Dir. Zach Cregger | Now Streaming On: Hulu | Rating: 2/5

I’m chalking this up to yet another 2022 hyped up but disappointing release. Barbarian follows in the footsteps of new wave horror cinema like Fresh, by taking audiences in one direction then twisting the entire plot 180 degrees at the midway point of the film. But unlike Fresh, Barbarian’s twist doesn’t stick its landing.

The tonal shift at the midway point of Barbarian really didn’t sit well with me. It spends a good chunk of time building an interesting and suspenseful dynamic between Tess and Keith, just to toss it out the window with the introduction of the second storyline and the insufferable AJ.

I know the goal of AJ’s character is to show one of many lenses of toxic masculinity that Barbarian tries to discuss, but I found him to be so unfunny and unentertaining to watch. From the tonal shift, the lackluster comedic relief of AJ, and the introduction of a THIRD storyline, Barbarian’s commentary on toxic masculinity gets lost in the weeds. There is also a haphazard attempt made to comment on the economic inequity in Detroit, but it is far from fleshed out. It feels misplaced and secondary to an already watered down storyline.

Tess is a very depressing final girl, with very little common sense, as we watch her make the worst decisions imaginable for a whole 107 minutes. Barbarian ultimately loses itself by trying to do too much. I think this film would’ve been much more successful if Cregger cut out one of these storylines and focused on building out the existing details.

With these critiques in mind, this was an ambitious and notable horror debut from Cregger. The cinematography and pacing showed strong potential for future work. I’m definitely looking forward to more by Cregger, hopefully after he reels in his excitement of breaking through the genre constraints. I know some folks really enjoyed this, so give it a watch if you want, but if you tend to skew on my side of the fence – this might not be your thing.

Know Before You Watch: Features mention of rape, nudity, death, blood, gore.