Barbarian: finding beauty in horror

This is a film that I did not know I had been waiting for till I left the cinema. I cannot think of a time recently where I have left a movie as excited and enthralled by a film. When I walked into the screening, I had no clue what I was about to watch, my friend had booked the tickets and I had only heard of the name of the film. That was the best thing I could have done for this film, I had no clue what was coming and was on the edge of my seat the entire film, exactly what you want from a horror movie. The thing is, this is not just your typical horror, jump scare fright fest, there is something special about this film.

The most notable quality of this film is that it keeps the viewer guessing. As is the nature with a horror film, there is an abundance of tension in this movie. There is typically a slow build, then a peak from which the main fear comes about. Usually, you will be lulled into a false state of comfort, or you build a connection with the characters, not here. The sense of dread is sprung upon the viewer immediately, something feels off from the moment Tess walks into the house. Bill Skarsgård (aka Pennywise) as the random man (aka Pete) is fantastic casting. I am sure he is a lovely man, but by God he gives off a creepy vibe so easily. Being in a random house, in a sketchy neighbourhood with a man you have never met before is a scary enough concept and Pete’s continual acknowledgement of the discomfort does nothing to make it go away. This part of the film does follow the standard tension building direction of the conventional horror, but it ebbs and flows masterfully, like the tide creeping up the shore till suddenly, the fear catches you in full force. The way things go wrong or seem like something is up in this film, only to be resolved before the next thing comes along. The mother coming out of the blue in an acceptable form of jump scare just hits the nail on the head for the first act, a perfect lesson in tension building.

This film plays with expectations so well and in an original fashion. No sooner is the monster introduced, we are plucked from the claustrophobic, dark and threatening caverns and dropped into sunny, warm, and inviting California. This abrasive jump keeps the audience guessing which is the mark of a good horror film. I often find that a horror film loses a lot of the fear factor once the monster is revealed. The fear of the unknown is often the scariest part of a film. To spring something as frightening as Gregg’s violent death at the hands of the monster and then instantly cut away leaves the viewer on edge. The juxtaposition adds to this by fully dragging the tension, it feels off naturally in this type of film so the audience cannot fully settle into their surroundings. The news we soon learn about Justin Long’s character adds to the discomfort. I really liked this detail. This moment taught us everything about his character that we need to know; he is a monster. This is built on throughout the film that dispels any potential doubts you may have had. I really liked this addition, Justin Long’s character seems approachable, likeable, a tv star that is living in the Hollywood dream. This is a real, fear that is under the surface that a lot of women and men face. What we learn later about the mother character, and what the old man did to her, does a great job of reflecting the impact of sexual assault and abusive behaviour on the victim and how they are trapped by their abusers. Initially I felt the film could have done without the old man as, it did not add much to the story, but I do appreciate this potential link; I just wish it was conveyed a bit stronger. Again, with the old man, it was consistent with the trend I the film of constantly changing, I think it went one too far, but I appreciate a horror film that tries something new.

The film itself looks incredible, the tunnel scenes are dark and claustrophobic and there are some clever filming techniques to elevate the visual experience. When we first discover the basement, the exploration, the cuts to each new space, the swinging camera on the door are all so well executed. A good filming technique elevates a film. Whereas Marvel films are very static and rigid in their framing of a scene, this film uses the filming technique, the colour palette, the framing of a scene to add to the tone that the script lays out. I really appreciate when a film does this as it enhances my enjoyment of a film that extra bit. Think of that iconic pan out down the Parisian Street in La Haine, shots like that stay in your mind and really leave a lasting impression. When a film tries to do this I always appreciate it.

More than anything, this is an inspiring film. I left the cinema feeling an urge to write about it. It is why I love filmmaking so much, every now and then a film comes along and just wows me so much it changes my perception om things, be this life, ambition, happiness. This film was not that drastic, but still left me with such a strong feeling of passion for film. I have never really wanted to make my own film, but this film left me the closest I have been. It really captures what is special about film, there is always a new take on a genre, a new story to tell, a new vision that you have never considered. I love films like this so much and its why I write this blog, it’s such a beautiful medium and art form that story that was meant to scare me (it succeeded at that as well) left me feeling a strong feeling of love for what I had just seen.

I really loved this film, and I am excited to see what Zach Cregger does next. It is such a fresh approach to a very stale genre and leaves me excited for the future of horror, there have been a lot of very impressive horror films in recent years, and this is up there with some of the best of them.