Sounds like Midsommar really left star Will Poulter in a state of shock

Anyone who's seen Hereditary can attest that the films of Ari Aster tend to have an effect on people. 

That hasn't changed with the director's upcoming follow-up, Midsommar. While the film has already prompted some noteworthy reactions from early screenings, it appears that the cast of Midsommar wasn't immune to the Aster phenomenon, either. 

In an interview with Vulture, Midsommar star Will Poulter (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) said that watching it for the first time prompted "maybe the most aggressive reaction I’ve ever had to a film."

"It was so unfamiliar; there’s nothing like it. Which is crazy to say, because I read the script, and I was in it," Poulter said. "The atmosphere created within that film is so engrossing, and you get embroiled in all of it. Coming out the other side is a disorientating experience that lasts for a long time."

Poulter, who didn't sleep the night after the screening, said the film had a similar reaction from his co-stars. "We were all f**ked," the actor began. "For ten minutes afterward, we were just completely silent. We couldn’t talk; we were all in a state of shock and deeply disturbed."

Part of what's setting Midsommar apart is the fact that it takes place at a sun-drenched Solstice festival in Sweden. This involved, but was not limited to, fellow actor Jack Reynor having to endure a "humiliating" scene for the film's climax. But Poulter credits the entire experience to Aster, and his ability to craft worlds that are as engrossing as they are terrifying. 

In fact, when asked about the rumor that the director had written a 100-page bible filled with Midsommar's secret backstory, Poulter admitted he hadn't heard about it, but conceded something like that probably exists.

"What’s so funny is, having read the script and seeing the movie, I’m actually surprised that it’s only 100 pages. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 1,000 pages and he buried it somewhere in the mountains of Sweden."

You, too, can be traumatized by Midsommar when it opens in theaters this week.