By TeeJay Small
| Published
These days, it feels like the pervasive media environment is so fundamental that there’s no escaping spoilers, trailers, teasers, and promotional posters. Unless you’re intentionally shielding yourself from learning anything about a new release, movies will effectively become spoiled within hours of hitting the theater. Still, sometimes you uncover a hidden gem that catches you at just the right moment, allowing you to fully enjoy a project before it hits the mainstream. This was the case for me back in 2022, when I first saw Barbarian.
For those not in the know, Barbarian is a horror thriller that released in September of 2022. The film was written and directed by Zach Cregger, serving as his feature film debut. Before releasing Barbarian and his latest film, Weapons, Cregger was best known for being part of the comedy ensemble The Whitest Kids U’ Know, alongside the late, great Trevor Moore. If you haven’t seen Barbarian yet, that should be the absolute maximum amount of information you know about the movie going in.
Avoid All Barbarian Spoilers, I Will
I normally feel like spoilers don’t matter, because a truly good story can still offer exciting twists and turns even if you ultimately know where you’re heading. But Barbarian has such an unusual pace and unconventional plot that I think you’d really be doing yourself a disservice to look up anything about the movie beforehand. Critics and audiences seem to agree, since I rarely see spoilers for this film posted online today, nearly 4 years after release, even though Barbarian has become a major cult hit.
If you’re really going to twist my arm about it, I can tell you the following information about the plot. Barbarian centers on a young woman named Tess (Georgina Campbell) who unknowingly rents an Airbnb in the most blown-out neighborhood you’ve ever seen in your life. When she shows up, a mysterious man is occupying the unit, leaving her unsure if there was a clerical error on the part of the homeowner or if this man is a creep with foul intentions. With no other last-minute accommodations available, Tess enters the home and ultimately uncovers some of the most terrifying stuff I’ve ever seen committed to the screen.
A Jaw-Dropping Film
I watched most of Barbarian with my mouth agape. The film manages to balance surreal horror, impeccable character work, and a dash of laugh-out-loud humor, which made Zach Cregger a must-follow filmmaker in my book. There seems to be a real sketch-comedy-legend to acclaimed-horror-filmmakers pipeline, with Cregger joining the ranks of esteemed directors like Jordan Peele and Bill Hader.
Up until very recently, Barbarian was streaming on Hulu. The film has been a go-to watch for me any time I have friends over, because it always gets a priceless series of horrified reactions. Unfortunately, it’s not currently streaming on any of the major streamers, unless you’ve got a subscription to fuboTV (who does?) or want to pay high fees to buy it on Amazon.
As much as I’d love to get Barbarian back on Hulu or HBO, I’d say this one is well worth purchasing and owning. If you get the chance to check it out soon, definitely don’t miss the opportunity, and be sure to discourage anyone in your group from doing a cursory Google before you sit down to watch.
