Analysing Folk Horror Posters - 'Midsommar

'Midsommar'

The poster for 'Midsommar' contains the following folk horror conventions:

• the tagline references a ritual or ceremony ('festivities') and a time of year associated with ceremonies linked to nature ('summer')
• costume references iconography of cults, ceremonies and rituals (the identical white costumes and garlands)
• the two characters in the foreground are dressed differently - they look out of place and conform to the sub-genre's 'fish-out-of-water' narrative
• iconography of nature - brightly coloured, abundant flowers
• an isolated location far from civilisation (and, therefore, help)
• A24 production company logo - a film company associated with the sub-genre
• the prop of the 'Maypole' is associated with the sub-genre (ceremony/ritual)
• reference to the director (Ari Aster) noted for making films from the sub-genre
• reference to a film that could be classed as belonging to the folk horror sub-genre (or certainly the horror genre) - 'Hereditary'
• the title of the film - 'Midsommar' - connotes folk horror (with its reference to a time of year associated with rituals/ceremonies)
• the font is serif, and ancient looking - linking to myth, legend, a simpler and less civilised time