Even if, on arrival, Barbarian (VOA) is less exciting than the rumor (duly orchestrated?) surrounding its release would have predicted, it manages to provoke the lot of hoped-for startles and the laughs expected of a horror film. But, above all, it is more appreciated if one knows as little as possible about its content. Understand: Avoid trailers and reviews…unless you’re sure they’re spoiler-free (which they should be here).
First solo feature film written and directed by the versatile Zach Cregger (he is an actor, comedian, director, producer and popular Twitch figure), Barbarian opens with the arrival of Tess (Georgina Campbell, whose performance is one of the film’s highlights) in Detroit. It’s late, it’s raining. She has rented a guest house where she will spend the night before going to a job interview the next day. And soon, she is presented with a fait accompli: there has been a “double rental”, a man is already on the scene.
The guy in question is Keith. It looks a bit strange, but ultimately quite nice. Enough for Tess to decide to trust him and share the house with him. “Even” if he is embodied by Bill Skarsgård (equal to himself in this type of story, that is to say disturbing)… which any horror story lover would be wary of. But, obviously, the young woman did not see It neither Castle Rock.
In short, in the hours that followed, an increasingly troubled atmosphere set in. Noises are heard. Doors open or close by themselves. Or refuse to open or close. The bursts that we sense occur. A feeling of oppression hovers, then crushes everything. Claustrophobia, its cousin, creeps into every nook and cranny. In fact, among other things because of the places and their use, it is impossible here not to think of the terribly effective don’t breatheby Fede Alvarez.
Pleasures and predictability
Zach Cregger, as we can see, is a competent director who masters the genre… without however transcending it. The originality of his work lies rather in the structure of Barbarian. The content of the feature film will seem familiar to aficionados – the terror that quietly gives way to horror, then to gore, even pushing to the grand-guignolesque (a downright enjoyable component) -, because it is during dramatic pivots very unexpected that the film stands out.
The spectator, flabbergasted, will then wonder where all this is going. Unfortunately, the answer is (too) quickly given. And this every time. And then, there are these tracks laid down, touched upon, then which are abandoned or which are resolved by deja-vu.
Finally, there is this accumulation of “bad decisions” made by the characters. Even if we know full well that without them, there is no story, jumps or stupid laughter, we would like – once or twice at least – less predictability. Surely that’s possible, right?