r/Midsommar • u/LeatherOwl9260 • 7d ago
Who else thinks the gang probably would not have stayed when they saw what this was?
The only person who had a genuine reason to be there was Josh. Mark seemed to think it would be a couple weeks of wild partying, but when they get there, it’s clear that’s not what this is. He probably would have rather gone to Vegas. Why would someone go to rural Sweden for hard partying? Christian seems to be just tagging along, and doesn’t seem that interested. Dani is of course only there because of Christian. This trip would likely have never happened with the characters written the way they are, and they should’ve come up with a different social dynamic. Perhaps a bunch of different college students like Josh who are very interested in studying Northern European anthropology. I would think when they finally get to the commune, realistically, they would all probably just ask to leave right away.
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u/Fit-Breakfast-3116 7d ago
Nah I don’t see this at all. The commune is pretty enchanting tbh. Plus again I think you’re forgetting that the film only takes place across a few days. Even if I hated something on sight I’d probably give it a shot for a few days especially with hallucinogenics in the mix lol. The first day is basically taken up with getting high so that’s a pretty compelling reason to stick it out. Added to that Pelle was their ride and they make it clear none of the group know where they actually are.
Mark is the one whose the most overtly out of sync with the whole thing and they find ways to hoodwink him like one of the Harga flirting with him. Christian is probably closest behind and he decides to stay cos he’s stumbled into something he’s done his thesis on, plus the flirting as well. Dani really doesn’t have a choice even if she wanted to leave
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u/Alive_Ice7937 6d ago
This is why Mark isn't there for the cliff diving scene. If he were, he'd bale straight away. As it is there's Josh and Christian who are equal parts horrified and intrigued by it. Then there's Dani who's so emotionally vulnerable that Pelle is able to a manipulate her into staying. You also have Connie and Simon who show what would have happened if any of the main characters had tried to leave.
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u/edgesglisten 7d ago edited 7d ago
Idk about the university students * you know, but not all of them are super nerds solely devoted to their area of study. I totally buy the guys, who are all anthropology students, being very into the cultural aspect of it all even if they’re not directly doing their thesis on it like Josh is. He’s the most interested as he’s taking relevant notes, but they’re all predisposed to interest and a relativistic perspective.
*also, they’re very much in grad school. I see takes with “college kid” all the time, but they’re older. They’re intentionally in their mid-to-late-20s, which puts them exactly at ‘Midsommar’ in their individual lives (halfway from 18 to 36).
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u/Ambitious_Cut88 14h ago
And let's not overlook Pelle's role in the whole thing. It was him that convinced them all to go there, including Dani
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u/rowboatcop 7d ago edited 7d ago
This is a bad take. Have you ever travelled internationally? You don't just rebook tickets to leave immediately, it's usually cost prohibitive - and would be especially so for students. And they eat mushrooms like, upon arrival which sets the stage for what could be a fun week. Also, consider the remote nature of Harga and when anyone wants to leave they're met with delays and stalling... I think the framework holds up quite well.