Barbarian (2022)

Directed By: Zach Cregger

Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long

Genre: Horror / Thriller

Rated: R

In town for a job interview, Tess pulls up to the Airbnb she rented only to discover it has been double booked with a man named Keith. As it is late at night and storming outside he invites her in to investigate the problem further. With no luck reaching the rental agency and no hotels available in the area, Tess reluctantly accepts Keith’s offer to stay the night. Within the next twenty four hours, Tess will discover the true horrors lurking behind the walls of this seemingly innocuous house and it will take everything she has to survive.

Upon first seeing the trailer for this film, it appears to be a straight forward horror take on the typical “Oops, two people are double booked in the same cottage” romantic comedy trope. While this is definitely where the film starts, there is so much more going on and the viewer is never quite sure where the film is going to go next. There is a lot of subverting expectations – you know Tess is walking into a dangerous situation, you just don’t know what. Is Keith really a serial killer? Have they both been lured there for a purpose? Are they alone in the house? Every time you think you have the answer, the story diverts in a new direction.

One major area where these expectations are subverted is with the casting of the movie’s two main male characters, Keith and AJ. Bill Skarsgård, who has the tendency to play darker characters, plays Keith – the character you expect to have nefarious intentions. Justin Long typically acts in goofy comedies or as well-intentioned characters that land in bad situations when it comes to horror. Here he portrays AJ, an entitled douche bag actor under investigation for the sexual assault of his costar. Did he do it? Will his role in the terrible events that unfold prove him to be a good person or is there truly a dark side to him?

The small cast does well in carrying the storyline along. Tess, Keith and AJ are the central characters in a bizarre labyrinth of a plot. Tess is an interesting lead with ambition who tries to make the best decisions given her odd circumstances. She has a caring nature that sometimes acts before her intellect though, and that can lead her into some scary situations. Despite the occasional poor decision, her character is still one worth rooting for and she is pivotal in holding the story together. Georgina Campbell’s performance makes Tess a likable and compelling character – you genuinely want her to have a good life, get the job she’s excited about and find a healthy relationship with someone.

The chemistry between Campbell and Skarsgård make it seem like the latter might be a possibility, assuming Keith’s not secretly a murderer and/or they both make it out of the house alive. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, the two stay up late into the night talking and over tea and wine. 

That Chemistry Though

There is even a cute scene where they are making the bed together and he shows her his trick for putting on a duvet cover. 

(My husband (teasingly): “You find that cute?” 

Me: “Yeah, so?” 

Husband: “Pfft, I was won over by him making tea.” 

Me: “And that’s how you end up drugged and chained up in some serial killer’s basement.”)

Skarsgård’s Keith is both charismatic and suspect. He seems like a nice enough guy on the surface, offering tea and wine, being completely understanding at Tess’s apprehension of taking a beverage offered by a strange man, making her comfortable enough to relax and talk with him, and giving her the bedroom because it has a locking door. Still, he seems like he has a darker undercurrent to him – it’s something the viewer can’t quite put their finger on, but it’s there just enough to keep the audience from trusting him completely.

Justin Long seems to be having a blast with the extreme douche that is AJ. At times the character is over-the-top and comical with how ignorant his selfishness renders him. He’s whiney and unable to take accountability for anything, blaming everyone else when things go wrong while using others to meet his own needs. As mentioned above, the horrific events he experiences provide a possible path to being a better person should he choose to learn from them, but will he? Are these simply characteristics of a spoiled man-child or something worse?

The two male leads are only one tool of subverting expectations. Another is the contrast between Tess’s initial reaction to the neighborhood homeless man (fear, suspicion of mental illness) trying to help her versus her trust in the local police who turn out to be worse than useless. The house itself is so much more than a cute little one bedroom in a rough neighborhood, though that in and of itself is unexpected given the surroundings. Also the flashback scenes that provide the history of the property’s previous owner who showed the world one persona while harboring another.

The film also tries its hand at social commentary and is moderately successful. There is the question of “who is the real Barbarian?” that seems to be silently raised multiple times throughout the movie. There is blatant acknowledgement of violence against women being a major problem – this is a discussion between Keith and Tess where she tells him if their roles were reversed in their current scenario, she would not have let him in; Keith’s understanding of Tess being wary of any open beverage he offers her; AJ being accused of sexual assault and subsequent consequences he faces in reference to the “Me Too” movement. There are also allusions to racism, exemplified in the flashback scenes where middle aged white dudes grumble to each other about “the neighborhood falling apart” with black people and other people of color moving in. It is also shown, to a lesser extent, in the way Tess, a black woman, is treated by the police when she attempts to get their help – though this could be based on a accumulation of factors including gender, race, classism (she was running out of a rundown and impoverished neighborhood) and possible ableism (the likely assumption that she is mentally ill).

As for the horror elements themselves, there is plenty of tension throughout as the viewer never knows what to expect. There are a few decent jump scares and the atmosphere, especially in the hidden tunnels beneath the house, is fairly claustrophobic and creepy. The deaths are few as are the supporting characters, however that does not detract from their brutality. The special effects as far as gore and prosthetics/make up are well done.

The only aspects of the film that negatively impacted it for me were the dropped plot threads, foolish decisions from otherwise smart characters, and some jumpy editing. There were things I would have liked more follow up on such as Keith’s night terrors, the reason Tess took a picture of Keith’s drivers license (I assumed for a possible background check but nothing comes of it) and her potential new employer’s confusion/concern over Tess’s current lodging arrangements (Again, not pursued).

Tess makes some decisions and does things that she seems too smart to be doing, like these actions are contrived to push the plot forward rather than a natural move for the character. For instance, she allows Keith to talk her into staying in the house while he investigates the basement after she informs him of the freaky stuff she found down there. No way in hell would I stay there after stumbling upon what looks like a potential snuff film set.

The Room in Question.

I concur, Tess.

Sorry Keith, you’re probably a great guy stuck in the same weird circumstances as me, but I can’t take the risk that the obvious prison room belongs to you. I’ve seen enough horror movies and true crime documentaries to know that a room like that leads to a bad end for me. Peace!

The last drawback to the movie was the jarring jump cut toward the middle of the film. It cuts from a dark scene with Tess in the tunnels she and Keith discover in the basement to AJ happily singing in his car on a bright sunny day. It’s a complete shift in tone and the introduction of his character which is a little confusing when the viewer has been so invested in Tess’s plotline. I get that this is once again playing with audience expectations but it takes you out of the film for a second until you adjust to AJ’s story and it converges with hers.

This is still one of my favorite horror films to come out this year. It has an unpredictable story with interesting characters, social commentary, great acting, creepy atmosphere and fun deaths. It may be slightly flawed, but is still a strong film and recommended for at least one viewing.

7.5/10

Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

 

Directed By: Olivia Wilde

Starring: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Nick Kroll and Olivia Wilde

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rated: R

In the idyllic 1950s desert community of Victory, housewife Alice begins to suspect all is not what it seems. The town is an experimental utopia centered around a mysterious company with a vague mission that employs all the husbands. While the men work their wives are left home to tend to the house and children, attend exercise classes and do the shopping. After her friend Margaret starts acting strangely and Alice has some experiences she can’t explain, she can’t help but ask questions. Is there something sinister about the town of Victory or is it all in Alice’s mind?

This film has received a lot of hate and I’m not quite certain as to why. It’s not a perfect movie by any means but it is far from bad. I know there are rumors of serious drama behind the scenes and an animosity toward Olivia Wilde herself, but none of this affects the movie on the whole.

The acting from Florence Pugh is truly what carries the film. Her emotions are tangible – her happiness, her confusion, her fear, her desperation. She makes Alice believable; a character to care about and root for despite the fact the audience is unsure if Alice is a reliable narrator. We want to believe her; we want to solve the mystery; we want her to be okay. I have yet to see a performance from her that I don’t love.

I was surprised by Harry Styles’s performance as I honestly didn’t know he did acting, having only known him as a member of the boy band One Direction, a solo artist and Taylor Swift’s ex. He and Florence Pugh have decent chemistry which is another element that held the story together as they, as a couple, are kind of the lynchpin to making it work. At first his character, Jack, is the loving, devoted husband that simply enjoys his life with her, but this façade begins to wear away the more Alice pushes to uncover the truth. He pulls off the charming, sweet and seductive husband as well as the more selfish, angry and whiney manchild and the devolution in between.

The only other stand-out performance is Chris Pine as Frank – the charismatic founder of The Victory Project that everyone in town seems to worship. He’s arrogant and gives frequent speeches consisting of propaganda and empty words that no one else seems to see through except Alice (and Margaret before her). I did have a bit of a hard time seeing how everyone could be falling all over themselves for this man, sucking up to him, hanging on every word he says, changing their attire to match his style. Sure he’s handsome and somewhat charismatic, but he’s also a conceited douche that talks and talks but has nothing to really say. It seems that Alice, Margaret and the audience are the only ones that can see this while everyone else absorbs the bullshit he spews and it does feel intentional. It’s obvious, at least through Alice’s perspective, that this man is not on the up-and-up. He’s also a creep who watches people have sex and tells women they’re “good girls” for cooking dinner.

The rest of the performances aren’t particularly memorable but neither are the characters. Considering the film’s major plot reveal, I believe this is also intentional. Going into the discussion any further would risk major spoilers.

The story is definitely derivative of The Stepford Wives with a more modern twist. Sadly, this concept is still terrifyingly relevant; this era of the 1940s – 1960s is romanticized by many who weren’t alive for it or led privileged lives during it. Aside from the risk of being drafted into war, this era was really only good for white, heterosexual, cis-gender men. Many modern women / femme presenting people /people assigned female at birth find the idea of being forced into that kind of life horrifying. This film reflects that fear and comments on the rise of inceldom and “alpha male” podcasts. It also feels like a commentary on how empty and boring the lives of women seemed to be in that era.

Having a woman as the director, the film is clearly shot with the female gaze. No objectification of anyone, male or female – the sex scenes sensual and hot without nudity. The sex scenes are also based solely on the woman’s pleasure which I’ve never seen in a film before between a heterosexual couple. In the two we are given, Jack uses his mouth and fingers on Alice, but she never does anything to reciprocate and they never engage in intercourse. I found that interesting and wondered if there was a point being made there, but that particular question is never answered.

My only theory is this focus on female pleasure early in the film is a tool to show the devolution of their relationship as the story develops. When Alice is being the perfect little housewife, keeping the house clean, making extravagant meals, happily greeting him at the door impeccably dressed, coifed and made up, and being the supportive submissive arm candy at parties, she’s rewarded. (Although, I have to say I would be quite pissed if the delicious meal I spent hours cooking was knocked off the table because my horny husband wants to ravish me. I don’t care how good it’s going to feel, I spent all day on that! What the hell man?) It could also be an aspect of control, as when Jack goes for a quickie at his boss’s house during a party he doesn’t stop when she protests. It’s still about her pleasure, but he decides when and where he wants to give it to her. Jack also does this annoying thing where he thumbs her bottom lip – watching it irritates me so much I want to bite him. Alice seems rather indifferent to the gesture but it is so cringey to me.

The cinematography and soundtrack also boost the film. The imagery is beautiful, including, and maybe especially, the weird flashy hallucinations/dreams Alice seems to have. The music aids and influences the mood. The setting feels very retro and of-the-time despite being shot through a modern lens, which, again, knowing the twist, feels like an intentional contrast.

For me, the film’s biggest issue is the numerous unanswered questions. Once we learn what is really happening, the story kind of rushes to a close without explaining much. I get that the runtime was already slightly over two hours, but I’d rather watch a longer film in order to have my questions answered. To list them would be to spoil the entire reveal, but there are numerous aspects of the plot I was left wondering about.

To me this was worth the watch. I found it suspenseful and fun with a strong heroine to root for and follow. I was never bored, the strange occurrences and mysterious projects kept me guessing along with Alice as to what was going on. If it didn’t leave so many things unexplained I would have rated it a bit higher. Still it is not as bad as people say – strong performances, especially from Florence Pugh, engrossing storyline, great soundtrack and nice cinematography make it a decent film, but it could have been better.

6.5/10