When the film was released in Sweden, rather than eliciting fear in the audience, many people laughed. Many Swedish critics praised the film as an excellent black comedy.
Most of the Swedish dialogue spoken by the Hårga natives is deliberately not subtitled, in order to create the sense of isolation for the audience and especially for the foreign visitors.
The film was originally given an NC-17 by the MPAA. According to Ari Aster, around 30 minutes was cut from the final film mainly due to content. The director's cut released shortly after its theatrical run restores this footage.
In Dani's apartment, there is a painting of a bear and a woman wearing a crown hanging over her bed. This is the painting "Stackars Basse" by Swedish painter John Bauer, famous for his art based on Swedish folklore and mythological creatures.
Despite the Swedish setting, the film was mostly shot in Hungary.