Barbarian
While horror movies are a dime a dozen, low budgets pursuing high returns, only a select few truly break out into the highest tier of the genre. This is one of those films.
Netflix has just landed one of the best horror films of this decade, Barbarian, the 2022 movie directed by Zach Cregger and starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard and Justin Long. It’s an unforgettable, horrifying movie that changes direction so violently, I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. It’s practically like two different films stitched together, but it works great. Here’s the synopsis, and I would not read any more than that lest it give too much away:
“Traveling to Detroit for a job interview, a young woman books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.”
Barbarian
All I can say past that is that it features stellar performances from Campbell, Long and he’s-everywhere-being-creepy-now Skarsgard, who has now played the clown from It and Nosferatu. among other parts. And it’s stellar, original work from writer/director Zach Cregger, with the film nabbing a 92% critic score.
Barbarian is also worth watching as it can serve as an introduction to Cregger, given that he’s on the verge of releasing what appears to be another stellar horror film, at least judging by its trailer. That would be Weapons, out August 8, so still a ways off. That stars Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Toby Huss and has one of the best horror trailers I’ve seen in recent memory:
Past that, Cregger is about to go fully mainstream when he directs a new Resident Evil movie in 2026. No, we are moving past the lengthy (but very profitable!) Milla Jovovich era, and this seems like something that is going to be right up Cregger’s alley. I thought I heard he was being pursued for a supernatural Marvel film at one point, but those are just rumors. I have little doubt Weapons will be good, given how well Barbarian went.
Definitely check out Barbarian on Netflix now if you haven’t, and read nothing else about it past what I’m saying here. You won’t regret it.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
