Barbarian - The Decade's Best Horror Film So Far
Barbarian - The Decade's Best Horror Film So Far
Introduction
Barbarian, directed by Zach Gregger, is a film that you really have to know very little about before you see it, so I will make this review short and sweet, and be as vague as I can be. For the sake of ambiguity, I shall lift the synopsis from IMDB - A young woman discovers the rental home she booked is already occupied by a stranger. And I shall leave you with just that amount of information about the film.
For years, I have been hoping for a horror film that would, again, truly shake me to my core. To truly give me the creeps and the chills down my spine. Many mediocre films later, it seems that I have finally found what i was looking for. Barbarian is an excellently directed, terrifically well-acted, original horror film with claustrophobic tension and great scares throughout its runtime. It’s a story that twists and turns, never truly letting you know what exactly is going on until it all eventually comes to light.
The Film's Strong Opening
The film’s first act plays out like an enclosed-area thriller, forcing the viewer to never let their guard down, sieving through the frames for some hints on what is going on. The tension is built incredibly well in the first act, thanks to the wonderful direction and acting. The mood in the air is just so sinister that it cannot be ignored, keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times. And once the amazing first act comes to a conclusion, well, that’s where the real fun begins. Although sometimes lacking the suspenseful insanity of the first act, the rest of the film never fails to surprise and shock you. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’m going to leave it at that. The film also excels at creating horror in daylight during some scenes, which is really impressive.
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| The film's first act keeps things delightfully ambiguous |
One thing that really caught my attention was the camerawork. The film has such a unique style for a horror film, one that we rarely see in the genre, and is technically masterful throughout the film. Some scenes were shot very tightly to evoke a strong feeling of claustrophobia, almost reminiscent of Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite. The way that the camera moves sometimes is honestly really refreshing and brings some life into the film and elevates the viewing experience. This film as a whole is really unique. The creative choices made by Gregger are really impressive and ultimately work wonders. It really has been quite a while since I was this happy with direction in a horror film.
The characters are all great as well. Our main trio, played by Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård and Justin Long, are all well-written, and only get better as the story progresses and more things are revealed. It’s about damn time that we got a smart horror protagonist in Georgina Campbell’s Tess. Sure, she makes questionable choices at times, but we never once doubt her because she has proven that she actually is smart and so unlike all the "dumb" horror protagonists that we are all so accustomed to seeing. Gregger also spends a lot of time actually fleshing out his characters, which also sometimes contributes to him successfully throwing us a curveball. Speaking of our main three actors, all of them give amazing performances, with Georgina Campbell being the standout for me. Bill Skarsgård and Justin Long play their roles to perfection as well, though, and are endlessly entertaining throughout the film.
Georgina Campbell as Tess
In a pretty stark contrast to the excellent horror, this film is surprisingly funny at times, mostly due to Justin Long’s character. The film manages to balance its horror and its comedy really well, never overstepping the line and shoving too much comedy, or poor quality comedy, into our faces. Certain scenes really made me break out into laughter, which is amazing considering that I was wrapped up in the suspense of the film as well.
Justin Long's character, AJ, keeps things light at just the right time
All in all, Barbarian checks all the boxes of a quality horror film and never ceased to impress me. This is one of those films that I will probably come back to on Halloween for a fun time. I’m really happy that this film exists. It really is something special. The best of the decade so far in my eyes, Barbarian is a film that you really have to watch, especially if you are a fan of horror. Make sure to turn off the lights for this one, and don’t forget to trust Zach Gregger. It pays off well.
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