When Midsommar was unveiled in 2019, it unlocked a new level of psychological horrors. This Ari Aster-directed flick follows grief-stricken Dani (Florence Pugh), as she grapples with the incomprehensible death of her parents at the hands of her sister, who also took her own life.
To restore some joy in her life, Dani embarks on a trip with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) and a group of friends. They travel to a remote Swedish village, where they plan to attend a festival. Behind the idyllic scenery and kind people lie a dark set of rituals, which involves elderly people committing suicide. The series of events leaves Dani fearing for her life and facing unimaginable evil.
Midsommar brought in $48 million at the box office with just a $9 million budget, making the film a commercial success. Themes of trauma, rituals, and betrayal are felt throughout the film, leaving viewers eager for more of this type of terrifying drama. For viewers interested in more movies like Midsommar, we’ve found seven that’ll rock your world.
Talk to Me (2022)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Fandango at Home, Apple TV
In Talk to Me, viewers meet the troubled and grief-stricken teenager, Mia (Sophie Wilde) who struggles with the death of her mother. At a get-together with friends, Mia and the crew experiment with a mysterious embalmed hand used to contact spirits. Mia becomes particularly interested in the hand, which possesses anyone who touches it. However, things go awry when Mia and the rest of the friends take things too far, with a demon eventually taking over Riley (Joe Bird), the younger brother of Mia’s best friend, Jade (Alexandra Jensen). Now, it is up to Mia to end the possession, though there are dire consequences. If you’re looking for movies like Midsommar that hit on themes of grief and features strange rituals, Talk to Me is for you.
The Wicker Man (1973)
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, PLEX, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home
If you’re looking for movies like Midsommar that include daylight horror and strange ceremonies, you’re in luck. The Wicker Man is a British classic, which features similar ritualistic horror as seen in Midsommar. Police officer Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) is headed to a remote Scottish island as part of an investigation into a missing girl. The devout Christian man makes it to his destination only to be shocked that the current inhabitants practice paganism. This includes human sacrifice and other strange ceremonies that Howie couldn’t have imagined.
Hereditary (2018)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Where to watch: Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV
Interestingly, Hereditary was also directed by Midsommar mastermind, Ari Aster. Hereditary is another psychological horror that begins and ends with the effects of grief. When Annie (Toni Collette) loses her mother, Ellen, she leans on her husband, Steve (Gabriel Byrne), with whom she shares a daughter, Charlie (Milly Shapiro), and a son, Peter (Alex Wolff). One night when the latter is invited to a party, Annie says he must take his sister. However, shocking events take place during and after the get-together, leaving Charlie dead and Annie placing the blame on her son. In a desperate attempt to connect with her deceased daughter, the distraught mother conducts a seance. However, she soon learns that Ellen is spiritually connected to Charlie through her own demonic practices, wreaking havoc on the family from the grave. If you’re looking for movies like Midsommar, why not look right to its director’s other works?
The Witch (2015)
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Where to watch: Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
The Witch takes place in 1630s New England and follows Husband William (Ralph Ineson), his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), and their children Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), Mercy (Ellie Grainger), Jonas (Lucas Dawson) and infant, Samuel. The brood is exiled from their village and must start a new life in a secluded wooded area. However, they are faced with an unimaginable tragedy when Samuel mysteriously disappears while Thomasin is supposed to be watching him. From there, suspicions rise, with the family soon learning that a witch has infiltrated their family, and begins torturing them. Paranoia arises and before long, the hag will show its true self, resulting in more devastation for the family.
The Ritual (2017)
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Where to watch: Netflix
The Ritual focuses on five pals, Luke (Rafe Spall), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), Phil (Arsher Ali), Dom (Sam Troughton), and Rob (Paul Reid), who are in the middle of planning a vacation when tragedy strikes, leaving Rob dead and Luke a witness to his murder. Years pass and the remaining friends decide to hike in Sweden in memory of their fallen brother. During their journey, they are forced to retreat to a cabin in the forest when Dom can no longer make the long walk due to a knee injury. Unfortunately, they will soon learn that their resting location is filled with evil, leaving more of them dead.
Antichrist (2009)
IMDb: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
Where to watch: Kanopy
Antichrist merges sex and witchcraft for a disturbing spin on the horror genre. An unnamed couple portrayed by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, are engaged in an intimate moment when their infant son, Nic, falls out of his crib and dies. The grieving mother is then hospitalized after a mental breakdown. However, her therapist husband is certain he can provide better care in their vacation cabin. However, while there, the wife becomes increasingly erratic, with a violent confrontation ensuing that leaves one of them dead and the other learning shocking truths about Nic’s death.
The Lighthouse (2019)
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Where to watch: Max, YouTube, Hulu, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Fandango at Home, Apple TV
The Lighthouse, much like Midsommar is a slow burn, though it’s worth every second. This intense black-and-white piece set in the late 19th century focuses on two lighthouse keepers, Thomas Wake, played by Willem Dafoe, and Ephraim Winslow, portrayed by Robert Pattinson. They are stranded on a remote island for a four-week assignment. However, with isolation comes madness and mounting superstitions. Odd hallucinations also give way to violent outbursts, with only one man barely standing in the end. Most of these movies like Midsommar use color theory to their advantage, much like how the bright tones of Midsommar itself are meant to appear as friendly and welcoming as the cult itself to lure the viewer into a false sense of security. However, The Lighthouse’s lack of color is where this film shines, helping everything feel just a bit more eerie.
Mother! (2017)
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
Where to watch: YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video
Mother! focuses heavily on Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Mother who lives in an isolated home with her poet husband, portrayed by Javier Bardem. Their peaceful life is filled with Mother being his muse as he struggles to overcome writer’s block. Their serene life is interrupted when one of the husband’s dying fans arrives to their home with his wife and their sons. The uninvited guests create a chaotic environment, which leads to a shocking death. Dealing with mourners and growing tensions, Mother and her husband learn they are expecting a child. Unfortunately, the bliss surrounding their bundle of joy is shattered by a gruesome murder and supernatural forces.
Get Out (2017)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies & TV, Fandango at Home
At the beginning of Get Out, the foundation is set when an unsuspecting Black man is abducted at night as he walks down the street. Soon after, we meet Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), another Black man working as a photographer, who is dating his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). When he takes a road trip to meet her family, he encounters stranger housekeepers and Rose’s odd family. Soon enough, Chris will be subjected to a racial horror project, where he must try to survive and free the others. This is considered a movie like Midsommar in that it features ‘daylight horror’, psychological horror, and something that seems innocuous at first, but quickly turns sinister.
