Midsommar (2019): [Credits Here] Writer-director Ari Aster follows up the superior Hereditary with another smart horror film, this one in the vein of The Wicker Man or Children of the Corn.
A grieving Florence Pugh tags along with her boyfriend -- an annoying sociology grad student -- and other annoying American grad students to visit the communal village of a Swedish grad student just in time for the special, every-90-years Midsummer festival, aka Lammas, aka, per a surprisingly recent Farmer's Almanac, "sabbats possible." Whee!
Makes a weird trilogy from unconnected film-makers (the other films would be Let the Right One In and The Ritual) about how no location in Sweden is safe from horror. Florence Pugh stands out as the only really sympathetic major character. Highly recommended.
Malevolent (2018): adapted by Ben Ketai and Eva Konstanopoulos from the novel Hush by Eva Konstanopoulos; directed by Olaf de Fleur; starring Florence Pugh (Angela), Ben Lloyd-Hughes (Jackson), Scott Chambers (Elliot), Georgina Bevan (Beth), and Celia Imrie (Mrs. Green):
Solid straight-to-Netflix horror movie about fake paranormal investigators and real ghosts. Hey, didn't Supernatural do that bit years ago? And Stephen Volk's The Awakening? There are probably a few too many jump-scares and not enough set-up, but for the most part the movie plays fair with its ghosts and monsters and psychics real and imaginary.
It also makes surprisingly effective use of the 1958 novelty hit "Beep Beep" (aka "Little Nash Rambler"). Certainly better than most of the Insidious/Sinister/Conjuring movies, though bafflingly set in 1986. Because there weren't any cellphones? That's my best guess. Recommended.
