What Midsommar Has to Say About Relationships

Rookie director Ari Aster’s Midsommar spins A Midsummer Night’s Dream into pure nightmare material. In this brilliantly ominous folk-horror, protagonist Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) is plunged into despair after her sister’s suicide and the subsequent deaths of their parents. Her mourning causes her emotionally detached boyfriend, Christian Hughes (Jack Reynor), difficulties in breaking up with her. So instead, he invites Dani to a midsummer festival in Hårga, Sweden along with his friends, which Dani unexpectedly accepts. Things go awry, however, when, in the midst of the group exploring Hårga’s midsummer traditions, disturbing cult rituals come into light and her friends start going missing. In a psychedelic dance competition, Dani is crowned May Queen. And her final decree? To sacrifice Christian in a burning temple, finally becoming one with the Hårga cult.

Although Midsommar seems like a hit or miss for most critics and viewers, it does explore the nature of relationships through three main dynamics: Dani and her family, Dani and Christian, and Dani and the people of Hårga.

Dani and her Family

A main theme in Midsommar is grief, which is expressed mostly through Dani's healing process after the deaths of her family members. In a mural, death is a literal character and cuts Dani off from her family. Dani is isolated from her only support system, leaving her to deal with the trauma alone. In several scenes like the flight to Sweden, Dani hides her pain as best as she can - solitary suffering is what eventually pushes her over the edge.

Dani also experiences hallucinations about her parents and sister throughout the movie. Their faces are superimposed into the background and she even calls out to an illusion of her parents. The audience is reminded over and over again of Dani's agony, simulating her feelings of overhanging guilt and the continuous feeling of burden.

Dani and Christian

Dani and Christian have a pre-established strained relationship. Christian is portrayed as emotionally distant, highlighted by his lack of compassion when Dani breaks down at the beginning of the film and Christian only offers the bare minimum of comfort.

The dysfunctional relationship is further emphasised by Dani's self-blaming and doubt around Christian. During the first few minutes, Dani calls an unknown friend and expresses apprehension and fear about asking Christian for consolation. More of this attitude is seen in the director's cut version of Midsommar. In an extended clip, Dani tells Christian that she wished he had told her sooner about the trip to Hårga. Christian immediately gaslights her, saying that he has apologised and that Dani is attacking him, forcing Dani to apologise despite him being in the wrong. This conniving and controlling behaviour further uncovers the cracks in their relationship. In another extended scene, Christian shows his irrational attitude towards his relationship with Dani. First, he downplays her knowledge, calling it "textbook psychology". He then ironically accuses Dani of being manipulative.

Moreover, Christian claims that Dani intentionally guilt-trips him by giving him gifts, reminding him that he's inadequate. Christian seems prone to outbursts and his behaviour is what causes tension in their relationship, leaving Dani walking on eggshells.

Dani and the People of Hårga

In Hårga, cult behaviour is portrayed as heavily dependent on emotions and empathy. This is first shown when two elders commit senicide, a common practice when Hårga people reach 72. As the elders jump down from a cliff, the rest of the cult wails along with them, sharing their pain. Another instance of this empathy is when Dani catches Christian participating in a mating ritual, causing her to burst into tears. A group of Hårga women cry with her, their behaviour contrasting Christian's indifference.

There are also specific characters that pull Dani towards Hårga. Pelle, the Swede that first invited the group to his homeland, grows close to Dani. Pelle gifts her a portrait on her birthday and is genuinely shocked when he learns that Christian forgot Dani's birthday. Pelle also empathises with Dani's loss, as he also lost his parents at a young age and became "adopted" by the rest of the cult.

By the end of the movie, Dani becomes one with the cult. The solicitude they gave was what she needed during her most vulnerable time. After the loss of her family, she finds a new home and a sense of belonging amongst the people of Hårga, almost like a rebirth.

Midsommar conveys both feelings of anguish and acceptance within relationships, while also showing the need for support and the fear of suffering alone. As Aster puts it, Midsommar is a “breakup movie”. Midsommar revolves strongly around relationships, using familial relationships as a catalyst for the destruction of a romantic relationship and the creation of a spiritual one.