Barbarian
A film that will leave you forever skeptical of Airbnb’s
BY MADISON FRAEDRICH
Zach Cregger's recent horror movie release “Barbarian (2022)”, takes the viewer on an unpredictable and chilling journey while expertly interlacing the story with dark humor to give the audience a tantalizing experience.
From the opening shot, the viewer witnesses Tess Marshall (Georgina Cambell) finding herself in a double-booked Airbnb outside of Detroit, Michigan, with a stranger named Keith (Bill Skarsgaard). Though skeptical, Tess agrees to stay in the house with her unexpected roommate and quickly discovers that the true "barbarian" might not be who she originally believed. Because of his terrifying portrayal of Pennywise in the It franchise and heavy misdirection in the music and camera work, one would expect Keith's character to be the film's villain. However, Cregger's script takes you on twists and turns as the plot develops, constantly raising anticipation levels and the viewer's heart rates. The most enticing and haunting piece of this film is the creature's origin and the nature of her motives. Through Tess and the creature's motherly instincts, the movie presents a strong feeling of woman empowerment and how they inherently have a need to help everyone regardless of their safety.
Contrary to the obvious assumption, the "Barbarian" could easily describe the male characters and their abuses towards women. There is an emphasis on gender-based violence and how there should be no redemption for these levels of abuse. In the modern horror genre, this release ranks highly because of its defiance against predictability and its ability to stir up an audience, and I highly recommend it.