Midsommar explores a variety of subjects: anxiety, insecurity, loss, grief, betrayal, abandonment issues. But the main theme of Midsommar is emotional dependency and the need to connect.

Dani and Christian: Case Study of a Couple Not in Love

Dani is emotionally unstable. She is on prescription medicine for her anxiety and possibly has undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Her bipolar sister depends on her for support, but Dani doesn’t have anyone to talk to about her own problems. When she tries to lean on her emotionally distant boyfriend, Christian, for support, she feels compelled to close off rather than share her problems (which is shown in the scenes where she goes off to be alone when the need to cry and grieve overwhelms her). This lack of emotional confidants is what propels the movie forward until she finds an unlikely family (did I say family? I meant “cult”) who promises to share not only in her grief and sorrows but also in her pain and sufferings.

On a trip to Hälsingland with Christian and his friends, Dani comes upon a cult founded upon the lifestyle that each of its members share in the grief and glee of every other member, which is shown in a couple of scenes: as the old man lies dying after jumping off a cliff, his legs broken, the mass gathered starts shrieking and screaming as if they were the ones in pain; the old women dance and sway as the newly matured girl gets deflowered; the young women hold Dani and cry with her as she lets out all the grief she was keeping caged inside her.

Along with the anxiety and grief over losing her family, Dani harbors abandonment issues. When her therapist says Christian should support her when she needs him to, Dani replies saying she does not want to lean too much on him lest he decide to break up with her. This fear bubbles up when, after telling Christian about Simon leaving Connie behind, the only response Dani gets from Christian is: “That sucks.” This incident causes her nightmares about Christian and his friends leaving Hälsingland without her.

Midsommar does a great job of gradually revealing the characters of Dani and Christian as their relationship breaks off one painful chip at a time.

The Ostensibly Idyllic Cult of Hälsingland

The philosophy of sharing is what makes the cult work as a horror element in Midsommar because it complements the character arc of Dani as she grows from an emotionally unstable person to a healthy one (the movie ends with a shot of her smiling).

Closing Arguments

Midsommar is about the urgency of sharing and connecting. The scene where Dani is held by the young women of the cult as she cries and grieves is the thematic focus of the movie.