Barbarian

20221 hour 43 minsREnglish, Spanish

HorroRated verdict

Legendary

2020sPsychologicalCreature FeatureSerial KillerParanoia

Directed by: Zach Cregger
Written by: Zach Cregger
Produced by: Elitsa Dimitrova, Ivan Doykov, Bill Skarsgård, Chris Abernathy, Michael Schaefer, Arnon Milchan, Natalie Lehmann, Yariv Milchan, Danny H. Chan, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, Roy Lee, Alex Lebovici, Justin Giritlian, Ashim Ahuja, Garrett Fallin, Michelle Kouki, Tracy Rosenblum

Collections

Creature Features Psychological Serial Killer Urban Horror

Why it’s HorroRated

Barbarian is the best-structured horror film of recent years, using tonal shifts and withheld information as formal elements that keep you perpetually off balance. Zach Cregger's decision to structure the film as several distinct movements, each recontextualizing what came before, gives it a cumulative impact that most single-premise horror films can't match. An absolute must-see.

Synopsis

Zach Cregger's film withholds information strategically and the discovery of what's in the basement's further reaches is managed with real craft. The tonal range the film covers is wider than the premise suggests. The best-structured horror film of recent years.