Those who loved Midsommar likely left the theater wishing that the over two-and-a-half hour flick could be even longer. Lucky for them, the lengthy director’s cut is set to premiere in less than a month. Ari Aster will debut his vision of the movie at Lincoln Center in New York City on August 17th in front of an excited audience. A Q&A session with the filmmaker will follow the screening as well, which is sure to be even more intense than the original that just hit theaters.
Aster’s eerie thriller has been critically acclaimed thus far, though not by those with a weak stomach. Midsommar is disturbingly violent and graphic, which is why it spent six weeks being rated NC-17 before the Motion Picture Association of America finally agreed to give it an R. The director’s cut is expected to be even more brutal, too, as many of the unsettling scenes that were removed from the theatrical version will likely be added back in.
Though little is known about this edited feature as of right now, Aster did reveal that viewers can expect the following:
“A more nuanced picture of Harga, more rituals and more nuance for the relationship between Dani and Christian, and more by way of the thesis competition between Josh and Christian.”
More rituals likely means more gore and nudity, considering what happened every time the pagan cult would conduct one of their increasingly bizarre traditions.
For the fans who can’t make it to the premiere, the full director’s cut should be available on home video some time in the fall. Meanwhile, the theatrical version of Midsommar is currently playing on the big screen worldwide. Those who haven’t seen it should be aware that while it’s definitely not as depraved as Aster’s extended edition, it’s certainly still not a movie for the faint of heart.