Midsommar

Right now you can watch Midsommar in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Stan, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 8,191 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Florence Pugh sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Midsommar is worth clearing space for. The plotting in Midsommar is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities. Credit to Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It was released in 2019. The plot mechanics of Midsommar never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Midsommar will keep you hooked. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Florence Pugh anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.