In the summer of 2019, Midsommar shocked viewers: not only was it a brilliantly-lit horror film in the middle of summer, but it pulled no punches about the contrastingly darkest parts of human nature: suicide, betrayal, and sacrifice. Interspersed in the beauty of the film were scenes of horrific brutality.
While some people might only be able to stomach watching Midsommar once, more viewings reveal intricate details that everyone from director Ari Astor to costumer Andrea Flesch threaded though the movie. Spotting details in the film has become something of an internet sensation, so here are five to start you off.
Proceed only if you’ve seen the film: here there be spoilers.
1. The opening mural tells the entire story
You won’t realize it until the end, but the opening scene gives away the entire plot! The first image is of three people connected to hoses with a large skull about them, signifying the death of Dani’s family. The next is a man and a crying woman walking across a field – Dani and Christian travelling despite Dani’s distress. Then, Mark (in a jester’s hat symbolizing his foolish nature), Josh, Christian and Dani follow Pelle, who holds a flute, invoking the Pied Piper myth. The Hårga community is featured next, including the cliff with a man falling off, and the scene on the far left is the midsummer dance.
Several other murals give us hints to plot developments as well – the obvious one tells the “love story” (which will later happen to Christian). In the room where the group sleeps, we can see a man with his back torn open, which is Simon’s eventual fate, and two people having sex while a group looks on, as will happen in the ritual with Christian and Maja. Finally, when Christian waits for Siv, he examines a drawing of a bear on fire, unknowing that that he will soon be the one set ablaze.
Take a closer look at some of them at Polygon, along with explanations by production designer Henrik Svensson.
2. Norse runes are everywhere
Two thousand years ago, ancient Norse people used the Futhark system of writing. Today, many Neopagans integrate the runes into their practices, often for the purposes of divination. In several scenes, the shapes of these runes have been integrated.
At 54 minutes, for example, we pan over the table, which is arranged in the shape of othala, the rune for home and heritage. This makes sense, as the Hårga have been stressing their ties as “family” and how far back their traditions reach. The long, straight table at 1hr 50min is isa, which literally translates as “ice” and stands for a pause – which is happening before the madness of the film’s climax begins.
Runes appear more obviously in many other places as well: Dani’s dress for the dance features raido, which means “journey” and dagaz which means “dawn”, though they are reversed and rotated sideways, respectively. In divination, a rune that isn’t upright is read as “merkstave” and carries a darker meaning. After his death, Josh’s foot has been carved with mannaz, which means man and stands for partnership: a dark nod to “collaborating” with Christian.
3. If you speak Swedish, you’ll be a step ahead.
Many times, the subtitles just say “speaking Swedish.” A helpful Swedish-speaking Redditor provides some translations, and you can always take a look at the original script.
For instance, when Pelle greets Father Odd, the leader asks how his pilgrimage is going, to which Pelle replies that it’s wonderful. Here’s a sign that he’s still in the process of fulfilling his role in the cult and not merely bringing some friends to visit home.
Irma also describes the group’s mythology behind the dance thus: “It was here, a long, long time ago, that the dark one lured out the youth of Hårga onto the grass and forced them into a dance. And when they had started dancing they couldn’t stop, so they danced themselves to death! But now, in defiance against the dark we dance until we fall! And she, who remains standing last will be crowned for her stamina.”
4. You can tell that Christian’s drink has been altered
Color is a huge part of this film, and anything that sticks out is worth thinking about.
In the dinner scene that begins at 1hr 27min, we see that everyone’s drinks are a pale yellow, but Christain’s has an orange tint. This is probably from the menstrual blood that’s been added, thus turning the drink into a love potion. He discovers the hair in the meat pie, but though the camera lingers on his drink, no one in the group seems to pick up on the fact that it’s different.
5. The children’s game tells us how Mark will die
Remember how Will Poulter’s character is characterized from the beginning as “the fool”? Well, at 42min, Pelle explains that the children are playing a game called “skin the fool.”
5. Enough said, really.
These details are just scratching the surface as far as what Midsommar has to offer. Redditors, YouTubers, and horror buffs of all stripes have theories galore, so take to the internet if you want to continue down the rabbit hole.