Grade: B
By now, you might think that I like horrors and thrillers. I really prefer not to do scary. I don’t mind the gore; I could literally SEE almost anything. It’s the suspense and the jump scares that get me. I’m easily startleable. I’ve never gotten less nervous at these, but I’m often curious enough to check them out. I would have missed out on some great ones if I’d stayed away and played it safe. In the last three months alone, I quite enjoyed Nope, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and – my favorite movie of the summer – The Black Phone.
Barbarian opens in theaters today. You should go into it cold, knowing as little as possible. The trailer is ok to see, but I’d steer clear of the cast list on IMDb, as a character name gives away a secret. I’ll tell you a little bit. The title will make sense by the end.
Barbarian opens with a plot that was familiar to me, as the same thing happens in the recent Katie Holmes rom-com Alone Together. A young woman arrives at her Airbnb only to discover that somebody – a young man – is already there. The company messed up and double-booked. There’s plenty of room in the house for two, so both stay. They are played by Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård. The latter famously played Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the IT movies. It’s a hoot to see him here, with no makeup, as a regular nice guy. I will always welcome an opportunity to see Richard Brake – a regular in Rob Zombie’s movies. I won’t even begin to describe how he fits into everything, but it’s great to see him here. Not to judge or get personal, but I have to wonder what his real life is like if he keeps choosing projects like this.
In a fun subtle play on words, the house is located on Barbary Street. It’s mostly just fine, and the main characters likely would have been just fine if they had left well enough alone and not gone into the basement. The basement door closes and locks on its own, as a plot device to trap people down there. In a movie that otherwise doesn’t have anything supernatural happening, this is an odd unexplained detail.
There is no shortage of horror cliches and credibility problems. They threaten to shatter the test tubes. Why are the batteries always about to die in their flashlights? Why, for decades, do people in these films run upstairs, or climb up tall buildings, to try to escape a killer? Characters here – both villains and heroes – survive things that would have knocked them out cold or killed them long ago. It gets especially ridiculous in the final act.
Despite all that, Barbarian is a movie that manages to override my frustration with the logistical issues. It earned my attention and engagement, and I am recommending it. The actors are used well. The one time a character says “nope” is well-placed. I enjoyed the character who we assume is a threat, but turns out to be a comfort and a help. The song that plays over the end credits – an oldie that everyone knows – is perfect for the situation, and it’s surprising how much of the lyrics are applicable. I wonder if the song will get resurrected and put back on the map due to its inclusion here, like what happened with “Unchained Melody” in Ghost, “Bohemian Rhapsody” in Wayne’s World, “Tiny Dancer” in Almost Famous…I could give many examples.
It will be fun to see the discussion about the film on Reddit and the like. Perhaps it will deservedly gain momentum as a budding cult classic. It certainly made me forget about life for a while. When it comes to entertainment and escapism, Barbarian does its job as a movie.
Grade: B
Film Reviews by Mark 
Leave a comment