Cregger’s ‘Barbarian’ is a hellish, hilarious horror masterpiece
It seems as though for the last couple of years, there is always one horror movie lurking in the shadows. A horror movie no one has on their radar. Yet, when it hits the big screen, it changes the genre forever.
We saw this in 2020 from “Freaky,” and in 2021 the world was graced with “Malignant.” In the stacked year of 2022, “Barbarian” shoves practically all other horror movies aside and sits at the top of the hill. Horror movies this year have constantly raised the bar one after the other. However, it’s going to take a lot to evict “Barbarian” from the number one spot.
A mix-up at an Airbnb causes two strangers to become unlikely roommates. When the strangers become more acquainted with each other, they decide to familiarize themselves with the house they’re staying in. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the grand mistake they’ve made.
Georgina Campbell plays the lead, Tess. She embodies everything good, constantly giving people the benefit of the doubt and going out of her way to help others. It may end up getting her in some sticky situations but Campbell’s performance makes rooting for Tess an effortless task.
The unlikely roommate comes in the form of Bill Skarsgård. Audiences may not recognize him out of his “It” Pennywise form, but he does an exceptional job in this film. His character’s name is Keith, and Keith is an absolute goofball. He rambles on way too much, giving some hilarious moments of interaction. Both Tess and Keith understand the implications of the situation and Keith does everything he can to be comforting.
The last to make an impact would be Justin Long’s character, AJ. It would spoil too much to go into detail about AJ but know Long plays him with perfection.
What separates “Barbarian” from the rest is its ability to never be tamed. You may think you know where the film is going, and director Zach Cregger knows it. His ability to create some of the most absurd, yet fresh twists in horror film history is incredibly admirable.
In no way could anyone have predicted for this movie to pack this much of a punch. It balances horror and comedy, proving once again the two genres make magic when put together.
This may very well be the scariest movie of the year. Striking fear into someone is hard enough, but “Barbarian” finds so many successful ways to do so. Instead of one central thing causing all of the terror, it is divided up so that there is a little scare for everyone.
The silently suspenseful moments are just as terrifying as the high-speed, in-your-face scares. Cregger made a huge splash with his big screen debut and anything he works on in the future will attract the eyes of many.
It is important not to overlook the music in the film composed by Anna Drubich. Her score fits perfectly with the film. Some of the music may be scary enough to leave an impression on audiences more than the on-screen scares did. Nothing beats a compelling score in a horror movie. It was pleasant to see Drubich, as she was one of the main contributors to 2021’s “Fear Street” trilogy.
No major gripes come to mind mainly because the film never gives you time to think of any. Everything moves with purpose and you will never be at risk of being bored.
This is one of those instances where you just let go and allow the movie to take you on a ride. It may be a ride that goes off the rails more times than you can count, but that is the biggest compliment this movie could get. Everything just gels together with ease, and it made for one of the most fun theater-going experiences in years.
It is best to go into “Barbarian” with no knowledge of it. Even the trailers do a phenomenal job of hiding what sadistic secrets are hiding.
The buzz online has been overwhelmingly positive for the film. Seeing original horror projects receive this amount of love is enough to make any horror fan smile.
With Halloween right around the corner, rally up as many friends as you possibly can and check out “Barbarian.” Not only is it the biggest surprise of the year, but it is also one of the greatest original horror movies ever made.
Jaden’s Rating: 5/5
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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