In a surprising and satisfying conclusion to the Halloween season, I watched Barbarian and loved it. This fantastic and thrilling film is perfect for the next time you are in the mood for some solid horror. While I am glad I didn’t watch it in theaters, this is a great movie to stream from the comfort of your own home.
Tess books an Airbnb only to find that the property has been double booked. She finds a strange man named Keith who has already made himself at home. With no other option available, Tess decides to spend the night and deal with the management in the morning. The situation is uncomfortable at first, but Tess eventually begins to find comfort in the situation. But there is something ominous lurking in the shadows that slowly begins to eat away at this newfound confidence. What is this presence that haunts Tess? Is it Keith? Is it Ghosts? You will need to watch to find out.
This movie is fine. It is a lot better than a lot of the horror I saw this season. The acting is great, the story is decent, and it had a generally creepy tone that had me properly on edge. It might not be the best story, but it is a solid experience.
I liked the structure of the movie. The movie jumps between a few different stories that all neatly come together at the end. There are some parts that feel fragmented and rushed, but it stands as a solid example of how complex narrative can be. I also liked that the backstories didn’t drag on for too long. It is always frustrating to watch a horror movie that is mostly backstory or set up, with only the last thirty minutes or so dedicated to any meaningful horror. Barbarian is able to create an interesting story while holding onto a general creepy tone. My only issue is with the ending. The events unfold a bit too quickly and cartoonishly. It wasn’t enough to ruin the experience, but it is a fact that holds the movie back.
All in all, Barbarian is a solid horror movie. It doesn’t set out to redefine the genre, but it sits comfortably within it. You can stream it now on HBO.
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Image By 20th Century Studios – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15791034/mediaviewer/rm3095860225/?ref_=tt_ov_i, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71533473
Totally agree that this is better watched at home. This was one of those movies where I was convinced that the true monsters are the “normal” people and not the gruesome or scary creatures going after the main character. I felt sympathy for the scary “thing” and that made me feel like I paid to learn a lesson when I just wanted to watch a scary movie.
As something I streamed at home, this was cool. I liked that the monsters were the people and not the creature, but that ending was dumb. I wish they would have kept it as a monster movie, but I apreciate that they tried something different. I feel like the only person that does a good job at showing how the people are the real monsters is Stephen King and then it depends on how much coke he was on when he worked on it.