Barbarian review

BARBARIAN: 

HOLY F*CKING SH*T, THIS BARBARIAN IS SAVAGE!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

20^TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Something is very wrong in this house in Barbarian

 

            In a year where Jordan Peele’s Nope was arguably the most hyped-up horror movie/thriller of 2022, yet another comedic talent in the form of Zach Cregger (The Whitest Kids U’ Know, Miss March, Wrecked) shows off his darker side with Barbarian. I’ll admit, I didn’t know what to expect with this movie as the trailer makes the bold decision of showing very little. 

            The trailer makes it out to look like a movie about a woman staying at a house with a mysterious stranger and discovers a secret room in the basement that’s hiding something terrifying. That is only the first third of the film and the rest is pure, unsettling, and sometimes even disgusting insanity with a dash of dark comedy thrown in there…and I really dug this film! 

            I’m going to try and keep this review as vague as possible, because knowing very little about it will enhance your viewing experience with it. But all I can say is if you’re going in expecting a traditional horror movie, you got another thing coming. 

            The film follows Tess (Georgina Campbell-Murdered by My Boyfriend, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Krypton), a woman staying at a house in Detroit for an interview. It turns out, there’s another person who’s already occupying the house, a man known as Keith (Bill Skarsgård-Atomic Blonde, It: Chapters 1 and 2, Eternals) who has some…interesting behaviors to say the least. 

            Tess and Keith soon discover a secret room hidden in the house’s basement which contains something terrifying. What follows is a series of horrors, twists, and blood as Tess and Keith do everything in their power to escape this living nightmare. 

            The film also stars Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers, Live Free or Die Hard, F is for Family) as AJ and Richard Brake (Batman Begins, Game of Thrones, Mandy) as Frank. 

            Overall, Barbarian follows in the footsteps of The Cabin in the Woods, Get Out, and Bodies Bodies Bodies as a fun and effective horror movie that defies expectations. To the point where if I were to describe various things about it would be a huge disservice to the film. 

            I had no idea where it was going and was thoroughly invested in the story and characters involved. Throughout most of the film, I was on the edge of my seat and sinking my teeth into the popcorn I purchased at the concession stand, I was stunned, shocked, disgusted, and even laughed during the film’s more comedic moments, which there are a handful of here. 

            It isn’t like The Cabin in the Woods where it’s a horror-comedy, Barbarian is essentially a horror movie first with some humorous elements put in and they don’t feel out of place. Most of the comedy that hit for me involved Justin Long as this sleazy actor, just about everything he said got a good laugh out of me as well as the audience I saw it with. 

            Speaking of which, the acting is great particularly from Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long. Everyone is written and portrayed realistically in this film which makes it easier to grow attached to them, sure Long fits the snobby douchebag stereotype but it’s not to the point where he’s a caricature and you’re just waiting for him to get killed and while Bill’s appearance is probably the least amount in this film, he does make an impression whenever he’s onscreen with the right balance between creepy and a little quirky. 

            I also love how this movie looks from the lighting and camera shots to the production design. It feels like the kind of horror movie that would have been made in the 80s and people would probably rent it from the video store without pandering to 80s nostalgia. This is a modern throwback to films of that decade, and it’s done incredibly well. 

            I can see casual moviegoers going into this and expecting a Barbarian monster killing everyone and while it does have its moments of violence and gore (Some of which are pretty damn unsettling and gruesome!), it’s not that kind of movie. It is a horror movie with bloody kills, but it’s a lot more than that. 

            If I had some problems with it, there are some sequences where characters make incredibly dumb choices and while they aren’t forced or painful to watch, some of them get a few groans and facepalms. Nevertheless, they don’t ruin an otherwise excellent horror film. 

            Barbarian might very well be the best scary film I’ve seen all year, it’s got terror, some laughs, a brilliant story with compelling characters, and surprises around every corner.