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Horror fans will be waiting with bated breath for the reactions to Ari Aster's new movie Midsommar.

The acclaimed director delivered horror gold with last year's Hereditary starring Toni Collette, but now he returns with the creepy new film Midsommar.

The new film follows a troubled young American couple Dani ( Florence Pugh ) and Christian (Jack Reynor) as they travel to a fabled Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly pastoral paradise transforms into a sinister, dread-soaked nightmare as the locals reveal their terrifying agenda.

The trailers appeared bizarre and creepy despite being drenched in daylight, and the foreboding atmosphere just brimmed from the footage.

So will it live up to Hereditary?

Critics in the US have now seen the film and the reviews are in...

Midsommar review round-up

IndieWire

(Image: A24)

Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave a positive review for his publication.

"This is the kind of mad science filmmaking worth rooting for: Aster refashions “The Wicker Man” as a perverse breakup movie, douses Swedish mythology in Bergmanesque despair, and sets the epic collage ablaze. He may not land every big swing, but the underlying vision is hard to shake even when it falters."

Birth Movies Death

(Image: A24)

Scott Wampler suggested it's good but not ground-breaking in his review .

"All in all, I liked Midsommar a lot. It doesn't break the folk horror mold, and didn't really frighten me in the traditional sense, but it's a smoother ride than Aster's previous film, showing growth on his part as a filmmaker and further cementing this director as a dude who can definitely be counted on to pull no punches. I'm very curious to see what he does next."

Screen Daily

(Image: A24)

Tim Grierson of Screen Daily gave a positive but mixed reception to the film.

"As opposed to Hereditary’s hushed, focused terror, Midsommar explodes with blood and gore — as well as ideas about our primal nature and the universe’s startling ability to mete out justice, no matter how unexpectedly. Not every ambition succeeds, but it’s invigorating to watch Aster and Pugh guide us on this wild sojourn."

The Hollywood Reporter

(Image: A24)

John DeFore gave a glowing reception to the film and compared it to The Shining, in some respects.

"Photographed with extreme care, the film sometimes wears its ambitions on its sleeve. Dani has a nightmare full of what might be called Kubrickian visions while huddled beneath a blanket whose hexagonal decorations look like a cool-hued homage to the carpet in The Shining. But Midsommar remains too entertained by its exotic rituals to reach the abyss-staring quality of that tale. More unsettling than frightening, it's still a trip worth taking."

Rotten Tomatoes score

(Image: A24)

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film is sits with 95% "Fresh" review ratings.

The consensus reads: "Ambitious, impressively crafted, and above all unsettling, Midsommar further proves writer-director Ari Aster is a horror auteur to be reckoned with."

It will remain to be seen if it maintains that, but we shall post the consensus as soon as we know it.

But perhaps this tweet reaction from Trace Thurman best sums up what to expect...

"MIDSOMMAR is a mind-f**k of the highest order, channeling (yet again) a young woman’s journey through grief. Deliberately paced but never boring (those 140 minutes FLY by). Pugh is excellent. There is some imagery that I want plastered on my wall. Don’t miss this one, folks."

Eeeek.

Midsommar is released in UK cinemas on July 5, 2019.