Barbarian 4K 2022

‘Barbarian’ is one of those movies you should go see with absolutely no prior knowledge—that’s when you’ll get the most out of it. The story unfolds in segments, gradually putting everything into place and revealing one mystery after another.

Even from the trailer, it was clear that the film would be full of surprises, and by the end, you realize just how much it exceeds all expectations. It is truly one of the most mysterious and original horror films of recent times.

The cast perfectly complements the film’s atmosphere. The chemistry between Bill Skarsgård and Georgina Campbell is quite strong, making it unclear at first where the threat might come from. The situation with the double booking at the house is quite unusual; the house is located in a terribly rough neighborhood in Detroit. There are plenty of questions: Who is this Keith guy? Why is he here? Is he who he claims to be? Who owns the house now, and who owned it before him? Why is there a secret door in the basement leading to a dungeon? What if there’s someone else in the house, and so on.

The director masterfully builds suspense and unleashes it through some rather original and well-placed jump scares. It isn’t until the middle of the film that we’re introduced to another main character with a rather strange past, and the lion’s share of the action shifts to him. This approach to plot development is highly creative and rarely seen in modern films. In fact, it’s as if we’re watching two mini-films set in the same universe from different perspectives, which seamlessly flow into a rather brutal ending and tie up all the loose ends.

In an interview, director Zach Kreger explained all the symbolism linking the film’s title to the characters’ pasts and the situations they find themselves in. It’s impossible to discuss this without spoilers, so we’ll skip that part for now, but if you’re interested, I recommend looking into it after watching the film.

So, who exactly is “Barbarian”? Or is it about barbaric behavior? The barbaric cycle of manipulation only comes full circle at the very end—you’ll have to keep guessing until the last moment—but the ideas the director is trying to convey become clear in the film’s final third.

‘Barbarian’ also masterfully juggles genres—there are plenty of absurd, strange, and comedic moments. The audience in the theater laughed quite often at various situations, which adds a certain flair to the instability and chaos of what’s unfolding.

A must-see for all fans of hard-hitting, intellectual horror films.