Summary of Midsommar - Everything I Missed

This deep-dive video serves as an addendum to a previous comprehensive guide on Midsommar, unpacking numerous details, corrections, and fan theories that the creator initially missed or couldn’t fully explore. The video is packed with fascinating insights, behind-the-scenes info, and new interpretations that enrich the understanding of Ari Aster’s cult horror masterpiece.

Main Highlights and Plot Insights:

The Yellow Brick Road and The Wizard of Oz Allegory:
A standout discovery is the clear reference to The Wizard of Oz through the yellow St. John’s Wort flowers, which mimic the yellow brick road. The characters map onto Oz figures: Dani as Dorothy, Josh as the Tin Man, Mark as the Scarecrow, and Christian as the Cowardly Lion. Pelle might be the Wizard or even the tornado that transports Dorothy, while the temple burning resembles the Emerald City. This allegory deepens the film’s themes of home, heartlessness, and courage.
St. John’s Wort as an Antidepressant:
The flower symbolizes a twisted cure for Dani’s depression, culminating in her unsettling smile at the end, blending botanical symbolism with narrative arc.
Hidden Runes and Nationalism:
A rune meaning "conflict, anger, and war" appears on an anti-immigration banner, tying into the cult’s themes of ethnic purity and quasi-Nazi imagery, reinforcing the darker ideological undertones of the Hårga.
Dan’s (the actor) Influence on Anime/Manga:
The actor who plays Dan was a Japanese teen idol in the ’70s and ’80s, influencing the aesthetic of male love interests in shōjo manga and anime, adding a fascinating cultural layer to his casting.
Ruby Rder Pun:
A clever linguistic pun was pointed out—“Ruby rder” sounding like “bloodline” or “row” (line), playing into the film’s themes of lineage and fate.
Austin Powers Reference:
The bizarre Austin Powers moment was a deliberate oddball insertion by Ari Aster, meant to inject a bit of unexpected humor and ground the cult’s weirdness in a shared pop culture context.
Swedish Folklore and Magic Traditions:
Drawing from a Swedish journalist’s research, the video explains magical traditions such as collecting dew-soaked sheets for bread-making and Dani’s ritualistic eating of salted herring backwards for luck and divination. Maya’s silence until after her sex ritual is also highlighted as a serious adherence to ritual purity.
Terry’s Eye and Odin:
Terry’s clouded eye is linked to the Norse god Odin’s sacrifice of an eye for wisdom, suggesting a thematic connection between sacrifice, knowledge, and transcendence.

Corrections:

The Icelandic saga date was corrected from the 2nd century to the 13th century.
Pronunciation errors were acknowledged.
The filming location was clarified: the Arda family home is filmed in Utah but is meant to be Minnesota in the story, which actually strengthens theories about Dani’s Swedish ancestry due to Minnesota’s strong Scandinavian roots.

Interview with Vilhelm Blomgren (Pelle):

Pelle and Ingmar’s “harvest” of new cult members is likened to Viking conquests, suggesting a chilling annual supply of sacrifices.
Pelle’s parents likely died in a ritual sacrifice, not an accident, confirming the cult’s long history of violence beyond the 90-year Midsummer cycle.
Vilhelm tactfully addressed a wild fan theory about incest and prophecy involving Inger and Ulf, neither confirming nor denying it but ruling out some simpler explanations for Inger’s behavior.
Confirmation that Inger did not have feelings for Mark and was merely manipulating him.
Ulf and Ingmar’s self-sacrifice is motivated by personal disappointment (anger and lust), adding emotional depth to their fates.
The actor’s insights suggest complex, ambiguous motivations behind key sacrifices, leaving room for interpretation.

The Mystery of Josh’s Killer:

Contrary to earlier beliefs, Pelle did not deliver the fatal blow to Josh. Vilhelm denies being the attacker and suggests it was an older cult member.
The video explores three suspects dubbed “shovel guy,” “strongman,” and “Evot,” with no definitive answer yet.
The “strongman” is likely a Hungarian stuntman doubling for Jack Reynor (Christian), and “shovel guy” may also be a stuntman.
The creator is actively investigating and appealing to fans for help identifying the mysterious “blood-fed man” who kills Josh, humorously lamenting the chaos this obsession has caused in his personal life.

Final Thoughts:

The video closes by emphasizing the reverence and care the cast and crew have for the Hårga cult, despite its horrific beliefs, highlighting the film’s success in creating a vivid, immersive world. The creator teases a return to dissecting Ari Aster’s other film Beau.