MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Horror/ Stars: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake, Kurt Braunohler, Jaymes Butler, J.R. Esposito, Kate Bosworth, Sophie Sörensen, Brooke Dillman, Sara Paxton, Will Greenberg, Derek Morse, Trevor Van Uden, Zach Cregger, Kalina Stancheva, Devina Vassileva/ Runtime: 102 minutes
I think it can be safely said that every so often we get to witness as a rather uncommon kind of cinema is gifted to very thankful movie goers by the land of movie magic. This is because these slices of cinema are ones that reviewers such as myself have immense difficulty in reviewing and really push at us to use our little grey cells more than we may otherwise have to. Not because the movie is that terrible, but because the film is one that is significantly more enjoyable if you know as close to nothing about it as humanely possible. Indeed, it is this kind of film that is honored to have the iconic Psycho from 1960 amongst its ranks and now we can also include the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2022’s Barbarian, to that list as well. As such, I am willing do something different for this review. Namely that I will say right now before I get into as much of the nitty gritty of this slice of cinema, or as much as I am willing to, that if you have not gotten the opportunity yet to view this slice of cinema, but you are definitely intrigued about it then I stress to you to not read any further and just stop what you’re doing, don’t pass go, don’t collect 200 dollars (unless you’re willing to share it), and just go to your local theater and give this film a watch. Not that there are any spoilers in this review mind you. Rather, it’s because a large degree of how successful this slice of cinema will be in raising the hairs on the back of your neck and leaving you floored by what it unfurls in front of you is if it is able to surprise and startle you as much as it did me. If however you are someone who *like totally* just has to know what I think then you will be glad to know that I really did dig the heck out of this slice of cinema. Yes, this movie is not as terrifying as you might be thinking or hoping it is. However, if you think of this as less a “horror film” and more like the cinematic equivalent of either a fun yet spooky as all get out ride at an amusement park complete with twists and curves a’plenty then that should definitely start to help give you an image in your mind of what to expect here. Indeed, the work done behind the camera is not only terrifically spine-tingling, but the cast of characters all manage to do great work with their respective parts. Suffice it to say then that Barbarian might not be perfect by any stretch nor for that matter is this going to be a film for everyone. For those of you however who are looking for a enjoyably demented and fairly novel slice of horror cinema then I promise here is one that you will undoubtedly treasure for years to come.
The plot is as follows: So as with all of life’s little mysteries, the twisted tale at the heart of Barbarian gets underway in the heart of Detroit as we witness something that seems fairly innocuous enough. That being a young woman by the name of Tess as she is in the final leg of a long car journey and in the middle of pulling up to a quaint little Airbnb that she has rented to stay in for the night because of a job interview she has in the city proper next day. However, we soon see that this is not going to be a normal occurrence for our heroine since when she tries to get in the property she can’t because the key that was supposed to be located outside the property isn’t there. Things soon get even more befuddling when a light turns on in the property and a slightly disoriented young man by the name of Keith comes to the door confused as to what she is doing there. We soon learn that, through some cosmic fluke no one could have foreseen, this Airbnb which is clearly meant for a singular occupant has been double booked. Yet, despite their frustration and clear anxiety at having to share living arrangements with a virtual stranger, the two decide to try and make it work for the night. A choice that results in the two actually becoming friends of a sort and as a result a night that started out tense actually ends normally…. more or less. At any rate, we see that the next day things seem to be normal as Tess heads to her interview and has plans to spend time with Keith when she gets back to the Airbnb that afternoon. It is upon her arrival back though that we witness her discover something quite…..unusual in the Airbnb. Namely a something that takes the shape and form of a secret and seemingly foreboding door in the basement. Of course, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that this door isn’t just a door. Rather, it is also an entry point both for our heroine and for you as well movie goer to experience a nightmare that is more demented and chilling than anything you may have ever imagined possible. As for what said nightmare might entail and where things go from there I think that is something best left for you to discover for yourself dear reader….if you dare to that is……
Now I should point out that the work being done by the various departments behind the camera on this film is nothing short of wonderful. This starts with the work done by Zach Cregger at the helm and honestly, given that this is the same guy who gave us The Whitest Kids U Know, I feel like we are looking at another Jordan Peele situation here. By that I mean this guy may have been known for sketch comedy before this, but darn it all if he doesn’t also know how to craft a fairly well-done slice of horror cinema as well. Indeed, from the word go, Cregger manages to showcase that not only is he aware of what to do to make this work to the fullest extent possible, but he also has a wonderful talent to brilliantly mold his style to what he is wanting this film to accomplish at a specific point in time during its runtime. This is especially noteworthy when you see that he does a wonderful job of making sure that this film’s first half is able to operate more as an exercise in tension and suspense right down to actually showing us how terrible of a neighborhood this house is located in during the day so that, when he’s ready for things to hit the fan, he can then proceed to hurtle a variety of images our way in the second half that range from anxiously comedic to legitimately terrifying. Indeed, in case it wasn’t obvious, there is quite a bit more to this situation and the people involved to say nothing of this particular house than you might initially be thinking. Suffice it to say that in their attempts to really showcase that for us, we see that this film’s creative team do a wonderful job of going down some truly demented paths that take inspiration from such iconic slices of cinema as The Evil Dead and The People Under the Stairs from 1991. At the same time though, I should also let you know that there is a fair bit of gore in this, but honestly, it’s not super gonzo in any way. Rather, I would say that it is more darkly comedic with just the right degree of gnarly and it is also utilized in such a manner that the creative team uses it when it’s absolutely necessary for what is going on in the story rather than just every five minutes. Thus when you also factor in wonderful work from the production design team at making things effectively range from comforting to straight up squeamish and the composer of this film’s score for ensuring that this film’s musical accompaniment is able to keep you on the edge of your seat fairly consistently throughout the 102 minute runtime, there is no denying that the team behind the camera of this slice of cinema knew the kind of movie they were making and gave us one that has a level of creativity to it that is very much the finest kind of no holds barred imaginable.
Now in terms of this slice of cinema’s cast I am proud to say that they all manage to do a wonderful job of working in synch beautifully with the work done behind the camera in bringing this very unnerving nightmare vividly to life. This starts with relative newcomer (at least for this reviewer) Georgina Campbell in the role of Tess and she is terrific. Indeed, not only does Campbell prove a capable screen heroine that is easily the best character in this slice of cinema to root for, but she also brings a vital sense of ever-growing horror as the situation continues to get more and more nightmarish, but also driven determination to do whatever she can to survive this situation. With all of that said however, this performance is also weighed down to an extent courtesy of the movie also making the “creative choice” to have her engage in some decisions that are just jaw-droppingly stupid when even a millimeter of brain power is properly applied to thinking them through. Suffice it to say though that, even with that stumbling block in play however, there is no denying that Campbell gives one heck of a performance and I look forward to seeing her in future cinematic efforts down the road. The film also does a wonderful job of giving us a very much against type yet still fairly well-done performance from Bill Skarsgård in the role of the other person staying at the Airbnb Keith. Now, for fear of spoilers, I can’t really say a lot about this role, but what I can say is that I love how this film had the guts to cast an actor that is known for playing some fairly creepy and/or sinister parts and proceeded to give him a part in this that, all things considered, is actually one of the more grounded and seemingly decent characters in this despite your suspicions initially thinking most assuredly to the contrary. Suffice it to say that it is another fairly well-done performance from a young man who is quickly becoming quite the screen presence and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the John Wick franchise with his role in the 4th one that is due out next year. This all however brings me to easily my second favorite performance in this slice of cinema and that would be from Justin Long in the role of A.J. Now I must confess: I have always enjoyed seeing Long appear in movies like Live Free or Die Hard, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Accepted, and even Drag Me to Hell to name but a few. Indeed I have always felt that he is an actor who was always great at playing the guy who was laidback sure, but also inherently decent at heart as well. Never though did I imagine that he would also turn out to be a guy who could be a phenomenal scumbag yet with this film I can now safely say that I was proven wrong on that guess. Indeed the character of AJ is one that is definitely meant to be a sleazy and chauvinistic scumbag and I feel Long not only captures that, but he also does a great job at showing the very real cowardice and fear that starts bubbling to the surface for this dirtbag when first his whole life starts falling apart for…. reasons and then…. well I think I’ll let you see for yourself just where things go from there for him. Suffice it to say that this is one guy you are going to love to hate and Long just does an outstanding job at bringing him vividly to life. Now there are a pair of other performers in this that I really enjoyed what they brought to this distinct cinematic table by the names of Richard Brake and Matthew Patrick Davis, but the truth is that the less you know about their distinct roles in this the better. Not just because of spoilers, but because it is infinitely more enjoyable to learn about the characters this duo plays in this slice of horror cinema for yourself rather than have some grumpy critic tell you all about them.
All in all I cannot lie to you dear reader: I have seen quite a few demented slices of cinema in my time doing this, but I have never seen one quite like this. Indeed here is a slice of cinema that seems to be made up of a pair of distinct halves, one that feels very much like a quite effective albeit highly tinkered with modern version of a fellow slice of cinema from 1991 known as The People Under the Stairs and the other one a look at Hollywood cancel culture from the point of the view of a scumbag possible victimizer, but manages to bring them together in the end in such a way that not only are you unsure that this is was something you were meant to see unfold, but that makes you feel like your proverbial line in the sand has just been managed to be kicked into oblivion. Yet that is exactly what this slice of cinema is aiming to do by being an intriguing mix of cruel, vicious from a humor point of view, and the exact opposite of darn near every common trope operating in modern day horror cinema respectively. Sure, it might not always prove to be as successful as it would like and sure this is one slice of cinema that seems to have foregone learning the glorious art of subtlety. At the same time however, if your slice of cinema manages to keep a horror fan like myself constantly shaking my head in disbelief whilst also repeatedly uttering “WTF am I watching?!” then that in and out of itself is a genuine victory to be proud of in its own right. Suffice it to say that, with the addition of magnetic work behind the camera and lively work in front by a cast that knows the assignment and gives us fantastic performances that show as much, Barbarian is definitely one slice of cinema that once it starts you will definitely want to see where it all winds up. Not just out of curiosity mind you, but because you’ll need to do so in order to put your jaw in its proper position on your body after the movie is over. Make of that dear reader what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Barbarian “2022” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
