Film Review: Barbarian

Barbarian
Director: Zach Cregger

Regency Enterprises
In Theaters 09.09

As we all leave behind the dog days of summer and move into the months where the temperature (and the movie releases) tend to chill out a little bit, we’ve been given a couple of nice horror-thrillers to gnaw on before diving head first into awards season. The A24 horror whodunnit Bodies Bodies Bodies brought a refreshing take on a well-worn subgenre by placing Gen-Z in the crosshairs. Zach Cregger’s Barbarian tackles some of the other tangible horrors of contemporary life–not least of which is a double-booked Airbnb.

Barbarian benefits from a trailer that reveals nothing, and it is buoyed by the performances of Georgina Campbell, an intelligently cast Bill Skarsgård (known for his breakout role as the killer clown from outer space Pennywise in It) and Justin Long, who despite his otherwise likable demeanor has mastered playing a rancid human being.

Unfortunately, Barbarian is hindered by stiff writing and choppy editing that takes any tension out of the darkness lurking around the corner. The trope-heavy film also struggles to find a consistent tone, oscillating between tension and gallows humor (usually in the same scene). As the subject matter becomes more apparent, it becomes even more difficult to laugh at what’s happening on screen, especially with a queasy #MeToo plotline that does little other than to provide some ugly color to one of the characters.

All told, Barbarian isn’t exactly the feel-good hit of the summer, but like the recent Bullet Train from David Leitch, it’s one of those middle-of-the-road popcorn movies that have been sorely missed from theaters for some time (and finally seem to be making a comeback). It dares not to be more than that, and it’s all the better for it. Not everything needs to be a prestige drama or a superhero CGI craptacular, and by the look of things the drama surrounding Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is proving to be more interesting than the movie itself. 

Barbarian doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it patently isn’t trying to. Its shortcomings are forgivable because its sole focus seems to be entertaining the viewer. See it in a packed theater with a group of good friends, and you’ll be sure to have a good time. –Brandon Ermer

Read more horror-thriller film reviews:
Film Review: Bodies Bodies Bodies
Film Review: I’m Thinking of Ending Things