Barbarian

A lot of great things can and should be said about Barbarian. It's a masterfully directed film; Creggor always shows us just enough in each shot that we're left wondering about what's lurking in the empty space on the frame.

The first two-thirds of the film are tense when it's quiet and shocking when it's loud. It kept me on my toes for nearly the entire time, which is refreshing for my desensitised eyes.

Efficient work is made of the character introductions. Cregor's script doesn't waste time at the beginning of each character's story. We get to know exactly what we need to know about each of them as a person before they get thrust into the metaphorical depths of hell. It makes the eventual carnage all the more nerve-shredding because no character is disposable.

So, yes, the film is good. But it's not all good.

The film's narrative and pacing are not nearly as compelling and tight, respectively, as they should be due to the fact that it tells the stories of three separate sets of characters (one after the other) before getting to the finale.

Also, the film's last act really took a dive into campy and I found it to be a betrayal of the rest of the story's bleak tone.

The final set piece is so out-of-left-field and ridiculous that it became unintentionally hilarious for me.

This may seem like a minor complaint, but when the ending of the movie leaves a bad taste in my mouth, it kind of sours the whole experience.

I wanted this to be better than it was. But it's still so tense throughout its majority and the many twists are so satisfying that I do heartily recommend this subversive horror flick.

The first act is pretty good. Atmospheric, nuanced, interesting, decent acting - especially from Skarsgard. I did have to really suspend my disbelief a lot to allow the film to move forward though. Double booked AirBnB, no hotel rooms available, the main charcater had done no research on the area before arriving. Really?

The second act started well and was enhanced because of the events of the first. It works because it sets the audience up in a position where we have more knowledge than the newly introduced characters. It added tension and I was interested in what direction they would take the story.

I liked the way the first two acts played with the personalities / backgrounds of the male leads. Hinting and leaning into social stereotypes but leaving a few clues to the real intentions. It works quite well. I may be crediting the writers too much here, but I think I get the underlying message of this film, but it just gets lost by the end.

The longer the film goes on (and it does feel a bit overlong), the more ridiculous it gets. It feels like it's written by two different people; or they spent so much time on the first half of the movie they had to rush the rest. There are some truly stupid moments that are almost farcical comedy. All the tension drained out of the film, and it just became a series of ridiculous scenes strung together. Events are telegraphed way ahead of time. All the nuance is gone.

It's so disappointing that something so creepy and initially interesting can go so wrong. Ignoring the stupid decisions made by the main charcater in the first act, I would have scored it a 7. The acting is good, the direction is solid, but the story just drags it down so much that by the end I can only give it a 4.

"Barbarian" is nerve-racking - from the opening seconds, not minutes, but seconds of the film, director Zach Cregger immediately immerses viewers in an experience that leaves knuckles white, nails bitten, and minds consistently wondering what on God's green earth could possibly happen next.

Viewing "Barbarian" without any knowledge of what it is about is the optimal viewing experience; however, even if you've seen the trailer for this film, you'll be happy to know that it spoils basically zero of the twists and turns this movie has to offer. Thus, I do not want to spoil anything either, which makes this an incredibly hard review to write! So, what I will do is attempt to explain the basic premise of "Barbarian," and what makes it one of the most thrilling theatre experiences I've had in a long time.

Starring the beautiful Georgina Campbell as a lone Airbnb renter who is staying overnight at a house in Detroit, Michigan, "Barbarian" opens with Georgina's character, Tess, arriving at her rental to find that another man - played by Bill Skarsgård - is already occupying the home. Claiming that this incident is the result of a simple mixup of double booking, Bill's character Keith invites Tess in to stay the night, promising that, in the morning, they will both get this situation sorted out. From that point on, the movie becomes a razor sharp thriller that will infect audiences with its inherent uneasiness.

Is Keith truly a stranger caught up in an innocent mistake, or is he someone, or something, more nefarious? And is the rental property all it seems to be, or is there a greater mystery to be uncovered beneath its welcoming surface? "Barbarian" begins by introducing question after question to its audience, ensuring that viewers remain on the edge of their seat trying to predict what will next occur. Second after second and minute after minute, this movie is full of surprises, to the point where, after the 45 minute mark, my expectations were blown out of the water to the point where it felt useless trying to guess what would happen next, because I hadn't the slightest idea what could possibly happen next. And that is the highest compliment I can give this movie because, regardless of how you choose to describe this movie, you cannot claim it to be predictable. And on a side note, the fact that the characters actually made intelligent decisions and thought things out only made the viewing experience more tense, because, since everyone was already doing what I assumed a smart person would do, I had no idea how the scenes and sequences would progress. And I also want to pay my compliments to the soundtrack, the direction, and the cinematography, all of which combined perfectly to create a truly chilling experience.

I feel like this is a vague and poorly written review, but only because I do not want to spoil anything for anyone. You may have seen the teasers claiming that this film is so scary that people are screaming, vomiting, and passing out in the theatre - while that is just false marketing at its finest, I will say that "Barbarian" did induce a physical reaction from me at parts - I could feel my heart practically beating out of my chest during certain sequences due to the suspense. So, while I don't necessarily find this film to be scary, it is one of the most adrenaline pumping experiences I have had in a long, long time. If you are at all a fan of thrillers, I'd recommend seeing this on the biggest screen you can find, and preferably late at night. This isn't the most horrifying movie you'll ever see, but it is sure to get your blood pumping.

For most I think this is one of those either you love it or you hate it movies. After viewing a couple of days ago I still am having issues deciding on which side of that divide I fall. For me, the opening act was exceptional. Skarsgård was fantastic in his role and Campbell also played her part excellently ( for the entire film really), but the two together had a perfect horror chemistry for me. I really was craving more screen time with both of them.

The movie then tries to combine a couple different backstories and attach them all together. I would say this was done with moderate success. The exposure of the character flaws was achieved through these backstories that helped the movie display the themes it set out to, however I felt a lot of time was wasted on irrelevant scenes. I suppose this was an attempt to keep you on your toes, but after knowing how the story ends I would have liked other areas of the story to be explored in a little more detail. Specifically, focusing a little bit more on "the mothers" history could have been quite powerful and informing. Instead, the audience is tasked with having to sort of use its imagination to envision exactly how "the mother" became what she is.

Overall, it was fine, loved some parts and hated others. However, I definitely don't see how this would ever be elevated to the level of a "classic".

This movie is textbook, to a T, the very definition of a cult film. This is the most "culty" film I've seen since rocky horror.

I don't really want to say much (or compare this to other films) because anything written will give expectations and this film is absolutely best if you go in blind and with zero expectations. I would really, really recommend avoiding all reviews and any discussion of this film prior to seeing it. If you're a horror fan this movie should be at the top of your list.

I will say that the person who made the trailer deserves a major award because the trailer gives away *nothing* at all, which is exactly how a trailer should be and trailers like this are so rare.

7/10.