Movie Review - Barbarian

Director: Zack Cregger
Genre: Horror/ Thiller
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Drake
 
Description: A woman (Georgina Campbell) staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.

Review: What happens when you go to see a movie that is said to be so scary, it made people sick? You watch it do find out of it really is that scary. Most of the time, it’s not really as scary as they say is it. But “Barbarian” really is extremely creepy and disturbing. When seeing this, it’s best to know as little as possible, because this way it will shock you to the core.

Tess rents a house in an abandoned Detroit neighborhood, because she has an important job interview. When she arrives, it appears to be double-booked. A guy named Keith seems as surprised as she is, when he discovers they both booked the same house. There is not really anything else to find last-minute, since it’s the middle of the night, so Keith offers to sleep on the couch when Tess can take the bedroom. When Tess is in bed, her bedroom door suddenly opens and it seemingly gets harder and harder to trust Keith.

To give away more would be a shame, because the strength of the film is that you are in the dark about what will happen next. You have no idea what is coming, because you have no idea what’s going on.   
By putting Tess in an unfamiliar house with a stranger who is trying very hard to gain her trust, the unease quickly creeps in. That tension lingers and builds quietly.  Until very quickly it goes from second to fifth gear.

What eventually transpires is disturbing, but also sad. It creates mixed feelings, but that is clearly the intention of the creators. The evil in a horror film, in any form, is more beautiful when its not black and white.

“Barbarian” is a very creepy movie, at least on the first viewing. It would probably not be as scary when you’re watching it a second time. The acting is really strong, especially from Georgina Campbell. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her in the future. “Barbarian” is one of the best horror movies I have seen in a while.

Rating: 4/ 5