In 2011, fledgling filmmaker Ari Aster, made his directorial debut with a short film titled, The Strange Thing About The Johnsons. It was this twenty-eight minute-long comedy/drama, that would kickstart Aster's career as a filmmaker.
He worked on several more short films for the next few years, and in 2018, his debut feature film, Hereditary, premiered in theatres. The film - which Aster likes to describe as a "family tragedy" - would go on to shock, unsettle, and terrify audiences all over the world.
At the time that Hereditary was being filmed, Ari Aster was already crafting his follow-up horror feature, Midsommar. The folk horror film - which Aster would eventually describe as a "break-up movie disguised as a horror movie" - hit theatres in July of 2019.
Midsommar and Hereditary are both relatively new films, but they are already considered cult classics of the genre. Both of Aster's films have made quite an impression on audiences, and will continue to do that for years to come. Let's explore both masterpieces and see what Hereditary did better than Midsommar, and vice versa.
EERINESS - HEREDITARY
Hereditary has already established a cult classic reputation. It was easily the best horror film of 2018, and is already being considered as one of the scariest, most disturbing films ever made. While Midsommar has too already gained quite a cult following, Hereditary established its cult status by the power of sheer eeriness.
There was virtually nothing about this film that was not eerie, from its color palette of dark, hopeless tones, to the omnipresent underlying feeling that the characters were completely powerless to what was happening around them. Hereditary effortlessly gets under your skin.
RELATABLE CHARACTERS - MIDSOMMAR
While Hereditary focused on a dysfunctional family dynamic, Midsommar was primarily focused on one character and her journey to finding enlightenment. Dani was definitely to Midsommar what Annie was to Hereditary, but Midsommar was completely Dani's story and Dani's story alone.
Because we saw just about everything happening through Dani's eyes, viewers were able to identify with her. Then there was the added comic relief of Will Poulter's Mark and the immoral backbone of Jack Reynor's Christian. The characters had a way of feeling completely real and relatable.
THE SCARE FACTOR - HEREDITARY
Both Midsommar and Hereditary were two films that were inarguably above the cheap gimmick of jumpscares. While Midsommar was a psychedelic, disturbing experience, it's pretty much a general consensus among fans of Aster's work, that Hereditary was the scarier film.
Ari Aster had his work cut out for him when he made the decision to have a horror movie take place almost completely in broad daylight. This means that Midsommar was disturbing in its own very unique way, but Hereditary utilized the eeriness that comes with darkness to its advantage.
ORIGINALITY - MIDSOMMAR
Hereditary was definitely original in its own right. It managed to be such a unique take on what was marketed as an extra-disturbing haunted house film, that it was unlike anything viewers had seen in a long time. In the age of remakes, reboots, and sequels, Hereditary and Midsommar refreshingly stand apart.
Some would argue that Midsommar is the modern-day version of the folk horror classic, The Wicker Man. While this is true in many ways, Midsommar was definitely its own unique creation. It was different than every other movie premiering alongside it.
STRUCTURE - HEREDITARY
A unique aspect of Ari Aster's films is the fact that they both deviated from the expected three acts system that dominates the filmmaking craft. This is especially true for Midsommar; in this film, there is no clear transition between the three acts. In Midsommar, Ari Aster pretty much did whatever he wanted for the film's two hours and twenty-seven minutes.
In Hereditary, the structure is more clear, the transition between acts more defined. It has a structure that is easier for viewers to follow, and it helps the film feel less draggy and drawn out.
THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF - MIDSOMMAR
Aster came up with unique ways of describing both of his films; he described neither of them as horror, calling Hereditary a family tragedy, and Midsommar a break-up movie. This is definitely an interesting take on both movies. Grief is definitely a significant focal point in Hereditary, which examines its main characters mourning first, the family matriarch, and later, the tragic death of Charlie.
Even though Hereditary undoubtedly creates a profound, devastating portrayal of grief, Midsommar knocks this one out of the park. Throughout the film, Dani is the outcast among the other characters. She's the only one coping with a major tragedy, and she's the only one currently going through the five stages of grief. Seeing Dani's struggles - combined with Florence Pugh's compelling performance - just felt more real and deeply personal.
STRONG PERFORMANCES - HEREDITARY
Both films boasted inarguably exceptional performances from their casts. Similarly, both films relied heavily on the performances of their leading ladies, Florence Pugh in Midsommar and Toni Collette in Hereditary. Both actresses' performances were equal in how profound and unforgettable they were, and will definitely have people talking for years to come.
Where Hereditary manages to exceed in the category, is its small but powerful cast. The characters feed off of each other, and while every character in Midsommar is secondary to Dani, Hereditary is more-so about the entire Graham family. The performances from Alex Wolff as Peter, Gabriel Byrne as Steve, and Milly Shapiro as Charlie - were utterly unforgettable.
TONES AND CONTRASTS - MIDSOMMAR
Hereditary was a dark film that relied on shadows, figures in the dead of night, and fire piercing through the blackness. It managed to maintain a hopeless feeling throughout its entire two-hour long run. Even scenes shot in the daylight felt bleak and dark.
In stark contrast, Midsommar was a film shot almost entirely in the daylight. But even so, it managed to contrast its palette and tone in ways Hereditary did not. Midsommar opens on a frigid winter night, then jumps months ahead into the lush summery landscape of Harga. Midsommar includes several scenes set in darkness to contrast its main tones of bright yellows, blues, and greens.
THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY DISTURBING ASPECT - HEREDITARY
Both films are considered to be psychological thrillers, but Hereditary is ultimately the one that stays truer to the genre. Midsommar was disturbing, visually pleasing, and unsettling, but more than it was a psychological thriller, it was a story about one character's journey to overcoming the grief of her past.
Hereditary, on the other hand, was disturbing from beginning to end. It got under viewers' skin and stayed there long after the credits rolled. That's not to say that Midsommar didn't do the same thing, but Hereditary had so many completely unsettling scenes, that it gave virtually every other film in its genre a run for their money.
ENDING - MIDSOMMAR
Hereditary's ending is still considered controversial to this day. Many viewers were taken aback by the heavy occult themes the film had, and this is mostly due to the fact that it was marketed as something completely different. Many people - even hardcore fans of Hereditary - consider its ending to be over-the-top.
Midsommar was unabashedly cult-themed and never shied away from its focus on paganism and the occult. Because of this, its ending felt much more justified and satisfying. Especially since Midsommar was about Dani's journey, the ending just felt right. After years of feeling like she didn't belong, Dani found her people. And finally, she felt held.