Barbarian (2022) -- One of the finest surprises of the last few years, this Zach Cregger movie should stay exactly that for new viewers. Barbarian is one of those scarefests where it is best if you do not know anything about the story beforehand. Its atmosphere and suspense will push your nerves to the limit, it is a frightening piece on human nature and has some of the best shot scenes in decades. In short, it has everything that you would expect from a truly original horror entry.
**HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD**
Tess (Georgina Campbell) comes to Detroit for a job interview. Unfortunately, she finds out that the rental house she had booked has mistakenly been double-booked by quirky and friendly Keith (Bill Skarsgård). Against her better judgment, she decides to stay, unaware of what is in store...
Cregger has stated that he was inspired by security expert Gavin De Becker's book "The Gift of Fear", about trusting your gut instinct in order to avoid becoming a crime victim. Zeroing in on a section about red flags which men can give off and that women often ignore, he wrote a scene that formed the basis for the screenplay. Fear and misogyny permeate every nook and cranny of Barbarian's depraved spaces, from Frank's (Richard Brake) crimes that obviously took place over a number of decades to the police not believing Tess about a crime, and to smarmy AJ's (Justin Long) denial of a rape that he had committed. It is not common for a horror movie to be examining violence against women; they are often too busy chasing, slicing and dicing female characters. Taking the damsel in distress trope, turning it on its head with a strong protagonist and enveloping the story in the context of a societal problem more terrifying than any fictional narrative is what separates Barbarian from many other genre entries.
The opening scenes are a wonder in the art of anticipation. Campbell has a natural appeal and easy charisma; she makes it easy for the audience to root for Tess and sympathize with her plight. With roles in Atomic Blonde and It, Skarsgård has showed that he is at home playing offbeat characters, but he is a picture of cool and helpful in Barbarian. Could he be too good to be true, though? An online user has called Skarsgård "a great red herring" and this is a terrific description of the character. Similar to what Wes Craven did in Red Eye, the opening seems at times that it might lead to a connection between Tess and Keith... until one door mysteriously opens, and then another. Tess and Keith's conversations about men, women and relationships are illuminating, also serving the purpose of throwing us off.
Additionally, it has to be said that this is the most terrifying that a suburban house has been since When a Stranger Calls. Even without seeing the area in the daylight, we can tell that something is off. Cregger makes good use of the corridors and the house's deceptive open concept layout. The continuous shots and the use of light and dark make the opening one of the best horror prologues of the last decade and Tess's initial discovery of the basement secrets is on the same level of terror as the Pang Brothers' 2002's The Eye's don't-flinch elevator scene, to name one chilling example.
The movie makes great points about race and class as well. The rainy night concealment and morning reveal of the neighborhood are incredibly shocking and effective, as are the scenes introducing Frank and the way that the street used to look. As the neighborhood disintegrated, it was less and less likely that the crimes would get discovered; as we see in the news every day, poorer areas do not get the same kind of attention from law enforcement or the media. The same goes for missing people of color. As per
the Black & Missing Foundation, 39% of people reported missing in
the United States in 2022 belonged to visible minorities. When Tess -- disheveled and frantic yet determined and capable after who knows how many weeks or months of captivity -- asks the police for help, they dismiss her as though she has no clue what she is talking about. Finally, Frank and AJ are the real villains here; "The Mother" is simply a product of evil festering and perpetuating. Cregger's gift is telling audiences about real life horrors through engaging characters and metaphorical situations. Barbarian might masquerade as a monster movie, but it ends up being a thinking person's piece.
Smart and daring, Barbarian is a rare find in a world of franchises, sequels, remakes and reboots. It is no wonder that the movie has been so successful, since it offers an innovative story with one wild revelation after another and characters that we are able to invest in. When dread, mystery and creativity collide, eerie cinematic gems transpire. A video game follow-up is in the works and we can only hope that it is as ingenious as its predecessor.
9/10
