Nik Lackey’s review published on Letterboxd:
Horror-October 2024: #15
I remember when I saw this film in theaters a few years ago, I had to reflect on my life and ask why this scared me half to death. Not many films have retrieved a visceral reaction from me like ‘Barbarian’ (2022) has. Ever since the first time I saw it in theaters, I always held it in high regard, and recommended it to everyone I know. There is so much to enjoy in this film, if you’re a horror fan, or a comedy fan, or even just a fan about showbiz drama, it’s all there. The way this movie was structured is just genius, with the ebbs and flows of tone and story, and how we never really know what is happening. I love this movie very much, and I’m glad I still got the same reaction on this rewatch.
So there is a very cool trick director Zach Cregger does with the genre in this film. He starts off by giving us an hour of just white knuckling suspense that is so intense you can’t even fathom how this was in his mind. All of that just to lead into a climax of extreme proportions. Then, no more than a second later, we cut to a hilarious scene with Justin Long singing and driving. Almost immediately moving into a tense dramatic scene, then hitting one of the funniest notes in cinema with Long measuring square footage in rooms. I am perplexed how well done this film is while jumping in and out of tone, and I assure you, it is something to really watch if you want to write a story.
The meaning behind ‘Barbarian’ (2022) is not a shy one. The clear topic is about the horrible types of men in the world. Bill Skarsgård is the first example. Probably an honest guy, but goes about the situation incorrectly, with slight gaslighting and timid yet strange behavior that could tip off something more sinister. Then there is Justin Long who is morally gray in his own mind and comes up with justification on justification, just to prove himself not guilty. He blames others around him just to gain a stronger life. Then there is Richard Brake who is the most sinister of all three. He knowns the horrors he has done and revels in them. He then refuses to accept consequence by it, and doesn’t allow for himself to be made vulnerable. All three men are different levels of how women view them, and some are definitely worse than others.
Obviously Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, and Richard Brake all make their own appearances in ‘Barbarian’ (2022) to great extent. The real star of the film though is Georgina Campbell as Tess. Campbell has been working since the late 2000’s, but really only landed on my radar after this picture. Her level of expression throughout the movie is charming and horrifying in different shades. She manages to project a very clever, yet realistically scared character that is only doing what she can to survive. Campbell does a great job in this contemporary horror film, and I’m sure she will go on to make some great works later on down the line.
I absolutely love ‘Barbarian’ (2022), and I’m so glad that on this rewatch I still got the same visceral reaction I had from the first time I saw it. There is so many great decisions made in the movie that might make you tilt your head at first, but once you get going with it, you’ll understand the craftsmanship of it all. I really don’t want to spoil any of this movie, because going in blind is the best way to watch this movie. Don’t be stressed when the plots change, because it is absolutely worth the conclusion. So go and have fun with this movie, because that is what it was made for.
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