A popular horror movie starring Florence Pugh is heading to HBO Max soon. Recognized for its unique storytelling approach in the genre, it premiered in theaters around seven years ago. Following its release, it became both a critical and commercial success.
Midsommar arrives on HBO Max in June
HBO Max has set the premiere date for Midsommar to June 1, 2026, making it one of the first arrivals on the platform next month. Other titles arriving that day include 2015’s Room, A History of Violence, and Hell or High Water.
The movie first screened at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on June 18, 2019. It later premiered nationwide weeks later on July 3. A co-production between the United States and Sweden, A24 handled distribution for it in the former, while Nordisk Film oversaw the theatrical release in the latter.
Following its release, Midsommar grossed $48.5 million globally. Moreover, the film holds robust scores on review aggregators. On Rotten Tomatoes, it shows an 83% critical rating and a 63% audience score. Meanwhile, Metacritic has assigned the feature a Metascore of 72 and a user score of 6.6, both indicating “generally favorable” reception.
Originally reportedly conceived as a standard slasher, its story changed during development to a narrative focusing on a declining relationship, inspired by director Ari Aster‘s complicated breakup. Running for approximately 141 minutes, the film follows a couple whose relationship has significantly strained.
They accompany their friends on a trip to a rural town in Sweden for its midsummer festival. While things initially seem normal, the pair soon finds themselves embroiled in the violent practices of a dangerous pagan cult.
In addition to directing, Aster wrote the script. Meanwhile, Patrik Andersson and Lars Knudsen produced it. Florence Pugh stars as Dani, while Jack Reynor plays her boyfriend, Christian. The supporting cast includes Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, and Archie Madekwe.
Pawel Pogorzelski handled the cinematography while Lucian Johnston edited, contributing to the film’s distinct folk horror aesthetic. Bobby Krlic, AKA The Haxan Cloak, did the background score, which emphasizes the film’s disorienting tone.
