If you’re looking for the hottest movie to kick off the spooky season, look no further than Barbarian. It. Has. Everything. Jump scares. Gruesome gore. Unexpected twists even the most seasoned horror aficionados won’t see coming. Regina George characters. What’s a Regina George character, you ask? You know, it’s that thing of when a character is both laughably cliché in both gender and motivation but also surprisingly fresh and unexpected all at once? But don’t take my word for it—or Stefon’s for that matter—see Barbarian in a packed theater and have a blast.
Akin to shots of a dark bedroom in Paranormal Activity or a group of friends arriving to a house in The Rental, Barbarian does well to stick with a plot premise that’s simply a bit too familiar for comfort. In this film, a woman arrives to her Airbnb in Detroit while in town for an interview. But as soon as she’s on the doorstep, things go awry when she discovers that her rental is already occupied. The longer she stays, the more of the house’s secrets she uncovers, and the more concerned she gets that she might not make it out alive.
“That’s it? That’s all you’ll give me?” you ask. Yep, that’s it. The truth is, to reveal any more plot than what you see in the trailer would ruin a beautifully-crafted horror film. Let’s put it this way: it’s rare that someone who has seen as many horror films as I have finds herself having absolutely no idea what’s going to happen next. But it’s even rarer to find myself in those circumstances while actually wanting to know what twisty surprise is around the corner.
Leaning hard on his comedy troupe and sitcom roots, Barbarian’s writer/director Zach Cregger breathes fresh air into old horror clichés. While giving us the gore, jump scares, and “don’t go in there!” moments we love, he upends expectations on plot, story arcs, timelines, and even tone, keeping us wondering whether we will laugh or scream next. But where a less delicate conductor might lose control of the woodwinds while trying to play up the violin solo, Cregger maintains control of the whole symphony, navigating a delicate balance that keeps the entire film marching forward to a delightfully disgusting, droll, and dramatic drumbeat that will have you guessing, cackling, and cringing until the final curtain.
Throughout the film, the acting is on point, with Bill Skarsgård walking his favorite tightrope of creepy and charming. Meanwhile, Georgina Campbell and Justin Long play opposite sides of the same modern feminist storyline coin – Campbell conjuring the likes of an Ellen Ripley and Long playing more of a Xenomorph– but throughout the film our love of the whole cast of characters ebbs and flows and the actors ride each wave of the script artfully.
However, as a native Detroiter, I’d betray my roots if I didn’t note that I wish Cregger had put just a bit more effort into accurately capturing the character of the Motor City– while he pays close attention to the blight of the Brightmoor neighborhood, his Detroit extras and secondary characters are pretty much right out of Central Casting for a “big city passerby” or “jaded cop.” But beggars can’t be choosers, and perhaps the more attention the city gets in the movies, the higher the chances are that Detroit will next be showcased for its innovation instead of its blight. But I digress.
SpecialK Verdict: Long story short? Barbarian is an epic kickoff to a fall season of exciting new horror, and if this is any sign of what’s to come, you’d better strap in because 2022’s horror season will be one wild ride.
Barbarian opens in theaters Friday, September 9.
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