10 Horror Movies With No Obvious Villain

After losing her family in a horrific tragedy, Dani (Florence Pugh) is invited to the Swedish countryside to witness a rural community’s midsummer festivities alongside her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his group of friends, who aim to study their traditions. While the idyllic summer setting initially promises a welcoming environment, events soon take a dark turn when the group witness the cult’s brutal rituals before they find themselves at the centre of the escalating horror.

While it’s easy to label the cult as the obvious villains here for their murderous actions, writer-director Ari Aster’s Midsommar is more nuanced than its Wicker Man premise suggests.

As cruel as the cult appear to be, they’re never as cold and heartless as Christian. His strained relationship with Dani is the centre of most of the conflict, and the core of Dani’s character arc throughout her ordeal. Whereas Christian is constantly neglectful and antagonistic towards her, the cult welcomes her with open arms and give her the much-needed empathy and emotional support she needs.

It's only through this new-found acceptance that Dani has the strength to breakup with Christian during the film’s finale – even if it’s in the most extreme way.