Zuzanna Woźniak
In the world of feminist film analysis, the good for her cinematic experience seems to have become people's guilty pleasure. Watching women on screen resorting to violence to get what they want can, in fact, be satisfying in a world lacking justice. The category is often applied to group together films such as The Hunger Games, Kill Bill, and Little Women. What bothers me isn't the genre itself - I consider many of the films to be cinematic masterpieces and find myself cheering for women who enact their revenge - but the way a film that goes so deep into cults and their manipulation tactics has been brought down to be seen as a breakup movie drives me up the wall.
Despite being often categorised as a good for her movie, Midsommar (2019) is not about supporting women's rights and wrongs. The romance plot is a cover up for the disturbing developments of the story. If one was to dumb down the film, it might seem like a breakup movie with an ending purely focused on revenge and justice. After all, the whole plot is dependent on a romantic pair agreeing to a getaway in a small Swedish commune. It is, however, ignorant and ridiculous to only see and discuss that portion of the movie.
Okay, here come some possible spoilers. Just as a heads up, the film is rated R in the US due to violence and sexual themes, so please be responsible with your media consumption.
Ari Aster’s disturbing folk-horror film focuses on the art of manipulation. The invitation extended to Dani, the main character of the film, to join the commune is not an act of kindness the film makes it out to be. Her grief caused by the loss of her family and her toxic relationship is exploited by the cult. Her partner’s disinterest in her suffering is mirrored by the community's calculated and successful attempts to manipulate her.
The catharsis she goes through is in no way feminist and does not benefit her. The, for lack of a better word, empowerment she experiences by burning her boyfriend alive comes at a great personal cost. It's most probably short-lived. Embracing violence and female rage won't change her situation. Dani trades one oppressive force for another, and this time it is that of an organized religion.
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