Midsommar (2019)

A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown’s fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult. (IMDb)

It’s terrifying how potent and perfect Aster’s direction is, helped of course by Pugh’s standout turn. The long pre-title sequence is brilliantly done and fucking unbearable, and this description applies throughout, as heartwrenching music, creative camerawork, and a beautiful aesthetic decorate the disgusting horrors, which regrettably get grossly self-indulgent in the second half as the intriguing story arcs (Dani’s grief, the strained relationship, the thesis drama) fade into the background.

7.5/10 (Really Good)

 

The Revenant (2015)

A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team. (IMDb)

An immaculate cinematic experience; gorgeous forested landscapes and their well-worn inhabitants are captured in spectacular natural light and with as much gritty detail as breathtaking breadth. Swelling strings and impeccable action-camerawork add further flair. DiCaprio’s committed turn drives forward a brutal and bloody survival/revenge plot that fits its severe setting like a glove with its stark visceral simplicity, while Hardy and co. offer strong support in their own secondary narrative.

9/10 (Amazing)