I recently caught two movies that went a bit beyond the usual summer blockbuster fare. Both made the viewer work a little. The less successful of the two at being "entertaining" was Ari Aster's Midsommar, a horror movie about a group of American college kids visiting a remote cult-like group in Sweden to study its rituals. Also strong with "artistic leanings" was Quentin Tarantino's latest, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood, but Tarantino being Tarantino, this one also never strayed far from being fun to watch.
Midsommar was a little long and dull for my tastes, at least while I was watching it. Later, though, I found myself mulling over its haunting imagery and complex ideas. Though the Tarantino film also felt a little long to me, it did a better job being both entertaining while I was watching it and entertaining in my head later. Though I'm open to the value of both types of "complex" films, I prefer those in the latter group. Alfred Hitchcock also made movies that fit in that group: supremely entertaining as suspense thrillers, but loaded with all kinds of thematic material under the surface if you cared to look for it.
So, both of these films are worth seeing if you are in the mood for something more challenging at the movies this summer. But maybe lean more toward the Tarantino if you still want a fun night out.
