BARBARIAN

US, 2022, 102 minutes, Colour.

Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgaard, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake.

Directed by Zach Cregger.

This reviewer had the advantage of knowing very little about Barbarian except some snippets from the trailer (which tend to be from the first part of the film only) and the fact that it had been made on a very small budget that had been very successful at the American box office. If you plan to see Barbarian and know very little, don’t read on until after you have seen it.

So, expectations, October, the month for the release of horror films, Halloween Ends, for instance, but, in fact, several more arresting horror films like Smile and Sissy. Barbarian turns out to be one of the better horror films.

In fact, to do it justice, it can be recommended for horror fans, non-horror audiences will not be going along to see it. And, in fact, it is not always a horror film. The first section is an exercise in creating an eerie atmosphere, night, darkness, pouring rain, decaying and derelict outskirts of Detroit, a lone house, a mistake in bookings, a young man in occupation, Keith (Bill’ Skarsgaard, very sympathetic) and Tess (an engaging Georgina Campbell) arriving at midnight with her booking at the same house. They are quite a likeable couple and it would have been nice for everything to be turning out comfortably but, more dread, even more eerie, and brutal gory sequence with quite a shock.

Then a change of pace, unexpectedly, the first part of the film left dangling, so to speak. Here we are, fancy car, cruising a coastal highway, loud music, AJ Gilbride (Justin Long) singing along. The next disturbance, however, is not horror film shock but personal horror for this character, echoes of the Me Too# movement and an accusation of sexual assault against him. How could this connect with what we have seen? Well, in order to raise money for his court costs, he decides to sell some of the property he owns – and, here is arriving at the house with which we have become familiar, both pleasant upstairs and sinister basements, and the tone of the film turns to terror.

Eventually, it moves into the horror area, especially with some monstrous characters, confrontations with Tess and AJ, a quick flashback to the Reagan era which gives some background to what is happening in this house 40 years later (improbable as it may seem).

So, the last part of the film is a combination of the eerie with terror, dark basements, sinister creatures, tortures in the darkness, but, building up to a climax on top of the tower and some unexpected behaviour from AJ (well, considering his obnoxious character, not so unexpected), and some kind of resolution of what has happened in this haunted house.

In fact, the characters are well drawn, the writer-director offers quite a blend of the creepy, terror, horror – not a great number of grisly sequences, which may make it more watchable for a wider horror audience than those who just go for the slasher stuff.

A surprisingly successful example of this kind of terror/horror.

1. The title? Expectations? Horror?
2. A variation on the haunted house theme? Terror?
3. The atmosphere of the Detroit neighbourhood, dilapidated, the house itself, interiors, upstairs genial, the basement, the room with the bed and camera, the corridors, further depths? The contrast with AJ, driving, the sea and the sun, the music? His rival in the house, the basement, the monsters? The climax on the top of the tower? The atmospheric score, sounds and repetitions, mood?
4. Tess, arrival, tired, Keith already there, exasperation, going in, her suspicions, talking, washing the linen, mellow? Tess waking during the night, the door open, Keith and his sounds? The morning, going to a job interview, friendly, music research, the irony of Keith and his being in the band? Tess, the search, locked in, Keith and breaking the window? The warnings? Her return, looking for Keith, in the basement, the sudden attack on Keith’s death?
5. The transition, AJ Gilbride, driving, phone calls, his career, the accusation, sexual harassment, his reaction? Financial advice? The decision to sell properties, going to the house, his being puzzled, the sounds, going downstairs, meeting Tess, the creature, motherly, wanting to feed her babies? The monsters, the mother, the threats to AJ, the man in the bed, the gun? Tortures and darkness? Getting out?
6. The Reagan era flashback, Frank, his property, the neighbour leaving, going to the market, buying the equipment for babies? The rationale behind the horror in the basement?
7. The warning from the man in the street, Tess initially frightened, his advice, hiding her, AJ, the creature, her attacking and killing the friendly man? The climbing of the tower, AJ fear, pushing Tess off, coming down, the creature, attacking and killing AJ? The fight with Tess, the gun, shooting the creature? Tess and her survival?