Barbarian (Mini-Review)

Barbarian is a horror movie about an Airbnb. Tess Marshall has a job interview in Detroit and decided to get an Airbnb in a rundown neighborhood. Unexpectedly Kieth had rented the house at the same time but through a different app. With no other choice, her only option is to spend the night with a strange man she doesn't know. Nothing seems off until she discovers a strange room. When curiosity gets the better of both Tess and Kieth, the nightmare begins. Barbarian was released in 2022. It was directed by Zach Cregger. It stars Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long.

During part of the credits, there are clips that help to clarify what the fate of the survivor is. After that it's easy to guess what happens to them.

This movie takes its time to get going. A good chunk of the runtime is building up to the antagonist of the movie. I like this as it gives Tess and Kieth time to breathe. It allows viewers to understand how they feel about each other. So when things start happening the tension is higher because they feel like real people. Though I really do question Kieth's intelligence when he says he needs to see what Tess did. It just felt like a really clumsy way to keep the characters in the house.

The history of the house is explained well enough so that viewers can follow along. If you're hoping for a detailed explanation, you won't get it. At one point in the movie there's a flashback to when the neighborhood was still well to do. Another character also fills Tess in on the basics of the house's history. Specifically the really messed up guy that lived there. While this bothers me a little, the point of the movie wasn't to get a history lesson on the house. Though I wouldn't mind a prequel that explores that messed up man more.

I tried to figure out what was going on. Since Tess and Kieth were the only two characters on screen in the beginning, I thought the entire film would revolve around them. So I thought one of them would be the killer. Because Kieth is played by Bill Skarsgård, I thought that character was the ultimate villain. Can you blame me for suspecting Pennywise himself? Though he doesn't wear that iconic makeup, his face is easily recognizable. His face is really creepy as is. Shivers went down my spine before I recognized the actor.

AJ Gilbride, played by Justin Long, is introduced a decent way into the movie. At least that's what it felt like. The man is an actor who is being fired from his latest project due to rape allegations. As soon as I saw him onscreen, I knew he was going to die. I won't say if he does or doesn't, obviously. You'll have to watch the movie yourself to find out if I'm psychic or just psychotic. It must have been my memories of Tusk (2014) that pointed me in that direction. Long's character doesn't die in that movie. Though he probably wished he had.

I would highly recommend Barbarian to those looking for an engaging and tense horror movie.