The opening sequence is some of the best directed cinema of the decade. Every shot choice, the sound mix, the way it all builds like a cruel joke with a brutal punchline. Ari Aster is not afraid to draw out a scene, and this is like Sergio Leone. That’s especially true for the Director’s Cut – I’ve seen both – where I feel like I’m living through the 9-day ritual instead of simply observing it. I was never bored because the scenes were so full of dread. Only The Wicker Man tops it for making you feel like a stranger in a strange land. Meanwhile, the script puts in uncomfortable relationship comedy between the rituals. You spend a long time uncertain if one character is going to have sex with a teenager or get mauled by a bear, and I didn’t think the character would be aware of which was happening either.
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