While it might seem like just yesterday, we were ringing in the new year and making our resolutions, the truth is the end of January is rapidly approaching. That means we’re coming up on the time when streaming services make some big programming changes, adding new movies and television shows to their rosters while also saying goodbye to some favorites. This changing of the guard, if you will, is going to be particularly rough for horror fans who happen to also be HBO Max subscribers. Last month, the streamer said goodbye to two of A24’s best movies, Hereditary and Talk to Me and now, another of their master works is departing at the end of January — and this one stars a Marvel fan-favorite.
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Leaving HBO Max on January 31st is Midsommar. Released in 2019, Midsommar is written and directed by Ari Aster and stars Thunderbolts star Florence Pugh along with Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, and Will Poulter. The film was a surprise box office hit, grossing $48 million on a $9 million budget and was a massive hit with both critics and audiences alike with its visually stunning and unsettling story centered around a sinister midsummer ritual in a closed, Swedish community. It’s the film that helped make Pugh a huge star and you definitely want to check it out before it leaves streaming.
Midsommar Is One of Pugh’s Best, If Not Most Unsettling, Performances
In Midsommar, Pugh plays American college student Dani who is deeply traumatized after her mentally ill sister kills both their parents and herself via carbon monoxide poisoning. The tragedy deeply strains her relationship with her boyfriend, Christian. Several months after the tragedy, Christian and is friends Mark and Josh are invited by their Swedish friend Pelle to a nine-day midsummer festival in rural Sweden that occurs only once every 90 years. Christian reluctantly invites Dani along. Of course, the festival ends up not being quite what it seems and what transpires is a twisted ritual that simply has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
Pugh’s performance in particular received critical praise, however the star later said that she wouldn’t be able to do roles like that again because of how taxing it was on her, emotionally. Pugh said that bringing the deeply troubled and grieving Dani to life led her to experiencing six months of depression in her own life. Despite the challenges that Pugh faced, Midsommar stands as one of her best films — which is saying something because her entire filmography is solid, with roles in Little Women, Don’t Worry Darling, and even her strong performance in Thunderbolts. More than that, Midsommar has also helped to redefine horror for some fans, offering up a lighter, more character-driven experience than some might expect for a story with such grim turns. It’s a modern masterpiece — and now’s a great time to check it out before it leaves HBO Max.
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