Barbarian
Barbarian is screening in theaters at the time of writing. Rated R. Common Sense says 16.
STORY: B
A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she rented is not what it seems.
How do you take your horror? Do you prefer highly intelligent tales filled with tension tighter than the fit of a youth size BTS concert tee on John Cena? Perhaps you relish stories that whip you violently from one place to another like that amusement ride you puked on when you were eight years old? Or maybe you dig stories that are just weird. Like, “Weird Al” weird, but stuffed full of sophomoric shock instead of witty, melodious parodies.
Barbarian brings all of the above, mixing three subgenres of horror into a confusing, yet entertyaining stew. I think most people will enjoy all three. I know I absolutely loved two of them. And in this case, two out of three is more than “not bad.”
PEOPLE: B
Tess (played by Black Mirror’s Georgina Campbell) spends much of her screen time in a state of terror, but watch out Evil! Once she gathers herself, she stands tall against everything Evil flings at her. Not just her, but everyone else too - she’s a much more noble and gallant person than I. I would have followed Eddie Murphy’s wise (and hysterical) advice to get out of the house long before Tess considers leaving.
Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise from It) plays Keith, the guy already staying at the rental house. His main job at the beginning is to keep you guessing. Was there a legitimate booking error? Or is this all a diabolical scheme to lure new victims to his door? His acting choices didn’t land for me at first (see: mumbling a lot, stumbling around, trying waaay too hard to convince Tess he’s an alright dude). But he slowly sheds his awkwardness - so slowly that the second you realize how much chemistry the two have, it surprises you. That moment reframes the entire film, multiplying the already massive pile of tension.
FILM GEEK STUFF: A-
Having a story chock full of suspenseful situations is one thing. Telling that story in a way that actually wraps the audience in a discomfiting blanket of fright is another. It’s not always what you say but how you say it. Writer/director Zach Gregger tells this tale with a recklessly careening camera that constantly points out things you should be paying attention to. Zoom! - the car keys are on the coffee table! Zoom! - the lockbox is empty! The camera also keeps us on edge by reluctantly and repeatedly panning to reveal doorways. We’re either freaking out that Tess’s only escape route will be slammed shut or that the door will be opened to reveal yet another terror. It’s a masterful use of camera that builds tension and suspense.
The change in music clobbers you over the head once things go sideways. It’s like trumpets in medieval times that would announce a king’s arrival, which is an altogether different type of terror.
THE BASEMENT (Elective Class): A-
Once, when I was around seven years old, my folks briefly left me alone in the house. That was the precise moment the water heater in my basement let loose a hideous, ghastly shriek. I was positive a starving and ill-mannered alien had invaded the basement and was sliming its way up the stairs to eat me. Basements and their hidden-from-view contents have spooked the business out of me ever since.
Basements work so well for horror films. They do more than hide things. They are the perfect symbol for the dark secrets people keep hidden deep down inside of them. Barbarian’s basement secret doesn’t symbolize terror on a societal level like the basements in Get Out or Parasite do. Its secret would be more accurately described as “completely messed up and mega-cringe.” It’s more similar to a Buffalo Bill’s basement in The Silence of the Lambs. Barbarian’s basement’s strength lies in the way it keeps growing bigger and bigger, diving deeper and deeper, helping to crank the terror to eleven.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Barbarian seems to want to be everything. A tantalizing thriller. A bizarre puzzle box. A gonzo slasher. I love the attitude and applaud the effort. In the end I think it reaches a little too far for its own good, but it’s still a great time.