Barbarian
‘Tis the season for merriment and cheer, and so I suppose it’s a little strange that I’m still wading into the waters of modern horror. 
Last month I reviewed the forgettable and lackluster HALLOWEEN KILLS. This was a title that was familiar to those who had never even seen a single entry in the franchise, and had ad spots running on a continuous loop for weeks at a time. It is the type of big-name Hollywood extravaganza that enjoys success at the box office but does nothing to advance the genre as a whole.
Now available to stream, however, is a lesser known project that certainly didn’t have the same media blitz or name familiarity as a title that has been prominent in pop culture for the past four decades. Yet it was more terrifying, invigorating, and stylish than Michael Myers has been in years.
BARBARIAN opens on an obligatory rainy night as Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) attempts to enter her Airbnb, only to discover that the key is missing from the designated space. She is unable to reach the owner of the property, but to her surprise, finds someone already inside. She pounds on the door and the perfectly-cast creeper Bill Skarsgard opens the door. Apparently, the property was double-booked, leading to an awkward encounter and a perfect setup for a horror film.
Tess is weary until she finds out that Keith (Skarsard) is connected to a band that she is familiar with, and begins to let her guard down. The two share some wine and laughs, before Tess makes her way to bed. The two say “good night” in an expertly “will they/won’t they” manner, and it isn’t until Tess awakens to find her door ajar that she realizes something may be amiss. 
From here, BARBARIAN stares headlong into the typical horror abyss, setting the stage for the same scenario we have seen play out a million times before. We already know where this is going, we already know who the bad guy is, we already know most of the steps of the cat-and-mouse game that is to follow. Or, do we?
Writer/Directer Zach Cregger has crafted a film that is every horror fan’s dream come true. A production that playfully toys with and then obliterates expectations, injecting suspense and jump scares in equally delightful measures. It takes multiple turns, which were slightly disorienting at first, leading me to wonder if I was watching an anthology rather than one full narrative. Clegger cleverly ties these different acts together, providing us with a brief glimpse of how this bananas story got started.
The performances by the entire cast, which also includes a spectacularly scuzzy Justin Long are spot-on, with Campbell emerging as the type of Scream Queen that Jamie Lee Curtis became in 1978. There are laughs, gross-outs, and enough shocking moments to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, and provides enough deliriously disgusting and outrageous moments that it becomes virtually impossible to forget. 
BARBARIAN: Grade A
Now streaming on HBO Max
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 1h 42min
GENRE: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
STARRING: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long
DIRECTOR: Zach Cregger
Writer: Zach Cregger
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