Let the festivities begin

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, Wilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, Gunnel Fred

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"No. No, no. Uh Ruben was - a product of inbreeding. All of our oracles are deliberate products of inbreeding." - Arne

Why watch this? This smart, unsettling descent into Swedish folklore will leave you wondering.

Plot Summary: Dani is a young woman grappling with a personal tragedy and a strained relationship. She joins her boyfriend and his friends on a trip to a remote Swedish village for a legendary midsummer festival that occurs once every 90 years. What begins as an idyllic summer holiday in a land of eternal daylight quickly devolves into a terrifying experience as the group becomes entangled in the community's increasingly bizarre and violent pagan rituals.

Dad's Preview: This film give off serious The Wicker Man (1973) vibes. To this day, I have this strange internal fear of doomsday cults and secret pagan societies, lurking under the radar, snagging innocents for their bloody rituals. This film creates palpable dread as we watch a young adult vacation quickly turn into something totally unexpected, and unexplainable. It is very terrifying. That's why it works.   

Square Peg, B-Reel Films; A24