Barbarian (2022)

Highly recommended that one knows as little as possible going into this film. This film gleefully upends expectation and plays with genre preconceptions in both subtle and overt ways. Case in point: The casting of Bill Skarsgard and his wildly creepy eyes certainly raises an eyebrow or two, invoking creepy spectres of past roles and playing into the unpredictable nature of the opening. But nothing is what it seems. No exaggeration, the first 30 minutes of this film is an absolute horror masterclass in atmosphere, tension, setup and reveal. Past this point, the film seemingly tangents off into unexpected directions, but all the threads return and coalesce into a consistent, yet rather gonzo narrative and reveal. There are plotholes and unanswered questions with unresolved answers, yet… This film is entertaining and nerve-wracking, and surprisingly hilarious. One of the midpoint tangents introduces new characters and motivations, and Justin Long’s character is so thoroughly, myopically greedy and reprehensible hjis actions and dialogue are comedic gold. The shift in tone doesn’t detract from the narrative or diminish the effectiveness of future scares, but could induce tonal whiplash. The movie seems to be making commentary on how society looks to external threats/monsters, when the true horrors are far closer. Its an ongoing thread, and .utilizing decayed detroit as a setting and almost character unto itself, lends towards the thematic points the film strives to make. However, let’s not pretend this is a deep and contemplative film, it wears influences and intentions without subtlety or nuance.  The film is not without additional drawbacks, including a premature reveal that diminishes a lot of the film’s future scares. However, most of the gripes don’t diminish the fun and enjoyment this bizarre film will likely induce, especially in jaded horror veterans who might presume they’ve already seen it all.

B