Barbarian – Movie Review
Director: Zach Cregger
Writer: Zach Cregger (Screenplay)
Cast
- Georgina Campbell (Black Mirror)
- Bill Skarsgard (IT)
- Justin Long (Drag Me to Hell)
- Matthew Patrick Davis
- Richard Brake (Doom)
Plot: A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.
Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Barbarian starts when Tess (Campbell) goes to check into her Airbnb. She finds it has been double booked with Keith (Skarsgard) and they come to an arrangement to sort it out. The next day, Tess goes about her business before making a shocking discovery in the basement. This sees the pair explore and making an even more disturbing discovery.
Meanwhile actor AJ (Long) is facing career ruin because of his actions. Looking to clean up some business, he looks to sell his property. He also learns the truth about the basement and what is lurking in there.
Verdict on Barbarian
Characters
Tess is checking into an Airbnb for a job interview, she arrives in the middle of the night and addresses the potential red flags when another guest is there. She falls for the charms, and it feels more like a romantic comedy that she is going to be in. After exploring the house more, she learns of the terrors waiting in the basement, doing everything anyone in a horror movie says not to do.
Keith is the man at the home already, he does the gentlemanly thing and lets Tess stay with him. He is nervous about how it seems and tries his best to not make it awkward by making it awkward. His curiosity in the basement.
AJ is a disgraced actor who owns the home. He is looking to arrange to sell and after discovering what is in the basement, sees a jackpot. AJ feels like a character that is looking to make up for his mistakes, only for him to be one of the ones that are causing more problems in the world.
Performances
When it comes to the performances, Georgina Campbell shines in her role and works so well with Bill Skarsgard. Justin Long on the other hand brings a creepy presence, very similar to his Tusk character, who isn’t afraid to step on a few people to get what he wants. Elsewhere, the creepy and disturbing performances bring the movie to life.
Story
The story follows a woman whose planned Airbnb trip turns into a nightmare. After she discovers something about the basement and the secrets it is hiding.
When it comes to the story, it is told in three distinct chapters that come together by the end. It works in places because the opening almost romantic comedy takes a dark turn and leaves us with a shocking moment. The second chapter addresses abuse in Hollywood, how quickly someone can lose everything for their behavior and still look for greed. While the third unlocks another level to everything.
This all comes together to give us a shocking conclusion, as well as well-created atmospheric moments. It feels like there is more to be unlocked too, which is the most interesting factor about it.
Themes
Barbarian is a horror thriller that takes us into a home filled with secrets. The house used is along a destroyed Detroit street, putting massive question marks on why it is still in such good condition. Once inside the basements, it is filled with nightmares that only get more intense with the lighting and the reality of what is in there. Anything outside of the basement does lose that special factor about it because it felt like there was so much more to see.
Final Thoughts – Barbarian is a disturbing atmospheric nightmare, creating brilliant tension and pure terror.
