Last year I put out a blog where I listed my 10 favorite movies to watch at Halloween.
Well, spooky season is upon us once again, and while I stand by that list, one movie that I think would make a great edition is last year’s critically acclaimed: Barbarian.
Written and Directed by Zack Cregger, in his first solo film, the movie stars Georgina Campbell (Syfy’s Krypton), Justin Long (Galaxy Quest, Dodgeball & Waiting...), and Bill Skarsgård (the clown from It).
A girl named Tess (Campbell), rents an Airbnb in Detroit, the night before a big job interview. On the stormy night that she arrives, she is shocked to discover that a man named Keith (Skarsgård), has also booked the same place, and is already staying there. Due to the time of night, deserted neighborhood, weather, and inability to find a hotel room, Tess reluctantly stays. The two spend the night talking and while Tess is suspicious of Keith at first, he comes across as a nice and harmless guy that she slowly begins to trust.
The next day, she stumbles upon a secret door in the basement which leads to a dark hallway. Now, I’m going to stop there, because I can’t possibly say anymore without giving away stuff about the plot you shouldn’t know before seeing it.
All I will say is that from here on you realize you are watching a completely different movie from the one you thought you were at the beginning.
I can’t/won’t talk about the plot any further, but I will talk about the characters, mostly the lead Tess. Tess might be my favorite horror movie character for one reason: she’s smart.
Horror movie characters are notorious for being unrealistic, and making stupid decisions that no normal person in their right mind would ever do: Investigating alone at night, running up the stairs instead of out the front door, etc. It’s been joked about for years. They even made fun of it in that classic Geico Halloween commercial.
When I showed the trailer to a friend, she said, “Oh yeah you see, another stupid movie where the characters are completely unrealistic.” Well, unlike what the trailer would have you believe, Tess was nothing like that. She was smart, tough, strong, and badass, which was a refreshing change of pace. Stephen King has spoken at length about the importance of good characters in horror stories, because once you can relate to those characters, those are the ones you care most about, and fear for once they are put in danger, hence making the story that much more terrifying.
On top of how well written the movie was, Campbell gives a really good performance, and has made me excited to see more of her in the future. Skarsgård also does a great job as Keith, bordering on charming and awkward, to creepy and unsettling; not really letting the audience know whether or not they can trust him. Long gives the movie a little bit of comic relief, although he too plays a complex character.
Fair warning, this is not the kind of flick all of you will like. It’s got some pretty intense scenes, and disturbing plot lines. But if you don’t mind some gross out scares, & over the top Tarantino violence, I strongly recommend horror fans check out this small budget thriller before the month runs out.
Happy Halloween all, and if you choose to watch, enjoy the flick!!!