Barbarian – Review

A Jeep Cherokee pulls up to a dark Detroit home on a windy and rainy evening. Tess Marshall (Campbell) checks her phone to confirm the address, grabbing her suitcase and rolling it through the falling drops to the door, looking for the key to her rental. She silences a call from Marcus, and then finally hits the right door code, which pops open the lockbox to reveal… no key.

She calls the rental homeowner, in hopes to find a way inside on the cold night. She hops back in her Jeep ready to find another plan, and then notices a light pops on inside the house. She heads back to ring the doorbell, and is confused by the man answering the door, who is also confused about her. The man is Keith (Skarsgård) who also appears to be renting the place. She booked on AirBnB. He booked his on HomeAway. They both have the right date, but are both unsure what to do. She goes inside to call the booking owner idiots.

Barbarian begins with a simple setup and snafu that could happen to any traveler. The tension hits immediately as well, with all the uncertainty in the air and ominous stormy weather. Tess and Keith awkwardly discuss options and the night seems to clear up a bit.

I find it’s best not to divulge any further information, as the surprises of Barbarian are many and most viewer anticipations wind up being mostly incorrect. It is definitely a horror movie, but the unexpected plot thrills should be seen by those with brave constitutions. The apprehension and discomfort presented through the film’s many twists is expertly crafted.