of the Elevator Shift kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZnTmYKtZ8yYqac
SOURCES
Adam Chitwood, ‘Midsommar’ Ending Explained: We’re All in This Together collider.com/midsommar-ending-explained/
Alexandra Stein, How Totalism Works www.academia.edu/33605474/How_Totalism_Works_-_Aeon_Magazine
Alissa Wilkinson, Ari Aster on his new film Midsommar: “I keep telling people I want it to be confusing” www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/2/18744431/ari-aster-midsommar-interview-spoilers
Britt Hayes, Midsommar Takes A Cathartic Trip From Trauma To Acceptance birthmoviesdeath.com/2019/07/08/midsommar-cathartic-trip
Carly Lane, How Midsommar Illustrates The Catharsis Of Expressing Emotion www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-midsommar-illustrates-the-catharsis-of-expressing-emotion
CIY schedule new.ciy.com/move/dates-locations/info/mov20fl3
Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow
Danielle Ryan, ‘Midsommar’: Ari Aster and Florence Pugh’s Complex, Climactic Catharsis www.slashfilm.com/midsommar-catharsis/
Fleur Brown, I grew up in a cult and I can tell you why ‘normal’ people join them www.insider.com/i-grew-up-in-a-cult-and-i-can-tell-you-why-normal-people-join-them-2018-3
George Write, Nxivm: ‘Why I joined a cult - and how I left’ www.bbc.com/news/world-47900242
Glenn Collins, The Psychology of the Cult Experience nytimes.com/1982/03/15/style/the-psychology-of-the-cult-experience.html
Hillary Hoffower and Allana Akhtar, Lonely, burned out, and depressed: The state of millennials’ mental health entering the 2020s www.businessinsider.com/millennials-mental-health-burnout-lonely-depressed-money-stress
J. Gordon Melton, The Rise of the Study of New Religions www.cesnur.org/testi/bryn/br_melton.htm
Karen Han, Is the cult in Midsommar real? www.polygon.com/2019/7/5/20681187/midsommar-spoilers-cult-harga-ari-aster
Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism
Mark Olsen, ‘Midsommar’ explained: The filmmakers unpack the sex, reituals and shocking ending www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-midsommar-spoilers-ari-aster-jack-reynor-20190703-story.html
Meagan Navarro, Midsommar Director Ari Aster on Hidden Clues and the Debate Surrounding the Controversial Ending consequenceofsound.net/2019/07/ari-aster-midsommar-interview/
Minda Zetlin, Millennials Are the Loneliest Generation, A Survey Shows www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/millennials-loneliness-no-friends-friendships-baby-boomers-yougov.html
Now It’s Dark, Midsommar: How Ari Aster Unsettles You kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWfPg2eMg8aVgJY
Ryan Hollinger, Why Midsommar Broke Me kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqDVaKewpJ2kp8U
Tara Isabella Burton, What is a cult? aeon.co/essays/theres-no-sharp-distinction-between-cult-and-regular-religion
FOOTAGE FROM
Midsommar
The Wicker Man (1973)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
THX 1138
Jaws
CIY
Film At Lincoln Center, Ari Aster on Midsommar, Cathartic Endings, the Director's Cut, and His Favorite Films, kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4GqkoOKmdOiZ5I
4K Relaxation Channel, PHACELIA FLOWERS FIELD Relaxation Video - THANK YOU-video to ALL our subscribers! - FREE DOWNLOAD kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4O5eHianNdjbM0
MUSIC
“All Creatures of Our God And King” by William Henry Draper, played by LiahonaNet at kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpbYmIKJl5d2d68
“Banished” by Mark Korven, from The Witch Soundtrack
“Prism” by Tim Hecker, from Virgins
“Prophecy,” “Gassed,” “Halsingland,” and “Fire Temple” by Bobby Krlic, from Midsommar Soundtrack
“Rivers of Sand” by Fennesz, from Venice
“Six Hours To Louisiana, Black Coffee Going Cold” by The KLF, from Chill Out
“The Mirror Reflecting (Part 1)” by The Haxan Cloak, from Excavation
“Under Stars II” by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, & Roger Eno, from Apollo
“Winter’s Bone” by Kirsten Agresta Copely, from Around the Sun

[@mickefy]

“Fatigue becomes surrender” sums up why people stay in abusive relationships.

[@andrewcruz1931]

Or any relationship really .

[@Ninjaagentxx]

Big facts

[@jaredharvey770]

know it all too well

[@tokyocrystal]

Whew, a gospel 😔💔

[@WobblesandBean]

Yup. You hit the nail on the head.

[@tahamohammad1741]

What disturbed me most is how Pelle was so sweet and welcoming yet he orchestrated the whole thing and knew exactly what would happen to everyone this just comes to show that “the devil doesn’t come dressed in red and with horns he comes as everything you ever wanted”

[@Makberries]

Yes!! I kept thinking about this the entire time I was like “but he knows that xyz happened between Dani and Christian or like he knows that abc will happen why doesn’t he do anything?” Then it hit like a ton of bricks.

[@aryanpugilist]

I clocked him from the get go. Litteraly the first time he spoke to Danny I knew he was bad news.

[@defensiveninja3419]

bruh i realized that when Pelle didn't explain or even warned his friends that the two elders will jump off the cliff. Any normal human being would warn if they know that you will find it weird what you or your family do normally. He apologizes to them but never do anything and just watch them go die one by one.

[@AZ-jd5cr]

He is sweet and welcoming because he doesn’t believe what is about to happen is actually bad. He believes in their traditions and does not see them as wrong. So he does not feel bad having them participate in their traditions. He actually believes he is pure with his motivations.

[@kiayathegoat8424]

aye i peeped ur XO

[@raccoonavi]

there's no scarier trap than one that you never want to leave

[@chaz4110]

Oh hey you’re the guy from Instagram

[@melodys9188]

thinking of Mabel from Gravity Falls -w-

[@rumory]

thank you for that insightful quote mr raccoon

[@idkwasisupposedtoputaclevernam]

@Melody S bro same. I remember bill saying how Mable's bubble was his most diabolical trap. I final understand why it is so evil.

[@krumplickapipinkova2388]

yeah. mabel's bubble taught me that

[@onyxfay3800]

Cult survivor here. This is a spot on breakdown of how anyone can end up in a cult.

[@brian8507]

What cult

[@megdigshair]

Please share; if you are comfortable. If not I understand and I am so sorry you went through this. I hope you are safe and happy now.

[@brian8507]

@@megdigshair I'm guessing Lds or something like that. Like a cult but not really that bad

[@lil_lima_bean]

Survivor here. I completely agree.

[@brian8507]

@@lil_lima_bean what cult

[@angelinageorgy]

i cant believe i just spent almost half an hour watching a video about how a movie i haven't watched brainwashed me

[@vvenomous6240]

LMAO U TOO

[@luisa1563]

kajdwjd omg me too!

[@angelinagarcia131]

Me too me too

[@YourMajesty143]

We're all in a cult, guys. The cult of youtube lol

[@Thekillerhillz]

Same

[@sarahe8459]

I was so shocked when I found out that some people thought the ending was happy or satisfying. The ending upset me so much because I realized all hope of her escaping was lost

[@gelatinouse.beanmire7052]

Yeah i know right? I saw some KZbin videos where they didn't like it because it was female empowering and that says a lot more on your views than the movie itself.

[@peachykenn1492]

Same, it overwhelmed me to the point where I started crying and breathing heavily. I still can't believe people smiled with her.

[@Papabandana]

For me, I was hyperventilating and laughing hysterically. I was honestly so fucking shocked

[@DannyHFrey]

i felt so sick to my stomach bc i really did feel why she was smiling

[@HisameArtwork]

this film looks mind-numbingly boring and stupid. but Acolytes of Horror makes it seem interesting so maybe I'll watch it. reminds me of russian films though and I never cared for them.

[@ot7biasedmashups]

"Why do we smile at the end of Midsommar" Y'ALL WAS SMILING?!

[@sakareeh]

Right wtf? My friends and I watched it together we were disgusted

[@ashantal5172]

I was. 😘

[@nadg866]

that's what I am asking everytime I hear this question

[@mhd1442]

I was because the music manipulated me to feel that way

[@zhasyane]

Ikr? I was disgusted 😌

[@jackiebrunk664]

Pelle's headress during ceremonies is made from vetch- an incredibly invasive weed that's almost impossible to eradicate from your garden. As it grows it winds & tangles & wraps itself around other plants. At the same time, it's a pretty weed & looks delicate & innocent enough. Absolutely love the details & omens woven into this movie. It's so terrifying because it's so beautiful & enchanting.

[@hellhound74]

On top of that, several characters who are sacrificed have the nordic rune symbolizing self sacrifice for the good of others stiched into their clothes The old lady who jumps from the cliff has it on her dress, and one of the guys who ends up getting sacrificed unwillingly has the rune on his shoulder (it looks like a arrow pointing upwards) They put in some CRAZY research into this movie and if you notice these things the movie only gets more and more unsettling

[@Chck314]

interesting observation

[@okha8452]

Wow!! I was wondering about his crown. This is so cool

[@ScottShedd123]

That's a cool factoid, certainly goes with the theme.

[@alexramos308]

as interesting as that theory is, it’s actually just plumosa fern and italian ruscus, commonly used foliage in the floral industry

[@pagenein]

As a Swedish person I feel obligated to say that the constant sunlight felt disillusioning and just as a reminder of the facade of the cult, because everyone knows it always rains on midsummer

[@babou4947]

Fucking true hahaha

[@lazerbeamlightningstorm5844]

Strangely very comforting. I still want to visit either way.

[@xkathygee]

It's probably because the gods are with them. To get the sacrifices they turn on the party lights.

[@No-nl8jn]

Same in Danmark

[@miamorg2352]

Hahahaha ja det är midsommar 😂😂

[@misterscruffle]

Seriously this actress blew me away, she was so good at emotions and bottling them in and letting them explode.

[@fanyr4319]

Not to polish my own knob but some of us do it everyday

[@bubs1687]

she kinda sucked ass at crying bro

[@baconismything3585]

@@fanyr4319 Yea but they meant the actress. I don’t think anyone can fake those emotions, especially on screen.

[@lunaginebra]

I fell in love with her in this movie and Little women

[@benjaminjackson9449]

@@bubs1687 Thats the point. It's the uncontrollable depression crying and she's really good at it.

[@blueberry-vo9js]

Pele said he lost both his parents in a fire and I can only assume that they volunteered to be burnt, which makes the movie even more shocking

[@morgaaaaaa]

shiT, never thought about it like that

[@julianaxoxo6584]

yess thought of this straight away.

[@Katyamuffin]

Oh my god, I forgot he said that. That would make sense...

[@agirlhasnoname3580]

Immediately after he said his parents were burnt I thought that this might be some ritual

[@paveljuga7068]

Didn't they say that the ritual takes place every 90 years? So unless Pele is around 100 years old, I don't think that's the case.

[@NotCharAznable]

It’s crazy how so many people didn’t get Midsommar. Especially after seeing Hereditary. Dani at the end is literally broken beyond repair. It’s not happiness, just hysteria.

[@havenprice]

She is so tired that she gives up thinking for herself. They smile, so she does. Its like giving the pain away and convincing herself its alright. Purposefully stopping herself from thinking any further

[@chroniclesoftheunknowm]

Therefore continuing the ritual to put the blame of those traumatic experience on a demonic figure, which for this cult was the bear. A classic Us vs them

[@japanpanda2179]

I get Midsommar entirely. 2,000 years of Christian propaganda have convinced people that any sort of "alternative" religions or morality are evil, and Midsommar only serves to propagate that. Ever seen a movie where a pagan religion, cult, or new religion has been portrayed as anything other than evil? Didn't think so.

[@Chck314]

that's your interpretation, not necessarily the correct one. Dani's boyfriend and his crew were bad people as well, so we are meant to be conflicted. Did they deserve to die? That's for the audience to decide, Aster has said many times, that there isn't one correct interpretation of this film.

[@frog3630]

@@Chck314that’s not even interpretation she literally got brainwashed into a cult lmao

[@sefogonzales5864]

People thought Pelle was a nice and caring guy because of the contrast to Christian meanwhile I felt like he was being really manipulative the entire time lol

[@SoVidushi]

I wanted to punch him anytime he was being nice to dani, idk why

[@carissa4551]

they were both manipulative but in different ways. i never liked either of them throughout the movie

[@nette9206]

f o i l

[@W34KN35S]

Exactly lol , on the freaking mural at the beginning , his character is portrayed or drawn as the puppet master or the one controlling everything.

[@crodo123]

I don't understand how people think Christian is "THE antagonist" of the movie. Like how dumb do you have to be. He's a bit a douche but he doesn't kidnap people to get them sacrificed.

[@Mogle019]

To me, the smile symbolises that the brainwashing is complete and she is now one of them. Film ends

[@sergiosepulvedajaramillo3121]

Now that I remember, it is quite similar to the ending of George Orwell's "1984".

[@jessicaade2629]

Sergio Sepúlveda Jaramillo excellent observation!

[@phoebe2562]

@@sergiosepulvedajaramillo3121 Wow I would have never made that connection but that is so true, of course midsommar isnt even comparable to 1984 though ahahahah

[@Heyhaliegh]

Yep. I thought to myself I guess atleast now she won’t have to remember all of her trauma but now I’m realizing that this movie totally manipulated me into thinking that because honestly it’s better to remember trauma than be manipulated by a cult... so sad... honestly a lot of people say they felt disgust when it ended I felt kind of empty and sad knowing that everyone just died all for a cult...

[@rickytikitavi4101]

@@sergiosepulvedajaramillo3121 That was my first thought when I saw the film. When I was 18 I read 1984 and it traumatized me completely. My parents escaped the USSR so I kept expecting Winston to do the same, but instead I got a total mindfuck that made me question everything I know. When Dani smiled after betraying her boyfriend, it was an unsettling but very familiar feeling, and my first thought was "Oh! she's Winston!"

[@aurielmusic]

The fact that many people apparently think the movie had a happy ending or that Dani found a new family and freedom for herself etc shocks me way more than the movie itself. That is a testament to the fact that these things can happen and do happen in real life, in real world. That is truly scary.

[@reksub10]

those people most likely dont know about Huxley's work or soma or B.F Skinners work as well.

[@moonlily1]

To me it's an ambiguous ending. I think that if she accepts them, they will allow her in; they need her for genetic diversity and Pelle wants to hit that, plus there's no guarantee that Christian fucking Maja just the once will result in a pregnancy and no guarantee then that it will come to term. It's good to have a backup; if Dani marries Pelle and they have several babies all the better for their group, and if they come asking questions about Christian and all she can say that they all took off without her and doesn't know what became of them; with no proof to the contrary, this helps the Horga stay away from the heat. It could be a superficially happy ending, except Dani can't leave if she changes her mind, and she isn't really Dani anymore, not the one we knew.

[@damjanp7920]

I know I'm gonna get called sexist for saying this, but 90% of people I've seen say the ending is happy were women lmao. Justyfing her killing her boyfriend (who was a scumbag, no denying that), saying shit like "she got out of a toxic relationship/she's finally allowed to be her true self/you go girl" and similar shallow "self-help type" shit. There's a pattern I see here

[@moonlily1]

@@damjanp7920 Well. you're probably right, except that you can't always tell the gender of the person by their handle. Most people assume that I'm a man, but I am not. I don't, however, think that the death was justified. I get what you're saying, I cringe when I see bitches cheering for Amy from Gone Girl. I'm like, y'all know she's a narcissistic sociopath, right? She ain't doing this because of a broken heart, she's doing this because he made her look bad, and can you really blame him for cheating? I'd be looking for a way out of that marriage too. Christian is an asshole. But not to the extent that he deserves to be drugged, raped, incapacitated, sown into a bear and set on fire. You gotta be much worse than a shitty boyfriend and a backstabbing friend to deserve that.

[@damjanp7920]

@@moonlily1 True that I can't always tell but in this instance the way they write stuff makes it seem like that specific type of women. But yeah, for every woman that completely misses the point there's one that got the movie better than I did anyway, from what I can see in the comment section I do kinda think Christian did deserve to die (not in such a gruesome way tho) because of the way he backstabbed Josh after he stole the book. If Josh was alive by that point, what Christian told the older dude would've almost certainly killed Josh. That was maybe the worst part about him to me. One thing is not caring about your gf and treating her like shit but being okay with (from his viewpoint of not knowing Josh was dead) getting your friend killed is way worse imo. So yeah, I'm not glad the director felt Dani was justified in killing him cause of the way he treated her specifically but at the same time I'm glad he died

[@MarioMario-uy2my]

The director literally said that the ending was not a happy ending, and that it's concerning if anyone thinks it is

[@japanpanda2179]

Where did the director say this? I want to have a beef with them.

[@sidnew2739]

​@@japanpanda2179If you think it's a happy ending, you should see a psychiatrist.

[@MelancholicMoonbeams]

​@@japanpanda2179why.. do you think it's a good ending? If so you're stupid

[@Ks2006mp3]

@@japanpanda2179 why would you have beef? You really think that this vulnerable girl dealing with grief joining a murderous cult is a happy ending??

[@thenixx996]

I have never heard an actress cry with such absolute pain. she's an incredible actress when needing to portray true despair.

[@peperika7845]

Nicola-Dee Van Ass, I know I also think of how exhausting it must be if she did multiple takes with her sobbing scenes.

[@Ashes2Ashes_Blush2Blush]

There was also Zoë Saldana in Avatar.

[@ragerach3766]

What about Toni Collette in Hereditary? It gave me chills 😰 it felt so genuine Ari Aster is an amazing director though, picked some brilliant actors for his movies

[@MS-uj5ui]

She deserves an Oscar for her acting. It’s amazing.

[@misterscruffle]

She was amazing in this film, so disturbing to watch

[@ArtAttack98]

Pelle was the scariest character for me… the way he acted insanely sane and sanely insane throughout the movie was terrifying and gave me trust issues.

[@emmavictoria1169]

exactly. I don’t get how people liked him, he was so manipulative to Dani

[@kim-qe9le]

lmfao

[@ninaroux8791]

True, a very insidious character.

[@zewdae8847]

ik same,, and really if we want to really antagonize anyone specifically, i think it should be him bc he was the one who brought all of his "friends" and dani to the hårga -- i doubt he expected any of them to survive.

[@Andrea-nom]

I love how you worded this. At least Christian was trying to ease his way out. Indifferent as he was he didn’t deserve to be sacrificed. Pelle set him up.

[@cheeseandrice877]

As someone who escaped a cult, this movie does an excellent job of showing how cults prey on the vulnerable, who are too often betrayed by those they should trust. When we have natural human emotions-though they may be big and uncomfortable-we're gaslit into believing there's something wrong with us by those closest to us. Add feelings of grief, abandonment and loneliness, and we're primed to gravitate towards a "loving and welcoming" community. Dani was betrayed by everyone but ultimately embraced those that embraced her. Watching it again, I saw Pelle for the true wolf in sheep's clothing he is. He’s genuinely the creepiest. What’s terrifying is how well the movie exposes our most primal instincts: the need for community and the desire for victory-even when that victory might mean someone else's horrific end. The best horror, in my opinion, reveals the darkness within us.

[@billysunday7507]

You're just weak

[@lindenpeters2601]

People who think the end is a triumph for Dani, don't see that she is just as much a victim of the cult. She doesn't win in the end. The cult wins. That is what's actually horrifying.

[@jackseifer7724]

I was hoping the whole time that she would escape and leave christian behind!!! Haha

[@MzShonuff123]

@@jackseifer7724 same! I wanted her to run out with the British couple

[@nr1NPC]

I love participating in Midsommar afton :)

[@brunettewithglasses]

Fr I always wondered what would happen after she was done being may queen

[@nr1NPC]

@@brunettewithglasses She would be the with the family as a new member, until the day of ättestupa

[@marleneg6382]

Basically everyone was gaslighting and manipulating Dani in every possible way. To me, her smile was a smile of a defeated soul..she just gave up completely. I didn't smile, I was horrified.

[@EwrimBilgen]

same here

[@jethroteece4750]

"gaslighting" lmao

[@needtoknow29]

@@jethroteece4750 how is it funny?

[@gabidemartinolyingaboutbei8641]

needtoknow29 Because people use that word entirely too much. They’ve never said it in their lives, suddenly everyone has to say it nonstop.

[@needtoknow29]

@@gabidemartinolyingaboutbei8641 that could be said with a lot of work toxic, depressed, etc but that doesn't mean it's funny or should be treated lightly.

[@ericafleming5197]

The scariest part of Midsommar is how many people thought that was a happy ending.

[@daltonbedore8396]

TRUE. damn some people need professional help

[@lol-vo2yc]

I think those people are just the ones who aren't able to formulate their own opinions. So, just because someone smiles, suddenly everything is okay again? Of course not. Those people are probably who think that once we hit midnight on January 1, 2021, the world is suddenly going to be better again because of a tweet they read. Its unfortunate how stupid people can be that they mimic emotions for some sort of intellectual validity. They tell themselves, "ah yes, I understand and I agree," whether the situation is ethical or not. In reality, they lack/are too insecure to think of the bigger picture. Tldr; those are probably the people who don't think enough.

[@yanchily]

exactlyy

[@billyalarie929]

@@Capybarainahumansuit we aren't doing this. I'll just say we were NEVER EVER going to get a viable candidate. Even when Biden dies and Kamala is president, it's still the better side of a shit sandwich.

[@lau.tizzir]

But it makes sense when you think about it... The film seems to be built with that intention. Dani starts in a really bad situation and ends in a very different but just as bad situation. From one extreme to the other: From darkness, alone, in an isolated and cold society to a light blindness, surrounded by people who manipulate her with the promise of belonging, a cult disguised as family. It's pretty clever, the viewers are being manipulated at the same time as Dani. They are supposed to be attuned to the feelings and needs Dani has, so when she begins to get what she lacked and wanted at the beginning of the film with this group of people, it's easy to ignore all the red flags. So I think it's quite normal that a lot of people ended the movie with this idea of a happy ending, but at the same time with an unease feeling... It is only when you distance yourself from it, when you realize that you have been manipulated too. In the same way that many victims of cults need to get away in order to see everything with another perspective and realize then what was really going on.

[@rin0ki]

When I finished watching Midsommar, I cried for at least 30 minutes. I was so overwhelmed by all the bright visuals and everything Dani had gone through. Her smile solidified to me that she had completely lost herself and her individuality thanks to her vulnerability... I was so tense and felt so shocked. And the worst part of it all was seeing people online react as if this was a *good* ending. It was saddening to me. It made me feel like all those people were like Dani, and simply saw no other way out.

[@ea4617]

But if it’s a very old tradition who’s to say they don’t actually think it’s okay… like Cheryl from Adventure Time said “who are you to condemn our weird ancient ways”

[@annagotherphonetakenaway4914]

@@ea4617 that they get from interpreting an inbreds drawings?

[@ea4617]

@@annagotherphonetakenaway4914 you didn’t make sense

[@annagotherphonetakenaway4914]

@@ea4617 it is stated by an elder, that the disabled person writes the Ruby radr through drawings they interpret

[@pyrrhichos]

Honestly, psychological horror is so much scarier than jumpscare/gore horror

[@sabrinatscha2554]

Yes!

[@Dan1elAndrade]

I kinda agree, but I think the best thing would be to havê a good mix of both. Sometimes during midsommar I was thinking just one jumpscare would help.

[@arsalfarooq6468]

Daniel Andrade same man, overall it was good but honestly a couple good jump scares would have been nice i was hoping for some after a little

[@WobblesandBean]

AGREED. I roll eyes at people who say films like this "aren't scary", cuz they think horror = jumpscares. It's ridiculous. I have really bad PTSD, so I can't watch most Western horror films cuz they have no atmosphere, no creeping dread, just jumpscare after jumpscare. I can't handle it.

[@soodonim6109]

@@WobblesandBean you should try korean horror movies, they have great buildup and atmosphere, and sometimes other genres mixed in

[@torycatherine2044]

What people fail to realize is that they were manipulating her the entire time. People keep saying them "crying" with her during her panick attack was really sweet and therapeutic, but all they were doing was giving her what she needed at her worst, most vulnerable moments. I can guarantee Pelle told everyone about what happened to her and knew her boyfriend was emotionally non existent towards her and they used all of that. I think they wanted her to win May Queen and made sure she did and wanted her to find Christian having sex with that girl to make it look like they love her and will be there with her to share her pain. They've got this down to a science.

[@krystalshepherd4582]

Reminds me of politicians and media

[@WeeweeSensi]

whos failing to realize?

[@sillyoldbastard3280]

You are being manipulated the entire time and you are only aware of fraction of it.

[@jessicamessica2271]

It's definitely a possibility

[@hannahdoyle8511]

@@WeeweeSensi THANK YOU FOR THAT:) glad im not the only one

[@ericaholloway1751]

I honestly thought this was horrific that she was stuck forever in a place she was so afraid to be left in the first place.

[@deshawn1801]

Exactly after it ended I thought ok Mabey she’s happy but then I realized no she’s stuck there and her mind is completely gone

[@annmarieoconnell9735]

me too. I thought the ending was scary af. I don’t know who these people are who found it satisfying

[@comrade8185]

@@annmarieoconnell9735 I know I was like what the duck

[@atomickilljoy66]

Honestly, this comment captures the feeling of claustrophobia I felt watching everyone who could help her and themselves, die. It's the same exact feeling of them burning and not being able to get out, except a more mental type of "stuck".

[@jacobvenit5546]

she literally had a nightmare of being left there by herself but ended up almost willingly stuck, with everyone else dead.

[@Elizabethology_]

When I was 18, I joined the Mormon Church. I was involved for about four years, and I often reflect on that experience. Growing up, I struggled with depression, came from a broken family, and faced issues related to alcoholism. My vulnerability made me an easy target for manipulation. The Mormon Church felt like a warm embrace, providing me with a sense of belonging. The sisterhood I experienced as a missionary and the emphasis on finding family resonated deeply within me. The temples, with the chanting and rituals, I was completely blinded to it. After watching this movie, I realized it captured the feelings of being brainwashed by a cult remarkably well.

[@IzzyExistnt]

OMG I was gonna comment about the Mormon church. I’m 19, and I grew up in it. I only officially removed my records a year ago. It can be a good way to find community, but for the long term, it’s hurtful and dangerous to invest your soul into something you don’t even realize is harming you. It affected the very nature of my mind and it’s hard to undo the brainwashing it caused. A lot of people don’t think the church qualifies as a cult because it’s got such a large following, but it checks the boxes in every aspect of cult behaviors. Cults can be a sensitive topic though, and has a lot of debate around it, so I don’t claim to be any expert on the topic. Glad you escaped, hope you’re enjoying the extra 10% of income and coffee filled days.

[@ranadaghesh3816]

"why do we smile at the end of midsommer" WHO'S WE?

[@druidriley3163]

Right. LOL. FIrst thing I thought of. "Who's 'we', kemosabe?"

[@jamesstetson6581]

I did

[@chichikent]

🤣ikr. I was disturbed and confused

[@rarebreednoel]

Ikrrr

[@themudgekin1294]

Rana Daghesh FOR REAL. How did everyone else not see that smile as just her completely effing losing her mind? That smile is the last shock of horror - she didnt find a family. She lost the last remnants of sanity and identity. It erases any and all hope for her.

[@apatia29]

I distrusted Pelle from the beginning. He tries to connect with Dani using a deep "shared" trauma in a casual conversation, it felt so off for me; also for the way he approaches the subject, with calmness, wierd eye-contact and almost a peaceful smile.

[@Adonisbloodyamore]

Weirdos like him scare me the most. Because they can do something unexpected which is "not wrong" in their own eyes but painful and dangerous for others. fucking psycho.

[@apatia29]

@@Adonisbloodyamore exactly, and you can tell how twisted the guy is by seeing him at the end smiling like a rewarded kid who did excellent with his homework.

[@theactualrocketonin]

yeah, i get using shared trauma as a way to connect, apparently I and a lot of other people use it if they have autism or adhd, but holy shit, this dude didn’t even let her vent, he just redirected the conversation from the horror of killing to grief, which probably one of the lesser feelings she had at that time

[@aylinparlaksu4255]

@NomikiStan420 someone in another comment said it represents her being reborn (into the cult)

[@yellinghayfire4935]

I think another layer of this people don't bring up or don't want to because it might seem hateful; trying to be polite to those from other cultures or sensibilities, sort of like how women end up as victims of violence a lot from strangers because they want to be nice and polite, which nefarious people use to their advantage. Who hasn't been stuck in an awkward conversation with someone strange or foreign, and let broken conversational boundaries slide because they seemed nice in their intentions? It's like reverse xenophobia, or I guess straight up xenophobia but stuffed down for the sake of manners.

[@laura-et8xh]

in brazil, the movie is called "midsommar - evil doesn't wait for the night" and it really matches with the thought we have that the night/dark is dangerous and the day/light is good

[@alanavitoria9154]

simmm

[@curiosidadesrapidas2495]

Brasileiro está em todo quanto é lugar, é impressionante kkkkkkkkk

[@VexDeePhilosophs]

Jeez, i don't like this title. When i saw in Amazon Video i got "Haha, brazil, nice one again" because i didn't think it was a necessary additional, but sure, what do i know? But i can't complain much, is WAY BETTER THAN "ZOMBIE INVASION" (Invasão zumbi) that replaced the incredible title "Train to Busan"

[@ladygabes5558]

@@curiosidadesrapidas2495 KKKKKKKK sim

[@canavero4288]

This is funny because most crimes happen during the day, since people only have their guard up at night.

[@mopingfrog]

Your understanding of depression and your sincere humanity while filming this video has made me feel seen. I suffer from horrifying depression and bpd and i feel alone all the time. Invisible. Thank you for your videos!!

[@mopingfrog]

I wanted to say i went to CIY and it was a great experience to be honest, but i remember not really believing in god before but being so devoted to god for a while afterwards…i was so convinced that this was so real. And then like 4 months later i was back to my normal self. I always wished i could go back and do it again and i still do… it was nice

[@mopingfrog]

I relate to you so much!! One of my favourite KZbinrs for sure

[@yeayou7764]

never thought this was a happy ending, it’s so disturbing to see how many people thought it was

[@averylarson8139]

i honestly think that the people who thought it was a happy ending were just extremely vulnerable and therefore able to succumb to the manipulation:(

So they can seem quirky

[@crowMilatonin]

Also like, even if he did do what he did on his own consent,,, you realize how overboard it is to burn him alive

[@StainsStainsStains]

It’s an internal cognitive bias working in the background. They interpret the movie as if it’s catered to their specific worldview and love it. I feel like the point of the film was to expose cognitive biases everyone has.

[@mworld2611]

How did people find it a happy ending!? It was terrifying, the girl became a psychopath!

[@anomienormie8126]

I was rolling my eyes in the beginning when you said the audience is brainwashed until you showed actuual articles thinking it Is a happy ending. Bruh, I didn't know people actually thought that.

[@niconachozstudio1952]

same, with ending and the music my face was just shock and terrified of what i saw

[@jemadamson2715]

Had to pause the video to see if anyone thought this. Glad I'm not the only one like "wtf"

[@derek96720]

It's terrifying how people (mostly women, evidently) overlook obvious manipulation and horror being perpetrated on the other people, simply because they identify with the main character.

[@jarenru]

I think he actually misunderstood some of the reviews. Sure, some apparently perceived it that way but I don’t think all of the reviews he showed were that simplistic. Their words chosen were more nuanced. I take issue with this guy acting like he’s some kind of enlightened savior of the masses. I was not smiling at the end of Midsommer, though I fully enjoyed the disturbed, baffled, sick feeling it gave me. That’s what horror should do and this movie did it very well. I was fully aware of the cult aspect but I think this guy underestimated the audience. The Hargas did not win me over, and neither did this video.

[@roseclouds5838]

@@derek96720 I think it’s because a lot of women deeply hold in their emotions, we have empty emotions we share which is why we are portrayed in media as empathetic and lovely to eachother, but in reality you have to be put-together and have our emotions in line. the majority of people who join cults (or the most strongly indoctrinated) are women because it’s seen as a completely inhumane escape from societal pressures. I see the women who saw it as a good ending just as people who overlook anything at the opportunity to let go of all built up pressure to conform

[@JoannaPilapil]

Those article writers are just creepy. They don't get it. Dani's smile means she lost her sanity. I never felt warm at the ending. I just felt psychologically exhausted. I kept on thinking about everything on that movie for like more than a week. I was enlightened but traumatized lol

[@thiskid990]

Definitely most the writers are being sarcastic or just weren’t as deeply affected as you, not rly creepy bro

[@alexfaulkner7064]

isn’t there something freeing about letting go of sanity though?

[@alexfaulkner7064]

@S K good :))

[@alexfaulkner7064]

@S K what do you mean what? i think it’s good that you’re scared :) stay scared !!

[@Muykle]

They are part of a cult. This is why they see the ending as good.

[@valentina.castilloo]

The crying parts really get to me. I cry a lot and when I specifically hear her grief cry it gives me chills. My bestfriend killed herself last year and I cried and cried and cried for nights just like that. Her cry like that always gets me.

[@AManWhoLovesYourMother]

I’m sorry for your loss, stay strong !! I bet you’re doing great 🫂

[@Anderson_Se7en]

Crying made a woman cry, no way.

[@metheanimallover]

I honestly love the use of bright colors and constant happy music because I feel like it is supposed to look like a utopia or heaven to add to the creepiness

[@motherofbuns]

Thats my fave part its so visually appealing especially with the "trippy" mushrooms effects. Like you cant look away from the horror

[@metheanimallover]

@@motherofbuns yeah like it's such a beautiful setting and yet they mix in such horrific scenes, the juxtaposition is amazing

[@kanedgytheguy8105]

me too

[@ObamaMpreg]

Saying the ending is happy because Dani smiles is like saying the end of 1984 is happy because Winston thinks he’s been cured

[@artificialfreedom]

Yeah, the premise of the video is kinda bad, I doubt the brainwashy effect is actually holding true

[@psuedomyspace]

Ari Aster did say that Dani's catharsis was supposed to feel wrong, that's what I always think of whenever I see someone say that Dani was happy at the end of the movie

[@psuedomyspace]

@@artificialfreedom Considering the amount of people who genuinely believe that Dani was happy and her loneliness and depression was fixed at the end? I'm gonna say it does hold true.

[@bruh......2005]

It's also like saying the point of fight club is to start your own fight club

[@jessc5112]

very cathartic but not at all happy

[@thatgaiagirl6788]

The smile at the end of that movie legitimately terrified me. That was the scariest thing in this movie: that smile made my stomach drop. It showed how completely detached she was, that she’d been assimilated (basically). Peak Psychological Horror

[@sungod9797]

Yeah it makes me want to throw up... how did people say that it was a “genuine smile” and a happy ending like wtf

[@newta5208]

*insert debby ryan smile in radio rebel*

[@justayoutubecommentator3059]

@@sungod9797 agreed

[@solisgloria74]

Same...I didn't smile or cheer her on.

[@mikielsahagun6054]

I felt that too but with the others not really her friends and her boyfriend not really her boyfriend I guess I would smile if I survived that ordeal and they didn't: ya it's sociopathic stuff but I like it.

[@RomingAroundTown]

“Why do we smile at the end of Midsommar?” Might need to get checked out dude. I was in silence like I had been violated.

[@hund2110]

"The warm feeling the ending gives us..." It would appear I am not the audience for this essay.

[@wouhoulifeisamazing]

Exactly what I thought from the first sentences XD "why do we smile at the end of Midsommar?" hum what? "As we the audience cheer her on" huh No?

[@midsummerdream2957]

It kind of disturbed me that people felt that way while watching people be murdered. IDK, maybe I think people don’t deserve to be killed for being jerks?

[@HotaruKuroi]

For me the smiling-part was one of the most horrific moments of the movie. It was a crazy smile which made me feel really uncomfortable. I was always pissed at Christian but being murdered like this is nothing I needed to see or to know.

[@StandardGretchen]

I didn't get the warm feelings either, but rather unsettled all the way and having to pour myself some whisky. I've been in too many rabbit holes about cults, probably.

[@fjshark6173]

Was not apart of that audience the whole movie is a giant wtf.

[@noplease9923]

This movie only gave me huge anxiety, every scene it’s just like a nightmare

[@xiaoecstasy]

YES! its all a fever dream

[@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783]

no please lol try Herdeditary, his other movie. It’s even more horrifying.

[@briannasoto412]

@@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783 it honestly is, Ari Aster comes up with some really messed up stories but at the same time the story lines are very well thought out and wierdly interesting

[@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783]

Brianna Soto I’m a huge fan of his. Hereditary I can’t even watch again. Two viewing is enough for me it really makes me uncomfortable. The ending is totally surreal. His next project is going to be witch related. Can’t wait.

[@gencabdullahi3994]

@@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783 omg really ??? I was certain his next movie would be "Beau is Afraid" which is loosely based off his previous short film called "Beau"

[@luanabastos4937]

I'm a member of a book club in my town, and this past October we decided to change things up a bit and spend the month watching horror movies. When discussing Midsommar, there was this girl who seemed to genuinely believe that it had a happy ending. In her words, by the end of the movie, Dani had not only "gotten rid" of a toxic boyfriend, but had "freed" herself from a "bad world" that didn't understand her. She found "home and support" in this community, which is why, supposedly, we should feel glad for her triumph. That explanation baffled me. I didn't feel like we had watched the same movie. First, because "getting rid of a toxic boyfriend", in this case, didn't involve simply dumping his ass and maybe flipping him off on the way out. For God's sake, Christian was boiled alive inside a bear suit. All the people who came on that trip with Dani died, and this cannot be minimized just because they were jerks to her. And then, there's the freedom thing. Dani was desperate for any kind of affection. It's exactly because she was so lonely that she clung to Christian and accepted any scraps he gave her. The people from the cult saw into her vulnerability (as cult people often do) and offered what she wanted most. Dani didn't free herself, she just became dependent on other people. She will put up with anything and everything, even the horrendous murders, if it means she will have a place to belong. There's no triumph here. Man, happy ending my butt. This movie was fucking depressing.

[@Crazywaffle5150]

I would question everyone and anyone who sides with a murderer. I would assume they are killers their self.

[@directiontonarnia]

Beautifully put🙏

[@Splexsychiick]

Yer swerve yourself away from that girl.

[@elishashrestha569]

i am also disturbed by the fact how some people think the ending was in favor of Dani...!!!

[@thespicyspicey]

God, this movie gave me headache for 2 days.

[@1.0xY.m0r0n]

That quote at the beginning is SO good. People must learn to be happy and content with themselves.

[@honorfoxcroft7170]

I think I just realised something (haven't watched the full video yet, so I'm not sure if he went over this) Throughout the film, Dani is depicted with flowers on her more and more as it goes on. Starting with muted colours and no flowers on her at all, then an outfit with floral embroidery, then a crown of flowers with the dress, afterwards a bigger flower crown, to the end of the film where only her face is what isn't covered in flowers on her. This could be a symbol of how the cult planted a seed of thought in her that grows into her choosing to stay and I thought that is a great form of visualising what is happening to Dani as the narrative progresses without an explicit nor verbal explanation. EDIT: I just noticed that there are dead flowers in her house at the start of the film. That feds well into the flower symbol I noticed. Sorry for not pointing that out.

[@duzehalo]

Beautifully spotted. I love details like that!

[@honorfoxcroft7170]

@@duzehalo I love little details and Easter eggs too!

[@awwgrassyass9857]

Ooh, you're right! Christian is also covered apart from the face but in something very different. An interesting parallel!

[@honorfoxcroft7170]

@@awwgrassyass9857 It is! It could be the idea of that being how the cult perceives them. Christian could be seen as untamable and monstrous because they weren't able to indoctrinate him into the cult while Dani is seen as beautiful and harmless as she was successfully brainwashed into the cult.

[@lizstolte2634]

There’s quite a few shots were Christian is standing over Dani and blocking Sun or standing between Dani and the light source which could be symbolic of him preventing from growing. Love your interpretation!

[@SaraStar7373]

I always thought the saddest part of this whole movie is those two men that volunteered to sacrifice themselves, only to get lied to about feeling no pain. I think this movie kind of cons us into going 'well Mark was rude and Josh didn't respect the restrictions he was given-' etc etc as a way to excuse the behaviour of the Harga. But these two members had clearly done everything right and were so ingrained in their culture that they openly volunteered for sacrifice. Their last moments weren't the joy and pride of serving your people, it was the physical and emotional pain of the ultimate betrayal.

[@MrVeeeroniqa]

That’s exactly what I was thinking when I saw that scene, made me so mad!

[@meredithsomerville]

There is a video out there of the ending of Midsommar with music removed so you can hear the screams uninterrupted and you can even hear Christian breathe screaming through the extreme paralysis. It's even worse to think about the fact the brainwashed men probably think they feel the pain because their belief and purity wasn't strong enough so that even in death they werent good enough but they must endure for the good of the family

[@zewdae8847]

@@meredithsomerville that is so *_so_* fucked up ----- but i think it's true,, i had/have no idea how ppl can think of this movie as having a happy ending i mean if you just take a moment to rewind and think abt what just happened - can you really still think that??

[@ortizmaria3738]

I mean at the end when they were screaming the whole cult did it to cuz if the guys were in pain the whole tribu was feeling the same thing

[@amypattie7004]

Majo OC however, empathising someone’s pain has a kind of beauty to it, it feels good in a way. It’s like why we listen to sad music. For the volunteers, they’ve been singing the sad music to the tune of others suffering, thinking that feeling is what they will feel when they burn, only to find that actual pain is not the same.

[@Mary-tu2de]

The only thing I got from the smile at the end was that she had lost it. She had experienced so much trauma and mental and emotional abuse before this trip,then she goes to this weird ass place where she takes a bunch of mind altering drugs and a bunch more traumatizing shit happened. I really just got the sense that she snapped/her mind was just broken so she gave into the madness around her.

[@DianaD113]

yes!! im surprised not everyone thought this too

[@princesspeaches8525]

Yes me too

[@jillianwalls720]

That’s exactly what I thought too.

[@erinfennessy5332]

Exactly

[@gunpowdergelatine731]

yes!

[@mcmann2243]

I think it’s really interesting how the way they breath adds to what you were talking about. It’s surprisingly shallow, it leaves you feeling short of breath and strained. It’s such a small detail, but it’s so powerful

[@allydef]

I never thought Midsommar had a happy ending. I felt exhausted and scarred by the end of it. I was glad the movie had ended, but it still horrified me that Dani never escaped and that everyone else died.

[@hellaspoicey2280]

@Alicia DeFrates An astute observation Daria, would anyone else in the class like to answer? Kevin, do you believe that message of this film was to show how even smart and generally good people can be susceptible to psychological manipulation, especially those who are experiencing trauma as well as depression and loneliness which allows them to be emotionally manipulated into believing being together in a cult is better than being alone and free. Did you learn about the price of freedom, Kevin? Did you learn about human nature and a need to belong that drives our social behavior, sometimes for the worse, and especially so in cases in which were you give up your own moral compass to the collective, ensuring that you'll partake in atrocities for some "greater good". A "greater good" that is a fiction made up to preserve the facade. Did you learn that this "greater good" serves to compartmentalize and justify acts of cruelty and atrocity against humanity. And that giving over one's individualism in exchange for a cathartic feeling of belonging to restore one's self worth is shallow and will lead you down a path of no return. And to preserve these shallow and cathartic bonds and beliefs, your own intelligence will betray you to preserve your ego. Your intellect, reasoning, critical and deductive thinking abilities will now serve a new cause not of your own creation. Your intelligence will now protect your new sense of well being, which is the cult. And your ego will prevent you from seeing the cosmic irony that is now your life. What was your take away, Kevin? Kevin - " Geez Mr. Dimartino, what do I look like? Some kind of brain? " Mr. D - " BRITTANY, since Kevin can't even seem to be bothered to string together even A SINGLE COHERENT sentence on the subject, would you instead CARE to elaborate, BRITTANY? " Brittany - " Well gee Mr. D, that boyfriend of hers suuuure was awful, he reminds me of Kevy when he forgets our anniversary! (insert pouty face) So I think it was, like, a happy ending since she like, got away from him because he like, died and whatever. And plus she got to be the may queen which is kinda like a prom queen right Mr. D? And she's got a new big happy family (insert the highest pitched teen girl squeak). Just like Ashley-Amber. So it's, like, a happy ending or whatever. Like THE WIZARD OF OZ! (squeak squeak squeak) Or Cinderella, it's, like, a happily ever after or something? " Mr. D - After school - ( Reaches in desk ) * *gun barrel feels cold against temple* * Tl;dr - I like your profile pic. Quality reference Alicia, and a neat observation as well.

[@nevaehlopez6499]

@@hellaspoicey2280 wow u have no life do u

[@SmokeyDope]

@@nevaehlopez6499 Well to be fair, everyone is guilty of writing a passionate 5 paragraph essay youtube comment at some point or another and then cringing at the fact they took time out of their lives to do it lol!

[@klaudinegarcia8932]

Same!! I never knew people thought the ending was a happy one. Until I read the comments here 😐....

[@gleewhoseline198]

Yeah, it's clearly not meant to be happy. Ari Aster said he was going for 'toxic catharsis' with Dani's smile at the end. She may feel 'a jot known only by the insane' but we the audience know what has actually happened. Aster succeeded tenfold definately.

[@kathleenmms]

I used to be in a cult and this analysis was spot on. They love bomb you at the beginning. The community makes you feel the most loved and accepted you’ve ever felt. And you are given impossible tasks (for me it was praying 8-11 hours a day). And these tasks make you exhausted and delirious. You begin to mistake the hallucinations you experience (as a result of starvation and lack of sleep) for spiritual experiences.

[@SaltyLemonss]

I'm glad you escaped! And I'm sorry you had to experience that.

[@girlonfire2.076]

Were you in Jehovah's witness

[@snowboardernotb5233]

@@girlonfire2.076 I was. This movie was really just a look into my life in the past ( minus the death)

[@kaugummigeschmacke6905]

@@girlonfire2.076 they don't make you pray ten hours a day

[@Soondiss]

I am happy you are safe now and wish you the best 😊

[@belleb769]

Did anyone ever catch how Pelle said his parents died in a fire? Like could his parents have burned like Christian at the very end?

[@kristinachambers9737]

That’s exactly what I thought when I finally saw the ending

[@Mastermint]

Yes, it's quite possible

[@NinjaGurlPower]

:000 facts

[@daisyann7971]

He said he was adopted by the horga after his parents died, they don't practice incest so they probably adopt child

[@forensikarie]

The burning ritual only happens once every 90 years.

[@alexanderodea6523]

"It makes me wonder what kind of fears are rotting at the at the core of all the smiles and rituals in MY life. How is my culture exploiting my loneliness? How is my culture kind to me? How does my culture stress me out? What does it want me to worship and what kind difficult questions does it want me to ignore?" Woah, that hits hard... Great difficult questions, masterwork analysis! Bravo!

[@syzyphyz]

I thought her smiling at the end was meant to be unnerving, like all this horrible stuff has happened but they've so thoroughly managed to groom her into their society that she's not just happy, but manaically so.

[@gryotharian]

That’s exactly right

[@PurpleSpiderwebs]

Yeah, if you are brainwashed then your happiness is fake so is she really free? She is blind to the reality and truth of what has actually happened

[@nahomy3249]

Same I saw it as she was evil now. She was happy she killed her cheating neglectful boyfriend

[@sapphirec_5689]

I was so shook

[@henloworld514]

it is

[@maja2851]

Her smile at the end is chilling. I interpreted that more as a false happy ending. She's happy in her mind, but in reality she's lost it. She was indoctrinated into a cult that kidnapped and murdered her "friends" and boyfriend. Yeah those people sucked, but they didn't deserve death. No matter what, you shouldn't smile at that.

[@ArtAttack98]

I agree they really didn’t deserve their fate not even Christian.. I felt even more bad for Simon and connie :‘(

[@maja2851]

@@ArtAttack98 Yeah they did nothing, they seemed so nice and they were going to get married and everything :((

[@Risingofthephoenix]

Yea she reminded me of the joker. In all honesty she can be the next joker despite her being female.

[@juliespiezia7807]

I agree! I definitely didn’t smile while watching the end of this movie I just stared at the screen with my mouth agape

[@celenesanchez6239]

Exactly ! I felt so bad for the engage couple. They just wanted to leave that place and carry on with their lives. But they were murder for a ritual, they were just offerings. Is chilling to think that there are people like that in the world. Dani is not that innocent, it was up to her to choose the last individual for the sacrifice and she picked Christian. There are people out there, who rather kill their partners than seeing them with someone else. Or after been betray. That relationship was toxic for both of them.

[@bibbleb00]

This movie freaked me the fuck out, because at first I WAS happy with the ending, getting this feeling that Dani had found a place of peace after all the trauma she had been through. It took me a couple weeks of nonstop thinking abt this film (because really, who didnt do that after they saw Midsommar for the first time) before I realized the whole point of showcasing all of Dani's trauma is to make the audience go along with the ride so you can truly understand how cults draw you in through trauma and isolation, and that's what I did. I felt the peace she seemed to feel at the end. The acceptance, and this calm sensation, a feeling like I could finally relax. I had been manipulated just like Dani, and it's really an absolutely incredible PSA to warn people about how susceptible we are to brainwashing and how to avoid it. I'm very glad to have seen it

[@yareyaredaze9909]

dang you big brain broski

[@malloryg4251]

Hey, at least you eventually realized the truth. I hated this movie, even though I loved Hereditary. I thought it was too absurd to be believable in any way and I didn't feel connected to Dani OR Christian. They both irritated me in different ways, so I wasn't rooting for either one. However, the extreme violence and horrific ending is what made me write off this movie altogether. It left me feeling sickened and completely numb. To make matters worse, I read sooooooo many comments online about how people felt like Christian got what he deserved and that Dani had finally found her peaceful ending. It made me think about the world we live in, how people can condone and applaud such ultra-violence and be so easily manipulated. Makes you wonder what we're truly capable of.

[@anacarol831]

@Patriot Jefferson They kill themselves because they want to.

[@anasonyc3983]

@@anacarol831 And they want to due to indoctrination.

[@xya189]

I watched it today... The ending, I knew Dani cracked. She's now fooled herself it was alright. Christian was pityful. Always wanting to please the bigger group. What bothers me the most is simon :'l

[@londynhunter2469]

I am so glad you mentioned Christian youth camps. I’m a Christian, but I’ve always hated how they sometimes manipulate you. They always pushed speaking in tongues specifically (basically believing that speaking tongues is the only way you’re considered saved). People only going to create a mosh pit during worship… loud music and exhaustion causing you to break down. Camp is fun, but I’ve noticed the problems of mega churches.

[@nge1556]

the creepiest part are the articles at the beginning, i feel so uncomfortable thinking that so many people think that it's a relief

[@AriJeru]

So think about it this way. Personally, the most horrifying thing I could imagine was the first scene in the movie. The amount of grief and trauma that that brings up for anyone just seems like a very normal version of hell that could happen to anyone. The relief isn’t that she “got back at Christian” for being a crappy boyfriend. He’s just a stand-in for her being unheard in her pain. It’s that even if she dies or is fully indoctrinated, she finally has that connection she needed. She’s in hell, but she’s in hell with others who experience that pain with her. Something no one was able to do in her day to day, or could do for her if she returned to the normal world. It’s a really fucked up kind of solace.

[@manyfrogsinatrenchcoat]

@@AriJeru exactly

[@roboboro]

I would check who are the people that write those reviews. The production company that made this movie is A24, those are the same creepy people that made Hereditary and The Witch, other two movies that also have this "join evil or else" message, and one day I read an article from VOGUE magazine that, along with A24 and the "Temple of Satan" (really, I'm NOT kidding), were promoting the movie The Witch. So, again... I wouldn't trust many reporters, journalists, writters from official and "prestigious" sites because they're sometimes part of those creepy people.

[@DigitalBath306]

facts

[@pietrayday9915]

I found it to be a nasty movie, full of awful people doing horrible things to awful people... which isn't necessarily a bad thing: that's bread-and-butter for a horror movie. However, I can't relate to anyone who felt like that was a happy ending of some sort... I'd like to think that they are pulling our leg. On the other hand, if some significant part of the audience feel like they are missing something by not being welcomed into a brainwashed cult that does horrible things to other people, that might explain a lot about 2020 and 2021....

[@JacF6734]

“The devil doesn’t come to you with horns and a spiked tail... it comes as everything you ever wanted.”

[@axemaster6730]

That's a very good quote. Where's it from?

[@emily7195]

Sadly so true :(

[@_lucas.antunes_]

@@axemaster6730 technically, the Bible.

[@abbacab77]

So...it's Santa Claus.

[@WreckageHunter]

That's exactly what a cult leader would say ;)

[@ButiLao44]

"why do we smile at the end of midsommar?" me: let me stop you right there-

[@juliee593]

Yeah same me and my bf were like "phew this shit is over at least"

[@vivianavazquez9110]

@@juliee593 Bro for real LMAO

[@spaceandust]

like baby who’s we

[@SaxandRelax]

Can’t relate

[@diegotlamantli]

Lol, I thought the same thing. "Why do we smile?" - Ok, first of all, I shrugged my face the whole movie so...

[@acestevenson2117]

wow. the last line you said, about taking from the yu tree, gave me goosebumps. you have serious talent man. i love your vids!!

[@beedrinkinghoney]

It’s not everyday you see a horror movie shot in the daylight but when it’s done right, god is it amazing.

[@cordeliablum3556]

so true! The irony of it being daylight the whole time but also being extremely disturbing and scary is so clever. The director did goooddddd

[@laurenjoly144]

i also really like how you never see the real sun either. we can only see drawings or wooden structures of it. it makes it scarier

[@cordeliablum3556]

@@laurenjoly144 ohhhh!!!! I NEVER Thought of that! wow

[@foxonoxengames757]

WOW! Very true! 😊 I didn't think of it in that way until now. Thanks! ;)

[@ultrawolflord8495]

I have a hard time calling it a horror movie honestly, I’m not sure what to call it, but it’s perfect

[@leslawrenson]

She survives because she is the only one in her group who is able to integrate into the cult; and the only way that she was able to integrate is because she had lost everything in her other life. She was an empty vessel looking to be filled with something that would give substance to her life and being. For that, she was prepared to give up everything, including the life of her boyfriend.

[@veganrican606]

And she had the "right" genes.

[@QuetzalcoatlOdin]

Disagree. Christian with her life. To an unhealthy degree.

[@juanjoseph]

She survives because she's the perfect bait for the cult, and she's got a baby making machine.

[@gimmekromer1151]

@ demons does not exist

[@AxiomaLibre]

Let's not meet never

[@almendradelamor6099]

Out of all the scenes, the most unsettling one for me was when she was struggling to walk due to the flower cape while she was crying. I felt as if the burden she had to carry on was a never ending nightmare. She stopped looking like a human being and actually looked like a glorified yet powerless insect. She was made to be the "queen" right from the start.

[@aarushimehta7607]

WOW

[@raytant]

@@aarushimehta7607 wow wow

[@zeechops401]

I was watching this film with my partner and, as someone who doesn't handle horror movies well but still watches them, I was practically in his lap and sweating thru the whole film. He handles gore and horror films well and likes watching them with me because he finds horror to be over the top and humorous most of the time. But he told me that the one time he felt total fear during the film was when Dany was limping and crying in the May Queen dress. He said it looked so unnatural, like a giant bug or creature and it caught him off guard and freaked him out.

[@Barakon]

An insect queen, so…they’re gonna make her their whore.

[@MarthaMcCrum]

I thought that too. As if she was always chosen for this role somehow.

[@TonicTonesbyRyanRohn]

This was very insightful and I appreciate it. I was in a religious housing program for close to 6 months and it was one of the most exhausting experiences I've had to endure. I'm in a much better living arrangement now. And when I'm reminded of the strangeness and the biblical bombardment, rhetoric, behaviors, etc...I recall finding what my weapons and armor were /and still are: throwing myself in my creative pursuits, contact with outside friends, and reading empowering literature to counter the brainwashing activities which were literally called "programming". For me, reading 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra', by F. Nietzsche helped me maintain a vital sense of autonomy and vigor. It was not like a full-on religious cult that I was in, but I watched how people were changed, over time, in a way that undermined their personal power- in many ways. Exploitation of stress and fatigue certainly were a major tool in the program's methods. I'm grateful to have that experience behind me. It certainly was a test.

[@oof.cheerios294]

As someone who *was* in a cult, I can't believe most people find this movie to have a happy ending. This movie in particular freaked me out in a lot of ways, but the way everyone talked to Dani and took advantage of her vulnerability hit way too close to home.

[@helpy8973]

Random question: Where is your pfp from?

[@gvymamdvcnj131309]

@@helpy8973 yo, if u still wanna know I think it’s gunsmith cats

[@ujiria]

What type of cult was it

[@brunapontes5149]

I'm sorry to hear about that and I'm glad you're not in one anymore, but I believe us people who thought it was a 'happy' ending at first was because we don't know how bad brainwashing and manipulation can be in cults and communes.

[@Moon0525_]

Tbh this. I found it incredibly hard to empathise with Dani in the way the average viewer did, and by empathy I mean going along for the ride. I escaped a family cult myself and the whole movie I sat in judgement, extreme awareness, hyper analysis. Not once did my guard get dropped down and I think this deep emotional disconnect from the euphoria is something cult survivors might experience. We can't experience that euphoria, we can't be brainwashed by the film, because we've spent a good portion horrified at the conditions we grew in.

[@TheLongHalloween2077]

My background is in psychology, my interpretation of the end was that she was vulnerable to influence and completely cleansed of her own self awareness when she smiles at the end. It was not a happy ending or accomplishment for her, she is submitting. That’s why it is horrifying to me.

[@maxmax1875]

Am I right to say a healthy ending for Dani would be to scream and run away- but how would she accomplish it, being so exhausted? A healthy ending would be the police seizing upon the group and extracting her.

[@jules-chan6718]

@@maxmax1875 It still wouldn't be, even if she was saved by the police trauma will always hunt her, thus, she's back to being lonely, isolating herself from everybody.

[@symonec2240]

Oh I thought she was happy cause that horrible man was gone. He sucked

[@lukehall8151]

@@symonec2240 woman, learn to use your brain

[@symonec2240]

@@lukehall8151 excuse me?

[@scarlett.whit3]

HOLY SHIT I just realized Pelle tells her his parents died in a *_fire_* . And that he didn't feel lost because he *_already_* had a family with the cult. Guess that fire wasn't necessarily an accident.

[@adelesantamaria2798]

I never thought of that but that makes it more scary!

[@evangelion8793]

Holy shit

[@lilhonni]

Rip

[@zavdiel1864]

Yeah I was thinking about that but this only happens every 90 years so I’m not so sure

[@scarlett.whit3]

@@zavdiel1864 which part was 90 years? my memory is kind of foggy, but I thought the burning people and sacrifices were taking place regularly since if I recall they were also done in part to bring good harvests or something but I might be mixing things up

[@milenka4782]

I was very worried for Dani in the end, as she's on her own, her friends are dead and she's on the mercy of the deadly cult :( The visuals and music are absolutely beautiful in the movie, it's one of the movies that I'll always be coming back to ❤

[@valentinac.2327]

Were them her friends though? The reason why she gives in is because she was lonely to begin with.

[@milenka4782]

@valentinac.2327 I think they were her ex bf friends, not really on her side...that's such a scary thought to go to remote place to know more about a cult in foreign country with people that doesn't really love/like you at all...😭

[@kaylaslavny6048]

i don’t like how people brush over the fact that the boyfriend was drugged and therefore couldn’t consent to having sx with the red head girl.. like he was essentially assulted

[@crodo123]

right!? and somehow he's the antagonist? gtfo

[@infinitum8558]

Because unfortunatley most people don't recognize male victims.

[@PopeFireTheStarfireGod]

The poor boyfriend , wasn’t even that bad of a dude . Christian was in a emotionally abusive relationship he wasn’t prepared for . He had all but been ready to leave but she emotionally manipulated him . Then she gets him killed . She’s the villain if ya ask me

[@なかもりふじ]

@@PopeFireTheStarfireGod Her boyfriend seemed like a twerp that didn’t have the balls to break up with her but bitched about her personal sex life with all his lame buddies. Different strokes for different strokes though. I didn’t think Dannie was manipulative given that her family died, but your opinion is your own

[@PopeFireTheStarfireGod]

@@なかもりふじ she was emotionally manipulating him to stay , that’s still manipulating him . Yes her family died , yea he should’ve been “better “ that doesnt stop that she was constantly pushing her emotional baggage on him and he clearly wasn’t prepared for it . Abuse can happen in other ways And clearly she was the abuser since guess what he died by her choice . She didn’t love him she wanted someone to push her problems onto . He’ll the dude even tried to go on a vacation to get a break from it . Yet she emotionally manipulated him to go along .

[@rordongamsey2746]

It's the fact that Pelle was so obviously one of the villains while also being (acting) so sane at the same time. Like, despite me knowing he was in on it he was so normal that scared me and now I have trust issues lmao

[@AyubuKK]

That’s how cult recruiters work

[@satanashh]

exactly, im probably gonna be more aware on people i meet

[@rihsomfreal]

from the time he brought up Dani’s parents i knew something was off

[@jordanlevitt1638]

@@AyubuKK also how ted bundy worked

[@galaxycat7088]

He was technically not the villain. Looking at it from a writers standpoint, Pelle is not Dani’s enemy. Pelle is her friend. Pelle brought her to her happy place. Pelle is definitely the villain in the other foreigners storyline though. Dani’s true villain was Christian. He manipulated her, lied to her, gaslit her, and then cheated on her (even though it was rape because he was drugged)

[@grigoryborodavkin1730]

thank you so much for finally being the first person to point out whats truly terrifying about this movie - the utter smashing of Dani's individuality. The scene where the women cry with her is not about empathizing with her but about stripping her of individual private emotion.

[@hellaspoicey2280]

Yea, its unsettling how many others are showing that they just premium cult material waiting to be plucked. Happy ending my ass. The fact that Dani found solace in the purely cathartic experience of joining the cult, truly joining in her heart, that in itself is the culmination of this psychological horror. The smile is the most horrific thing in the movie because of what it stands for. Its because she found redemption here that she is now a living tragedy. Before she was living through tragedies, now she is the tragedy. Edit: added one word

[@MasterXelcas]

"utter smashing" Interesting choice of words lmao

[@Iagoingsoc]

the communal feeling of emotion is pretty beautiful and appealing. Ideally you wanna achieve it without murder, but it is a good thing in and of itself - a stark contrast to the atomisation of the modern individualistic west and its miserable addiction to freedom

[@grigoryborodavkin1730]

@@Iagoingsoc no offense, but i find this kind of rhetoric absolutely horrifying. if history teaches us anything its that once "emotion" becomes communal, murder will soon follow.

[@bananaface5135]

I don't think that it was that evil, and i don't think that the Harga are really trying to manipulate her. I think that they want to help her and genuinely empathize with her, and i think it's this authenticity that makes the Harga so manipulative and attractive to an isolated and truly lonely person

[@somborn]

0:30 If you're smiling at the end of Midsommar, go see a doctor, seriously.

[@LiminalSpaceMonster9]

i did smile at the end, not because i thought this was a happy ending, but because i'm both desensitized and absolutely love horror so it was more of a "this was fucked up in all the right ways, i love it" smile. i'm honestly suprised people think this is a happy ending. i did myself have a situation where i half heartedly rooted for the bad development in a horror story, but it was about stockholm syndrome, and it manipulated the reader in quite different ways. everyone's sensitive to something else, i guess.

[@studiodsr]

There’s something darkly funny about how badly everything goes for the main characters.

[@cantantechoir]

I smiled.

[@michabednarczyk5459]

The last scene described in the script: "Dani is now being taken over by an invading sense of pride and contentment. This soon evolves into a manic exhilaration. Dani BEAMS. She has been embraced by a new family. She is Queen. She is not alone. A SMILE finally breaks onto Dani’s face. She has surrendered to a joy known only by the insane. She has lost herself completely, and she is finally free. It is horrible and it is beautiful." CUT TO BLACK

[@shebreathesingold8043]

That's like someone putting all their anger into killing someone, and finding release and going, "It's beautiful and horrible." Like, accurate, but why is anyone in RL striving for that? LOL

[@milu3779]

oh wow, thanks for digging that up

[@CaraMarie13]

That's exactly what I got when i watched this movie and i only saw it once. Like i was truly surprised when people called it a happy ending. That last scene of her smiling is clearly the end for her. She might still be alive at the end but if she ever regains consciousness, she would definitely wished they had killed her too. She went from being silenced by an emotionally abusive coward who didn't have the balls to just end the relationship to being psychologically silenced by her new "family".

[@StainsStainsStains]

@@CaraMarie13 "didnt have the balls to end the relationship" What would you do if youre going to break up with a long term partner but then their whole family dies? Wouldnt that kind of make your head spin and make you throw everything into neutral while you figure out the best course of action? Even if you were so selfish that you didnt care if the timing was terrible, wouldnt the sheer horror of such an event happening so close to you cause you to turtle at least a little bit? To feel as if its best to try and weather the storm for at least a little bit in the position you currently occupy?

[@CaraMarie13]

@@StainsStainsStains i get why he wouldn't want to end the relationship after what happened to her family but what stopped him from doing so before then since we saw that he wasn't in the relationship even before her family died? But even if that had not been the case and he had just grown out of the relationship after the events, staying with someone because you pity them is not a good reason to continue seeing someone you don't want to be in a relationship with. I know many people were against Christian because he wasn't emotionally supportive to Danny but i work in behavioral health, i understand compassion fatigue and am true believer that the care of someone, be physical or emotional, shouldn't fall strictly or disproportionately on one person. But Christian, and this is where my belief that he a coward comes from, avoided having that conversation with Danny months after what happened because he was too uncomfortable and wanted to spare her feelings (which at the end of day was still him just being afraid of having the conversation). He could have had just told her to ask her therapist to let him participate in a session with her where he could had brought it up and told her that he would still be her friend and would try to be as present as he could. But he didn't. Did he deserved what happened to him because of it? Of course not. No amount of assholery justifies what happened to him.

[@AmikaChill]

The fact that some people feel happy at the ending somehow ironically proves the point of this movie and makes it that much more terrifying

[@whorable]

i only smiled bc she barely smiled this whole movie and i was happy for her djhdhdhd hdhd

[@powersdustin709]

I can’t believe people thought this was a heartfelt and warm ending.

[@AxelStorm]

Well, it was warm for Christian and the other two in the temple

[@user-qz2ld3vt2d]

Stella H he felt a lot. If he didnt he would have just broken up with danny. He still cared about her, but didnt love her. That s why he didnt let it end

[@shannon1958]

123 456 Christian was emotionally abusive. I don’t think he particularly liked or cared for Dani. He was just too much of a coward or too lazy to break up with her. If he really cared about her, he wouldn’t have continually made her feel bad.

[@user-qz2ld3vt2d]

@@shannon1958 He clearly wasn't perfect, and i am not argueing he is. But he did care for her. He kept sticking around because he didn't want to leave her in a time that was that rough for her. But because he didn't want to be with her he became more and more apethetic towards her. He didn't want to still have to do all this. In the end he is really trying to do what's best for her. Planning the trip without telling her was a dick move, but it was based upon that he thought he would be out of the relationship when he would go. The fact that he didn't break up, because she felt so bad was because he cared in some form about her. It wasn't enough for a romantic relationship, but he did want what was best for her. In the end I don't know if he did the right thing. We don't know what would have happened if he left her the night her parents and sister died. I don't think danny would have felt better. I think wanting to wait for her to feel a bit better to break up is not the worst thing to do. He must have felt very trapped.

[@shannon1958]

123 456 Okay, to be clear, My position is that Christian was far worse than just being an asshole, he emotionally abused his vulnerable girlfriend. He didn’t deserve to die, but I think saying he was just an asshole dismisses his more heinous traits. Perhaps he did care for Dani at some point, but that love has turned into apathy which is the exact opposite of love. Even before Dani’s family tragedy, she is talking to a friend about how she feels she is asking too much of Christian simply because she is seeking support during a difficult time. We follow Dani’s perspective as she worries not only about her family’s well-being, but that she will be annoying her boyfriend by calling to discuss her very valid and founded concerns. Dani is not being unreasonable. Yet we cut to Christian, reluctant to engage with his clearly distraught girlfriend. His friends have a seemingly unfair negative opinion of her which they vocalize readily, and we learn that he is planning to break up with her. Now there is nothing wrong with Dani’s needs but there is also nothing wrong with Christian’s inability or unwillingness to meet them. He is not obliged to do that and he is free to leave the relationship at any time. However, rather than admit to this reality, he lies and pretends. He constantly treats her like a burden, minimizes her feelings, and is seemingly always trying to escape from her. The tension in their relationship is palpable but instead of being honest with her, he pretends like she’s being ridiculous for sensing. She is well within her rights to be upset that he withheld knowledge about his upcoming trip. He’s been planning it for months and has intentionally chosen to neglect telling her. Yet by the end of that scene, she is apologizing because he has implied that her reaction is wrong, when again, she is being perfectly reasonable. This is gaslighting. He is deliberately twisting her perspective of her own feelings and understandings. Making her doubt herself and her rationality when he knows that she’s right. This is emotional abuse. If Christian truly cared about Dani, he would have left when he realized that he had nothing good to offer her anymore. Perhaps his intentions were noble, but his actions were actively and deliberately harmful to Dani’s mental health and emotional well-being. That’s not caring about somebody. It’s cowardly because he is essentially placing the blame for his own emotional abuse on to Dani because he feels as though he owes her something. In a way he is right, but it is not a relationship that he owes her. He owes it to her to be honest and upfront and not to literally hurt her more than is necessary. If he cared about her, he could still do that as a friend and from more of a distance. I understand what you are saying, that he stayed because he cared enough about her to not want her to suffer alone. However, Dani does have other friends. She’s talking to one of them in the beginning of the film. And just like the video says, she shows incredibly healthy behavior for somebody who is grieving. She makes efforts to go out, to spend time with people. Yes, she cries frequently but she never expresses any sort of harmful behaviour towards herself. Nevermind that she is a psychology grad student, and as a result likely far more aware of mental health. That’s not to say that any of these things could preclude somebody from attempting to hurt themselves, but that they make it far less likely. I fail to see evidence that Dani may have posed a threat to herself, and if anything it is Christian who is holding her back from true emotional healing. The feeling of being trapped must suck, but he has trapped himself as far as I am concerned. What makes it unforgivable is that he abused somebody who trusted him as a result. I’m sorry for what may be an entire too long response but I find the discussion really interesting.

[@Nesbitty_Jr]

I’ve always found this movie disturbingly comforting, I really resonate and see myself as Danny, the only time i can socialize was with the person that traumatized me and was really like Christian, but then I met someone like Pelle and told me that my feelings are valid, but as soon as I gave in and became friends with my Pelle and his friends, he used me even worst than my Christian and I felt I couldn’t escape. This story is more as a lesson and I love watching it at my lowest times weirdly so I’ll never go through it again

[@lizzylove01]

am i the only one who just sat there in utter horror at her smile? I never once felt she was free or becoming a better person.

[@laetitiapohl138]

I felt the same way. I had this horrible feeling for like a whole day after i watched this movie haha But then i processed it i guess, and now I'm a huge fan

[@coliebrii]

same! at the end I was shocked and disturbed bc it's not like he idk... k worded her family??? all the time i was just thinking that yes, he was an asshole but he was an important person in her life so why did she look so refreshed at the end? I literally sat there confused and feeling uncomfortable

[@totallywireddd]

It was a pure horror movie from beginning to ending.

[@greenforce888]

It's not that she's free or a better person, but she finally has people that will hold her and support her, and that's a massive relief to her. They may have a very messed up culture, but at the end it seems like she has at least found the emotional support she has been lacking for quite some time.

[@lizzylove01]

@@greenforce888 you fail to understand the point, these people are not good in any way. They are not emotional support, they are manipulative.

[@ellieb.1231]

I was raised in a cult. Nothing has been more horrifying to me than watching how many people thought this wasn't a horror film at all. I haven't watched it because I know it will be triggering AF, and I remember how it felt in that beautiful indoctrination stage, where it seemed like finally there was a place I might be safe, or belong. People often say things like that cults prey on the weak or vulnerable, but I think insufficient attention is paid to why so many people are vulnerable in the first place. People like the Harga can succeed, because "normal" culture leaves so many out in the cold without support to begin with.

[@月光-z6q]

I had a lot of religious trauma growing up, but I’ve since worked through a lot of it and see the wide variance of human belief as something interesting and terrifying simultaneously. Watching this film elicited emotions from me that I have a hard time constructing even right now. I was in awe of the movie because of the stunning visuals and interesting plot line, so even when I was incredibly uncomfortable with everything going on, I kept watching the film. I didn’t even really want to know what happened next, especially with all the gore. I wasn’t sucked in per se, but I have no idea why I continued watching. This was by far the most horrific film I’ve ever seen because I see its effects everywhere in the modern day. And the worst part? These sorts of cults and beliefs will never go away. Belief and ritual have existed since the dawn of time, and the modern day will not make them disappear. Rational thought is not necessarily the antithesis of these type of cult like rituals; empirical science and religious thought are able to coexist in the same mind without much interference. After all, religion and belief fills the gaps that science has not yet expanded to. Religion and belief’s ability to morph to fill all the gaps in human understanding is what gives it its power. Religion cannot be disproven, at least with science; it’s a never-ending cat and mouse game. And I think this is why there’s always such a battle between belief systems and rational thought; both allow the individual or groups to enact control over their lives to survive: religious groups with their beliefs and practices to please their god or supernatural entity and rational thought allows for the individual to recognize the danger of groups when they act with one mind. A group of people thinking the same can over power an individual thinking differently instantly, especially if you are assimilated with that group and cut off from the world. Both perspectives-religious and rational-offer pros and cons to different minds of different people; and thus they will always be in conflict. When I was growing up, I never understood why those around me didn’t see things the way I did. “Why do we have to do this? Why do we do it this way?” “Why can’t I do this?” “How do we know this is true?” When others don’t understand you, *they don’t understand *you,* and that realization elicits fear. You are alone. You are othered. And if you say the wrong thing, they’ll find out, and no one will support you because everyone else is everyone you know, and they all believe the same thing. Of course, I’ve grown out of that latter mindset, but at 12 years old, that realization is what gave me a lot of religious issues that I had to work through, especially considering my own mother is still deeply religious.

[@hollandscottthomas]

There's a common saying that people who think they aren't susceptible to brainwashing are especially vulnerable to it.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

God bless you!

[@InevitableUniverse]

​@@月光-z6q I have a lot of religious trauma as well, and even though we probably come from different religions, you could easily be talking about the one I came from. This comment is so articulate, if you ever decided to write a blog post or an article about this, I bet it would reach and validate a lot of people.

[@powerball200]

Lol you people are hilarious. You think religion is a cult?

[@EatTheRichh]

What disturbs me the most is HOW Christian died. People talk about his death like it was well deserved, do they realize how long, and agonizing that kind of death is tho? He wasn’t just burned alive, oh no, it’s much slower than that. He is BOILED alive in the fat of the bear suit, too drugged up to even move. He is basically being cooked, whilst still alive, and feeling everything. He can’t even scream out his pain, he’s trapped in his own body as well as the bears, because of the drugs. I forgot which video I saw that really described how gruesome his death was, but it was eye opening. No one deserves to die like that. Sure he was an ass, but that is one of the most terrifying ways to go, and he didn’t deserve that kind of pain(honestly that goes for all of the friends that died, cause they all died gruesomely slowly. I don’t think I remember any of the deaths being quick.)

[@bestduelistever2374]

Exactly what I was thinking as I watched that. I seriously can't imagine going through the last moments of Christian's life. Drugged to the state of paralyzation, watching the last person that can help you fall deeper into madness, the regret, helplessness, and utter despair he must have felt.. Knowing that your death will only feed this insane cult more and then having to suffer for such a long time burning alive? It sounds unreal.

[@Anna-ik8nn]

NOT TO MENTION HE WAS RAPED JUST BEFORE THAT

[@mariama1735]

i agree wholeheartedly. i think the only one who went quick was josh, i believe he was dead by the time the members of the commune knocked him out.

[@nitasharocks6]

I agree, this was one of the things that stuck with me the most after watching the movie. The look on Christian's face as he just sits there about to be burned alive haunts me even a month after seeing the film

[@legendsLLC]

I don’t get why people feel satisfied after Christian dies it makes no sense because he suffered so much I felt pissed off at the end and the fact that Christian couldn’t even scream from the pain because he’s so drugged up is so sad

[@binch6291]

As someone who had a lonely college experience from depression, Covid, and a number of other issues, nothing gave me an implicit mistrust of student evangelical groups like sitting alone in the student center to read or do homework. I couldn’t go more than a few days without seeing some performatively upbeat person approach me in particular and start trying to pivot from conversation starters into pitching their group’s weekly bible study to me because I was the one sitting alone in a crowded place. I don’t know if they were doing it consciously, but it doesn’t happen two dozen times without it being a tactic. There is more to religion than mere indoctrination, but so many mainstream sects do the same thing as the weirdest and most niche cults.

[@jacaresurfista_]

what scaries me the most about this is that there're SO many people who didn't see the horror in the movie

[@shatteredscry]

It shocks me! Like I get it it’s not conventional horror that people expect. However, It’s more off putting that they watched the movie and all the subliminal meanings through the film seeped through the cracks of realizing it’s there. It’s exactly how cults prey on people

[@jacaresurfista_]

@@shatteredscry me and my friends didn't even argue about this... everyone saw more or less the same "monster" in the movie...

[@shatteredscry]

@@jacaresurfista_ I sometimes question how my different friends would react to this movie 🤔 my mom wants to watch it cause she loves hereditary and the witch, so I think she’d catch on to the point lol. I guess I’m wondering about my younger, maybe more impressionable friends (not to say that I’m any better in other ways)

[@AyubuKK]

Really shows how vulnerable people actually are to groups like the Harga.

[@spacecat3198]

I think there’s more horror in seemingly regular tales (including fairy tales) than we think. Hell I can see some real horror in a series like star trek.

[@Kitsueki]

I feel like the film is a test on the audience. If you smile. It's because you relate to Dani, and you see the appeal and draw in of a cult. It's meant to show how easy it is to suck someone into one. That's why they smile. It helps you relate to cult victims and understand them better and see the signs/tactics. I think the scariest part of the film is that you're involved. It calls you out. You smiled too... You're broken too... You are like Dani There are many Dani's in the world, many have been. People who join cults are not stupid. Just broken, tired and lonely.

[@danialbrecht2982]

THIS SHIT IS SO CREEPY MY NAME IS DANI IM SO JDHSHS THESE COMMENTS ARE LIKE ATTACKING ME

[@dunya7856]

girl your comment had me wheezing.

[@shantiraffelt5638]

I agree that those who smiled at the end could def relate to cult victims and think they're either weak minded or have things that need to be umm resolved... but I don't think they are astute enough to see the warning signs or tactics necessarily, nor do they lack enough self awareness to realize they got issues.

[@kairos__]

Nice interpretation, Well said

[@purvai4701]

I didn't smile I was purely horrified cuz I just kept thinking that the boy didn't deserve ut

[@CristiNeagu]

The amount of people that took that ending smile to mean happiness is disconcerting. To me, that ending smile was insanity finally taking hold.

[@matt-james2368]

I know right? "The ending was so empowering and happy!" I'm like did we just watch the same fucking movie? "But she found her true family and place on Earth! Christian treated her terribly and metaphorically put her through a fire." Ummmmm, no. I don't care if Christian was a Trump supporter who has a Me Wei account he didn't deserve to be boiled alive in a fucking bear carcass. PARALYZED AT THAT! WHAT A HORRIBLE DEATH. Like yeah he sucked, but do the normal thing and be a passive aggressive bitch and dump his ass. These people scare me that feel it was justified. Nobody deserves that unless you're Hitler or Eric Trump. She's not in a good place either when it ends. Sure she smiles, she's fucking insane and 100% blitzed lol. When the drugs wear off and believe me they will, she's going to get hit with the fact she basically murdered her bf and implode with guilt and I imagine will also puke everywhere lol. The harga will turn on her so fast when this happens because she is now a liability. Next thing you know they are telling her that after 2 weeks every May Queen is destined to be hit over the head with a fucking rock lol. 72 is not for you babe Haha. I mean they think of reasons to kill any chance they get anyway. So she will be murdered, burned to ash, and no one will ever ask her whereabouts. Fo sho, what a happy fucking ending you damn millenials lol.

[@CristiNeagu]

@@matt-james2368 Meanwhile, i'm finding it ironic that you're here commenting on the dangers of joining a cult, while at the same time holding so much disdain for Trump supporters and for Eric Trump, in particular... They're all just people, you know? And there's quite a lot of them. At least 75m. Reminds me of how a lot of cults brainwash their followers into believing the outside world is full of evil people that want to corrupt you, so you should never talk with or pay attention to those devils! After you're done with feeling outraged by what i said, perhaps consider getting to know those people a bit better. I assure you that for the most part, you both want the same thing, but have different ideas about how to do it. Anyways, all that aside, sure, I agree. Although we don't know what the requirements are for joining the Harga. Do you need to be a blood relative? Very possible, in which case Dani is screwed. Maybe you can marry into the cult, but as we've seen with Christian, there's not a lot of hope for that. Then again, maybe for them it's worth sacrificing (literally) a man to gain a woman in the form of Dani. So maybe she'll stay on as Pelle's wife, who knows? It also depends on how broken Dani is after all this. Sure, she might snap out of it like you say, or she might have gone completely down the rabbit hole. People stay in cults for very long periods of time, doing all sort of things we'd find insane (well, maybe not as insane as burning your ex alive, but perhaps the shock of that act is an even stronger incentive to not snap out of it). So... i dunno... Judging by their track record, it is very likely that Dani is on borrowed time. On the other hand, there's also the possibility that she'll join them. Would be interesting to know what happened to her.

[@CristiNeagu]

@Sarah's Riding The Storm Wave. I have no idea what you're saying. Try English.

[@CristiNeagu]

@Sarah's Riding The Storm Wave. Also, seems like the irony of your cult mentality fuelled outburst is lost on you.

[@evangelion8793]

I saw that as her being high as fuck and making a delusional smile at the fire or the noise or whatever. Honestly I didn’t think she was even aware totally of what was happening at that point lol. Maybe I’m lost.

[@christopherdockulp]

Absolutely brilliant! I love how you were able to draw parallels with your own experience in some ways. I think it took me about 3-4 watches to finally consider the question, “What does happen to Dani?” I also would toy around with the idea that if I were one of the friends, maybe I would be open-minded and accepting enough to survive. Kind of like, “How would I survive this horror movie?”

[@Kai81194]

Wait- people saw that as a happy/good ending-? Edit: also, as a swede, the fact that it took place in Hårga was an immediate red flag. It's like the capitol of disturbing folklore and urban legends.

[@itgetsbettereverytime]

what kind of disturbing folklore and urban legends, if you don’t mind me asking???

[@marianaoliveira1928]

@@itgetsbettereverytime YES! I also want to know! Does it have something like this cult maybe?

[@gleewhoseline198]

Honestly, it's less people than some would have you believe. The majority of people get it. It's obviously not a happy ending, but I do think it's a good ending. It's memorable and really effective

[@frida3025]

@@itgetsbettereverytime I’m not sure of the details but basically there is a folk tale in which there is a folk dance festivity. The entire village has gathered to dance and suddenly a stranger shows up with a violin and begins playing. The entire village becomes entranced by the song and can not stop dancing. They dance up on to a mountain and keep dancing until their feet is bare bones, and until they are nothing but skeletons. The stranger turns out to be the devil disguised as a fiddler. The mountain still has a flat top, and that is said to be the reason. Real creepy

[@frida3025]

It’s almost mirrored in the film with the dancing around the pole until you fall. Interesting parallel now that I think about it!

[@nyactine]

pelle saying that he lost his parents in a fire is one of the most haunting parts imo. it shows a hellish cycle of murder and isolation and we just watched it perpetuate itself

[@VaegerSchrogel]

The information given in the film suggests that the sacrificial cremation happens every 90 years, so his parents probably did not die in that ritual, Pelle is too young.

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

​@@VaegerSchrogelit most likely was an accidental fire they died in.

[@SwitcherooU]

Not sure I believe it, but people have made a strong case that Pelle had something to do with the death of Dani’s family. Like I said, I don’t really buy it, but Ari Aster certainly doesn’t close the book on it, and likewise, we’re left to wonder if the death of Pelle’s family is also the work of the cult in the same way. If the Harga are willing to do all…THIS…then who’s to say that they aren’t just as capable of orchestrating murder in the real world?

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

@SwitcherooU I think that would take some of the power out of the story if Pelle killed her family or if Pelles family qas killed by the cult. If Pelle's family were killed by the cult, then Pelle wouldn't be sad about it or have presented it as a tragedy I think. And making Pelle the killer of her family, that's just a little too contrived

[@joe-joe0]

idk if I'm right but Ari Aster himself denied this theory about Pelle

[@heidibarker9550]

The scene of Pelle trying to comfort Dani felt more constricting than any other scene, i hate when someone tries to calm me down like that and he's so indoctrinaty about it, he's telling her not to be freaked out about that assisted suicide event. I felt so trapped in the scenes with him and the part where all the women scream with Dani. I know she feels comforted but i feel so constricted, i want to be able to cry and scream without being silenced or drowned out. I was literally tense.

[@deltaloraine]

Yeah, like he wouldn't even let her speak and just kept up the narrative about himself and his "parents". It was an asshole thing to do, and yet it can easily be interpreted as sincere kindness. Also with the women crying. Yeah, it's good to cry with someone, but it feels almost like mocking the way the group of women drown out Dani's voice with their fake wails.

[@MichelMawon4982]

I AGREE Heidi. I wasn't at all won over by that. I wasn't fooled for a moment

[@indistraction5414]

oh, wow. i never thought about how the women crying with dani can function as a way of drowning her out, but it makes so much sense. sure that scene is just another instance of the harga lovebombing dani, but their performative wailing silences the authenticity of dani's pain just as effectively as christian and his friends have been doing throughout the film.

[@ok2298]

It felt like they were just mocking everyone

[@Kirasanban]

You put the words to this so perfectly! I also felt extra uncomfortable and suffocated during those scenes, but I didn’t really think about why.

[@leliza8477]

Honestly, I’m thankful for Midsommar because the film and the explanations like this one have pointed out my own vulnerability in my current state. I remember during that last scene when everyone is throwing themselves around the field in fake agony, I turned to my friend and said “oh… I get it.” It was a joking comment, but also not really. It looked so cathartic and freeing. Luckily I have not crossed paths with a cult recruiter but if I were to now, I’d have a sharper wit about it all at least

[@AriJeru]

I think everyone writing off why the ending was Dani going “insane” at the end also don’t acknowledge that the murder-suicide was probably one of the most traumatic things anyone could experience. It’s not as though Dani would be rational after that to begin with. It’s not that she’s evil now. She was in hell to begin with. She’s also not “better” with the Harga. She’s just not alone for a moment, in that despair.

[@adrianpreciado7501]

Wow well said honestly.

[@itskashkashi]

I was convinced the friend killed her family as part of the indoctrination plan.

[@crodo123]

that's literally what people mean when they say she went insane. is the opposite of being evil, is letting trauma take over your head and make act.....insane.

[@ΑριάδνηΤζουνάκου]

Midsommar is one of those movies that I find more enjoyment in talking/listening about rather than watching. I never got how, out of all the massacres and abusive practices, people thought Dani had a happy ending and you wonderfully explained why that is not the case. This is the first video of yours that I have come across and it is so great I immediately subscribed. Keep up the good work.

[@AcolytesOfHorror]

Αριάδνη Τζουνάκου it’s actually the first video of my new format, so you came at a great time! Welcome welcome, my next one on The Lighthouse should be out in about a week

[@nitehunter91]

@@AcolytesOfHorror This comment made me subscribe.

[@katesmyth4839]

Finally! An intelligent analysis on KZbin. Very impressed, relieved and subscribed.

[@hollyro4665]

I think it actually says a lot more about us than it does the movie cult. The fact that in a standard western society that is so praised Dani couldn’t find happiness because of her family and her relationship. But that a murderous cult was an improvement for her and she’s happier there than she was at home. She’s seen some horrendous stuff and knows about the group killing people. But they welcome her in and cry with her and care about her and she couldn’t even get something that basic at home. I don’t think it’s a happy ending that she ended up in a murder cult. But I understand that to some degree it’s kind of an improvement for her. There was murder and suicide in her previous life too so why should we accept that as better than where she’s ended up. At least in the group she now has people that care. It also probably made her more likely to accept the groups ways. Dani is shown to have nothing and at the end even if it isn’t idillic at least she has something. Also: we blame cults for praying on the vulnerable but we forget that it’s our way of life that makes them so vulnerable in the first place.

[@samuelsolomon7330]

@@AcolytesOfHorror gotta admit man, just bumped into this video looking around, and it might be among the best videos I've seen on the entire platform.

[@ashemayo]

I honestly was only sad for the bear, man he did nothing wrong

[@vampire_6]

Same and the scene where the bear was alive in a cage. Some man said its just a bear dont worry about it or something like that. Like no tf its not just a bear he has nothing to do with your stupid rituals

[@Hitsugix]

@@vampire_6 When the guy saw the picture of the bear in the fire and I later saw that bear in the cage I was so worried they would actually burn the bear alive. Glad they didn't. Still he should not have been killed at all.

[@vampire_6]

@@Hitsugix yikes. The psychos couldve still tortured him. I hate when people involve animals in their shit.

[@tcbell3694]

Me too! At the very beginning I was hoping it'd be a gigantic stuffed teddy bear,but deep down I knew it wasn't. :( Hate animals getting killed both in life and in movies!

[@verymanly9434]

Even from a practical standpoint, bear meat is edible, it is a horrible waste - and even the fur - it is a horrible waste of a precious life

[@gbsab9400]

That was the most brilliant cinematic breakdown. Top tier my friend, seriously.

[@PuppyCat2.0]

Okay, but can we talk about how raw and real the actress’s cries were. It wasn’t like those fake whine cries, they sounded real, painful, emotional, raw and truthful. Just me?

[@nahmastay3300]

She killed it. The way she tried to literally suffocate her uncontrollable sobs...that shit was so real. I’ve done that many times trying to swallow up a mental breakdown and shut off. She did PHENOMENAL

[@elvansavkl7972]

Unfortunately,American acting schools are abusive places.They abuse and break you.Kind of MKU METHODS.

[@kristynarinconova3176]

100% agreed! that was actually the first thought coming to my mind watching this film. it was a fenomenal performance and I wish to see her in more movies.

[@brittanynicoles4534]

Florence is one of the most amazing actresses I have ever seen

[@jadeapril2599]

no yeah those were incredible...she had to have experienced some sort of trauma to unlock those again

[@AmourEtLumiere]

Every single point you made is disturbingly accurate of Scientology. I was only a part of their cult for 6 months but the scars still linger. I was manipulated into moving across country to become a memver of their "church" while simultaneously being in the most abusive relationship I've ever had. This analysis hit me very deeply and has really got me emotional. Great video. And everyone, PLEASE stay away from Scientology.

[@fl4minratbag]

How did you finally get out? So glad you made it out tho !

[@meadowflower6655]

what is scientology?

[@yusefendure]

I got kicked out of a cult-like political group years ago. The same manipulation tactics were used to reel you in and keep you quiet; no different than any other cult or religion.

[@scherryvalentine9673]

It reminded me of the abuse of a narcissist boyfriend. Especially the love bombing in the beginning. It makes you willing to do anything.

[@wiseguyfan]

I can very much recommend the book 'Cult Psychology' from Steven Hassan. It breaks down the manipulative techniques cults use and how to protect yourself from it :)

[@runswithbears3517]

The fact that people interpreted this as a happy ending is the reason we cannot have nice things.

[@PDeeVidoes]

LITERALLY!! Did you see how floored Ari was when that interviewer said he thought it was a happy ending?? Lol some of us understand what you were tryna do Ari! 😭

[@stephanryll2133]

Yes. Everybody who thinks, this movie has a happyend is easily reachable for fascism.

[@lex_rodriguez]

It's sorta presented as one - it's the people who romanticize the ending who worry me.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

It depends on how you define that term. Dani is clearly happy at the end, but that's not the same thing as thinking that what happened was a good thing.

[@PDeeVidoes]

Corn Pone Flicks that’s a good point too that just cause someone’s happy it doesn’t mean it’s for the right reasons. But is she really happy or just suppressing her sadness? She never really mourned the loss of her family or dealt with the break up with Christian because he just dies. I think her “happiness” in the end is what makes the ending very far from that

[@tgd02]

Bro the people who thought the ending was a happy triumphant win for Danny may be horribly depressed themselves.

[@theyoutubeanalyst3731]

So not everyone realized the Harga were manipulating Dani? That... that is terrifying.

[@Ask_The_Mirror]

No it was pretty obvious she was being manipulated, the main point of this video is to show how the film basically manipulates people who are watching the film who sympathize with Dani as well

[@lau.tizzir]

But it makes sense when you think about it... The film seems to be built with that intention. Dani starts in a really bad situation and ends in a very different but just as bad situation. From one extreme to the other: From darkness, alone, in an isolated and cold society to a light blindness, surrounded by people who manipulate her with the promise of belonging, a cult disguised as family. It's pretty clever, the viewers are being manipulated at the same time as Dani. They are supposed to be attuned to the feelings and needs Dani has, so when she begins to get what she lacked and wanted at the beginning of the film with this group of people, it's easy to ignore all the red flags. So I think it's quite normal that a lot of people ended the movie with this idea of a happy ending, but at the same time with an unease feeling... It is only when you distance yourself from it, when you realize that you have been manipulated too. In the same way that many victims of cults need to get away in order to see everything with another perspective and realize then what was really going on.

[@aristideregnier4883]

those people that didn't think that are called NPCs. Literally, they don't have a soul.

[@katienichole6905]

I think anyone who's felt that isolation, especially deliberately at the hands of a partner, would relate to the relief of finding someone at last. Now, the burning is EXTREME, but I can see why people are still clinging to the relief that she actually has someone -multiple people- who will let her feel and feel WITH them. It's a strange release at the end, so I can understand wanting to smile with her. It isn't actually better, but it FEELS better, somehow.

[@fattyponce5740]

That’s the point of all this video

[@georgem.6076]

I couldn't get past the whole "Yeah, let's stick around" after watching two people jump to their deaths.

[@MrSmith0128]

That was the biggest issue for me too. Totally felt fake after that.

[@equosition1242]

If I remember correctly, they went there to explore the culture and rituals, so it's kind of, sort of, a little tiny bit understandable that they'd try to "explore understand and accept" everything happening. Maybe.

[@hadidahelfalah]

@@equosition1242 also knowing that chris and josh are antropologist, they need a material for their thesis and also the way chris said "im trying to be open minded" is what an antropologist should be. We all are aware of how disturbing the ritual is but still its just how their culture works and simon's freaks out can be considered rude (dishonoring the culture), its like when an antropologist is going to observe a certain culture they must have permission first, and having agreements on what to do and not to do

[@frey3794]

i think its very easy to say 'omg i would totally leave after that' when you're not actually in that situation. theres been tons of very scary studies done on bystander apathy, and i think that scene was a perfect example of it. not to mention the reason of 'it's just their culture, we think it's weird cause its different but it's totally normal to them.'

[@whatanoddtree]

but connie and simon tried to leave and they were killed for it. dani was too grief stricken and when she tried to leave, pelle comforted her and convinced her to stay. josh and christian were anthropologist so they were there with their curiousity and the belief of “it’s their culture.”

[@saber-like7857]

This reminds me of a story a professor at my (Christian) college told us. He was speaking at a youth camp once, and very intentionally didn't do an altar call at the end. The guy running the camp was upset about that and confronted him, and my prof told him that if they really were ready to convert, they'd still be ready in the morning. Tying it in with that emotional moment makes it easier to become disillusioned with it when you're back to everyday life.

[@ST4RB0M]

"why do people think it's a happy ending??" "oh my god you guys smiled?????!?!?!???" i smiled because i was going through a similar thing with a girlfriend at the time she was exactly like Christian to me it was satisfying seeing this version of a person get destroyed, it's liberating in the most fucked way possible. also the fact that dani was still drugged, she lost EVERYTHING essentially making her a different person all together and was groomed into believing the cult had her back. who wouldn't be happy knowing that these people are going to support you and love you with no judgement?? you're not aware of their intentions no shit you'll be happy

[@alexandrahill9176]

I watched this movie for the 3rd time with my roommate from college. She was a psych major so I looked forward to see if she could pick up on anything I most likely would have missed. She noted that when Pelle was speaking to Dani in his apartment about the trip, he never blinked, his face was blank, and his eyes didn't match his voice when he was expressing his excitement about the possibility of her going. She told me that was a sign that he was not to be trusted, and it flew right over my head. After she mentioned that and I watched it again with someone else, it was glaringly obvious.

[@citizencj3389]

Im not a psych major but thay was definitely unsettling to me. He seemed like he was out of it..

[@jasonninja55]

Okay in the context of a horror movie I totally understand that but if this were any other context that could just be a neurodivergent person 😂😂😂

[@unkelbin5739]

Great point, but to be fair to the characters, he was in the midst of a trip.

[@johntonssen7231]

As just someone with a human brain, yeah no 💩 lmao so obvious

[@citiestoash]

Doesn’t take a psych major to realize that lol