Finally, a film that dares to ask the question that’s been haunting America since Buffalo Bill purred, “It puts the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again,” in Silence of the Lambs: Does a secret underground torture dungeon count as livable square footage in a real estate listing?
The answer may surprise you!
The resolution of this unusual capitalist conundrum is only one of the twists in comedian-turned-director Zach Cregger’s new horror film Barbarian — and hopefully, the only one I will give away. Usually, I say anti-spoiler mania is wildly overblown, especially given that trailers routinely give away the entire plot of the film they’re promoting. But in the case of Barbarian, the less you know about the plot, the better.
If you’re a fan of horror and you wanna go in clean, here’s what you need to know: Barbarian is a well-written, well-directed, well-acted nail-biter. It relies on exquisite camera work and an ingenious structure to deliver the scares. Go see it, then we’ll talk about it on Twitter afterward.
Seriously, stop reading now if you don’t want spoilers.
Okay, for those of you still with me, here’s the lowdown: Tess (Georgina Campbell) is in Detroit for an important job interview — an assistant director on a documentary about the white flight that left large swathes of the city a blighted wasteland. She rolls in late one rainy night to find the key to her Airbnb missing from the lockbox. The property manager won’t answer the phone, but she’s unsettled to see a light come on inside. The door opens to reveal Keith (Bill Skarsgård), who should not be there.
Keith claims he booked the house on Vrbo and has the confirmation emails to prove it. He insists she come in out of the rain — it’s not safe to stand alone on this street. Tess is no fool. She’s listened to enough true crime podcasts to know that this mysterious stranger might as well be a flashing red sign, saying, “Girl, you in danger!”
When he offers her a cup of tea, she declines to drink it, thinking it could be drugged. Keith is not aggressive, and seems to be sensitive to her concerns. There’s a medical convention in town, so there are no vacant hotel rooms to be found. Keith offers to let her stay the night. He will give her the bedroom and sleep on the couch. Then, tomorrow, they’ll call the management company and both get their money refunded.
Keith seems legit, and after a bottle of wine, they’re kind of hitting it off. After an awkward moment at bedtime, Tess goes to bed unmolested. Then, creaky doors start opening and closing by themselves.
Meanwhile, in Malibu, Hollywood actor AJ (Justin Long) is having a bad day. He’s on the phone with his manager, who tells him that his female co-star in the new sitcom pilot that was just ordered to series is accusing him of sexual assault, and the Hollywood Reporter is running a story tomorrow morning. One way or the other, he’s off the show and now has to mount an expensive legal defense. His only option is to sell the properties he owns in his hometown of Detroit — which happens to include the house where Tess and Keith were double-booked.
Cregger, who is best known as a cast member of The Whitest Kids U’ Know comedy show, stages the collision between these worlds (as well as another, much darker world) with considerable skill. He learns important tricks from the old masters of suspense, most notably Alfred Hitchcock. Where most horror films these days — even the “elevated” horror that has taken over the art house — go for maximal shock and awe, Cregger wrings scares from simple things like walking down a darkened corridor. He gets a big assist from cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, who sets the mood for an unsettling flashback sequence by shooting in an extreme wide angle. (Respect where it’s due: I’m rarely moved to write “great lens choice!” in my little critic’s notebook — and for you hard-core photography nerds out there, there’s a split diopter shot!) Campbell and Skarsgård are perfectly pitched as two strangers thrown together in an uncomfortable situation, and Long practically oozes Hollywood sleaze. Barbarian is another great entry in what is shaping up to be a banner year for horror.
Barbarian
Now playing
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