Barbarian
Zach Cregger’s film explores the unwelcomed reality of BNBs.
By Tracie Reddick
One of the first life lessons we are taught as children is to avoid talking to strangers.
And one of the rules of surviving a horror flick is to stay away from unkown “familiars,” people who seem nice but hide their deadly agendas.
Tess (Georgina Campbell) didn’t display any of those common sense survival tactics in Barbarian.
The film follows her journey after she arrives at a rental home in the middle of a rainy night and discovers it’s already occupied.
Instead of getting the hell outta dodge, she spends the night with the hopes of figuring out the mix-up the next day, thus setting off one mother of a film.
Directed by Zach Cregger, Barbarian raises the question: Is it safer to book a hotel room that may include hidden cameras or a BNB rental with an undisclosed secret room in the basement occupied by an old, creepy guy who hunts women.
Both scenarios have been turned into films, with Barbarian ceasing the latter for what could have easily turned into a predictable plot.
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Instead, the movie’s gentrification angle provides a fresh “there goes the neighborhood” element.
Plus, it introduces Mother (Matthew Patrick), an imbred fiend spawned from Frank (Richard Brake), the former homeowner who once caged kidnapped women in the basement for his own sexual gratification.
Mother, his offspring, has savage tendencies but is not truly a barbarian since he/she/it has protective, maternal instincts toward Tess.
That being said, there are things about this film that will make you roll your eyes, like Mother repeatedly uttering: buh-buh-buh.
Then there’s the rude, dismissive cop and the magical Negro trope, where a homeless, black guy appears out of nowhere to enlightened Tess on the back story.
Justin Long brings the same nervous energy to AJ as he did with his role as Derry (Jeepers Creepers) but is not as likable.
AJ is an actor accused of raping a coworker and is forced to sell the house he rented to Tess to obtain money for his legal defense.
When he enters the house, an oasis surrounded by urban decay, he discovers her belongings and becomes swept into the mystery.
There’s a lot of themes of women being silenced or abused in this film. Luckily, Tess is not the typical helpless victim character but a fighter.
Plus, rape survivors get their clap back when Mother showers AJ with unwanted touches, making him rethink his understanding of no means no.
Overall, Barbarian is a decent film in need of a few tweaks, especially the lackluster ending that kills any believable chances to rebirth Mother in a sequel.
