Barbarian
review by Bobby Blakey
Nothing is more terrifying than a story about a crazed roommate or neighbor because we have all experienced some form of it in the real world. The latest taking on the idea and no doubt turning it on its head is Barbarian starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake, Jaymes Butler and Kurt Braunohler from writer/director Zach Gregger. Could this latest horror flick bring the tension and scares or is it not worth renting for the weekend?
Barbarian follows a young woman that books a rental home after arriving in Detroit for a job interview, but when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.
I saw some trailers for this film, but for some reason my thought of what this film was is not what was actually delivered in the best way possible. I loved this flick in all its insane creepy glory. It is essentially broken into three stories that intertwine in a perfect way with the first focusing on the unlikely meeting of Campbell and Skarsgard’s characters. This leads to numerous creepy moments and elements in a direction you think you know before it flips things on its head.
The result of this story shifts into the addition of Long’s character that is completely different, but wastes no time before finding its way in the sights of the terror and chaos of the previous pair. There are so many great visuals here and a story that isn’t overly complicated, but effective all around. There are some truly creepy and gross moments that aren’t gory or anything, but the actions and subject matter are just foul.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are some great twists here that aren’t overly complicated to figure out yet still bizarre and compelling enough to
keep you bothered and invested. The cast are all great and the locations used really add to the tone of the films narrative and scares. There is one issue I had with the ending of the film, but with everything that came before it you just have to let it go. I enjoyed it enough thanks to the cast and crazed visuals that it might find its way onto one of my favorites of the year or at least honorable mention.
In addition to the film this release also includes bonus content including deleted scenes and a featurette taking viewers behind bringing the fear to life. Check out Barbarian available now on digital and streaming on HBO MAX from 20th Century Studios and New Regency.