What a collosal waste of time. If this is what passes as horror today I am so glad I grew out of that phase way back in the 80's.

It was literally like there were two sets of writers and directors, the first writer/director who wrote the beginning with the character Keith in it seemed to have something going and it certainly made it creepy and had me wondering what was going to happen but then once Keith was gone it was like they brought in a new writer and director who had no clue where to go with the plot or how to finish the movie.I was starting to wonder if half way through the movie I had somehow switched to another movie that seemed to have completely lost the plot.
The "Barbarian", I assume was the grotesque woman and not the man kidnapping women?, was creepy looking but hardly scary at all and wasn't used enough. I mean, really, they want us to be on the edge of our seats because she wants to keep them as her baby and feed them?? LOL
The guy kidnapping the women and who created the whole set up is some decrepit bedridden old man who can barely hold his pistol to kill himself and he was the only scary one :D
When the homeless guy says there is something even worse than the creepy lady I kept waiting for it to appear, maybe THAT is what the "barbarian" was going to be and would make it all worth the while to watch this movie.... nothing... crickets. Did they forget they mentioned it? or was it so uninspiring and forgettable I compeltely missed it?! :D :D :D

The sad thing is I usually read reviews first before watching a movie/show so I get at least some idea if it is worth it or whether it will interest me or not and when I saw consistant positive reviews (and 7 or higher ratings) I figured it was worth a shot. Really?? C'mon, someone could have warned me this was crap!!!

**While for many horror fans, Barbarian might be compelling and unique, I found it decent but more strange and uncomfortable than scary and not as remarkable as others seem to think.**

Barbarian had heavy hype and big expectations before I checked it out. And while it didn’t blow my mind, I can see why many film aficionados would rate it more highly. It had a fresh Jordan Peele-type feel to a story that has been done many times before. I enjoyed the different stories coming together and the obvious nods to tropes of people ignoring clearly dangerous situations and red flags. However, while it had some fun elements, I wasn’t as impressed as many reviews suggested I should be. Definitely not a bad movie by any means, but some of the horror is just strange, and the creature is so bizarre that it’s less scary and more awkward at times.

_Barbarian_ is such a twisted and incredibly unique film. Going into this film, I thought I had a pretty good indication of how this was going to go down and was ready for a fun cheesy horror film that follow a pretty generic pattern, but boy was I wrong. Almost the entirety of the trailer was just the first act, and it left me seriously stumped at where this movie was going.
That sense of unknown really added to the thick tension that this movie brought throughout. There is a paranoia that occurs with both the audience and the main character. You never know who to trust, even if they give you all the indications that they are trustworthy.

In today's horror cinema, it is rare to see a movie so reliant on building tension rather than just jump scares galore. Not to say that this film does not have any jump scares, but they are there to enhance and bring a crescendo to the long scenes of tension and dread.

Overall, the acting was brilliant. Georgina Campbell was fantastic. Bill Skarsgård was a bit awkward at times, but I do think that was by choice, as his actor was a kind awkward sweetheart. Justin Long stole the show. His character added a bit of lightness and someone who the audience can really root against.
The movie does slightly fall of the rails in the third act, it does not take away from the experience that is Barbarian. In fact, I think it almost enhances the film as something truly unique.

**Score:** _87%_ |
**Verdict:** _Excellent_

Tess (Georgina Campbell) books into an airbnb to find it already booked by Keith (Bill Skarsgård). The plot then develops in a series of unexpected ways and keeps you guessing throughout. This is proper old school Chainsaw Massacre style horror/thriller. Very tense and fast moving. It's better the less you know so stop reading and start watching.

Barbarian is a very well crafted film that mostly rises above the current crop of 'male feminist allies letting everyone know they get it' horror in the vein of Alex Garland's Men by taking a more incisive and damning approach highlighting not primal male nature but choice and self delusion and gratification. Justin Long's AJ is just top notch detestable in all too human and real ways, almost a deconstruction of the Bojack Horseman archetype (coming from someone who loved that show). No amount of heartfelt monologues and self loathing and declarations of change will actually get him to change, it'll just affect how he spins the story into not being his fault. And the line drawn between that and the movie's more conventional, monstrous, and 'standard' villain behind it all is brutal. It makes no illusions about how they're of the same kind behind the words, how rarely they face consequences, the trauma and destruction they leave in their wake.

The focus given to this does mean that sadly Tessa's arc doesn't fully stick the landing as well. A shame, cause Campbell is excellent at getting to root for her. Tessa is not a stereotype in either direction, either as the helpless waif or the badass who turns the table on the monster. She's a woman who makes the difficult choice to leave a bad relationship and try to change things for the better, who is understandably suspicious of her accidental 'roommate' but also can't help but be giddy when they start to connect. Campbell portrays all these complexities with a vulnerability that is impossible to look away from, and she shines in the first act.

In particular, I love how she acts like a real person would: with a mix of smart decisions and panicked ones. She comes up with smart ideas, like illuminating dark tunnels before going in, but in her terror she forgets things, or her heart sends her back to help. It's not a rebuke of horror movie cliches so much as a fond engagement with them, especially when it's contrasted with AJ's nonstop stupid choices motivated by desperate greed and petulance. It goes to show that character driven actions are the key, and that 'cliche' doesn't equal 'bad' if you have a knowing point with it. But it's also when AJ enters that Tessa's story falls off a bit.

It becomes less about her and more about contrasting her to the men. The climax doesn't really tie into where she started- leaving a toxic and maybe even emotionally abusive relationship- so much as having what AJ lacks: empathy. Empathy is what allows her to face the tragic monster on its own terms, in a kill that's as much a mercy as it is for her own escape. But it leaves her story lacking a certain finish that could've really elevated her character.

But again, they nail what they're going for with AJ. And for a movie that's often in the dark, it's never ineligible. The dark conceals just enough to keep the suspense going, and provide glimpses of the oncoming danger far more effective than any jump scare. The film's general avoidance of them really keeps the suspense up, avoiding the pressure valve release they bring for much more fun ones like some delightful cuts and Justin Long's great expressions and delivery. While not without some flaws, Barbarian is a great film well worth the watch and more than worthy of fitting into anyone's October.