Midsommar is one of the most subversive horror films in recent memory. For one thing, it takes place almost entirely in daylight. For another, it features a protagonist that is almost entirely passive. Even though it’s the daylight aspect of the film that usually gets the most attention, the feat Midsommar achieves with Dani’s passivity is actually a far more impressive achievement.

Horror is generally speaking the genre that demands perhaps the most active participation from its characters. TENSION in horror films comes from placing your characters in situations where they have to make decisions fast. Because of this, characters must be ACTIVE or the story will turn out frustrating and dull.

But throughout Midsommar, which is almost two and a half hours long, Dani quite literally makes just ONE DECISION. It should be narrative catastrophe, but curiously enough I struggled to find a single dull moment from one of the longest horror films of all time. And that is entirely because of the brilliant way in which director Ari Aster has elected to reveal Dani’s character - not through ACTION, but through INACTION.

What do you do when your character’s fatal flaw quite literally prevents them from taking action of any kind? What do you do when that flaw is PASSIVITY? Midsommar teaches us all of this and more.

https://youtu.be/VYl5a67e27k