“A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.” -IMDB
Although the main reason I don’t watch horror movies is because I lack the courage, another is that I usually lack the interest. This is probably due to the fact that I seem to have bad luck when it comes to betting on which horror movie will be worth the watch. There are classics that I’ve yet to see and yet I’ve seen some absolute garbage based on unsubstantiated “buzz” or based on my own ability to say no to peer pressure.
All of this to say that over the weekend I once again found myself sitting in a theater, bracing for the terror that was about to consume me. After all, not only does Barbarian have a great deal of buzz around it, but (being a fan of the director, Zach Cregger of The Whitest Kids U Know fame) I’ve actually been waiting to see this film since it started shooting.
Well, the terror never fully came. Laughs came. Confusion came. And, don’t get me wrong, there were some incredibly tense, startling moments and some unexpected twists. But for all the film did to build up momentum throughout the first half of the film, it just as quickly went off the rails in the second. The plot became confounding, the symbolism became overbearing, and I think I might be suffering from whiplash from how quickly the film wrapped itself up.
It’s a shame because the story had such potential and the film started off at an excellent pace with intriguing storylines. Ironically, the movie’s main downfall is the same downfall that most often plagues sketch comedy (where Cregger started out his career), and that is in the ending. No matter how wonderfully the story was set up, the difficulty is always in sticking the landing and that is where Barbarian lost its way.
So is Barbarian worth the watch? I didn’t necessarily regret the ride as I so often do with other horror movies. There were plenty of great elements from the stellar cast to some truly hilarious gags (thank you Justin Long). If you decide to watch this film, I would just try to temper your expectations and go along with the wild, bizarre ride that it is.
Good luck!
Rating: 6 out 10 Claire Bears
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If you like this movie, you should also watch: Silent House, The Cellar, Intruders
Streaming: In Theaters
With: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis
Directed By: Zach Cregger
Let Me Clarify 