Barbarian (2022), directed by Zach Cregger, is a good horror flick that will have you yelling at your screen. It’s one of these truly believable movies that make you wonder what you would do if you were in that situation. Would you react the same? Would you help someone in distress if the situation was extremely dire? Even if this means your life?
Well, Barbarian touches on many things, but let’s dive a little deeper below.
The Plot of Barbarian
It starts off and quickly disarms you. The main character, Tess (played by Georgina Campbell), is a woman trying to access her Airbnb for the weekend in an abandoned neighborhood in Detroit.
There’s no key in the lockbox, it’s raining, and it’s the only house on the block. The neighborhood is sketchy.
To top it off, she calls the property management company, and they’re not answering.
But then someone answers the door and invites her inside.
Um, that’s a bad idea! Go back to your car.
The guest inside the house explains to her that he has also rented the house on another platform, and they soon discover that it is double-booked.
He (Keith), played by Bill Skarsgård (yes, the same one who played Pennywise the Clown in the It movies, or most recently Nosferatu), goes out of his way to be polite and accommodating.
He offers her the only room in the house while he sleeps on the couch.
Not necessarily the best scenario, but I’m already thinking there’s something wrong with this guy, and she better get out. What would you do in this situation?
He’s a stranger, and what stranger goes above and beyond to be nice to you unless he’s got an agenda? Maybe I’ve lived in LA too long, but if that happens here, it’s because they want something from you, not because they want to be your friend.
So, is he a good guy, or is it under false pretenses?
While Keith is away for the day, Tess discovers a secret basement that contains a dirty bed, blood-stained walls, and an old camera.
And it just gets weirder and more f**ked up from there. And it works on so many levels.
The characters
Keith and Tess are the main characters, with Tess serving as the primary protagonist.
Along comes AJ (portrayed by Justin Long), known for his roles in Jeepers Creepers and Drag Me To Hell.
I love him. He’s a great actor. However, he is not a nice guy in this movie. He plays a Hollywood douchebag who takes advantage of women. And he is the owner of the house that’s currently being rented.
I’ve never seen him play this type of character, and I was taken aback by it. It made the situation so much more believable for me, and I really wanted something bad to happen to him, stat!
There’s more
The story continues to unfold with numerous hidden layers. And there are so many moments where you just don’t trust any of the characters (mostly the male characters). But that’s the point.
It aims to make you vulnerable while drawing attention to the wrongs that happen in the world.
It made me feel like I was backstabbed by my best friend in the most horrible way, and then he tried to convince me that they’re a great person because mistakes happen. It’s one of those moments when you doubt yourself and think, maybe I’m being too harsh; maybe it really wasn’t a backstabbing moment. Perhaps he really is a good guy, and I need to forgive him.
There are numerous horrifying twists and turns in this movie, all of which are brilliant.
Not to mention, some of the scenes are downright disgusting (but we do love disgusting!) and simply horrifying.
What Would You Do?
I read that Zach Cregger wanted to make a movie about red flags and how they shouldn’t be ignored. And there are many red flags in this movie.
Some are false, while others are not. But what would you do in these situations? Would you ignore your better judgment? Would you tell yourself you’re being silly? Or would you run the other way?
We’ve all had those moments when we’ve ignored that bad feeling in our gut.
It’s a remarkably effective premise that’s been transformed into a horrifying tale, complete with monsters that lurk in the dark.
And you don’t know who the real monster is. Is it the bad person, the person who is worse than the bad person, or the beast in the dark?
Let’s Not Give Too Much Away
I’ve said too much. And I don’t want to give it all away. Barbarian is a must-see. And I want you to see it because we need to talk about it. I want you to watch it, come back, and see if you can answer all the questions I asked in this blog post.
I’m giving Barbarian 5 Bloody Hatchets.
But I want to know how many stars you would give them. Leave your rating and review of the movie below.
