Review of Barbarian (2022) by Turgidtenthinc — 01 Nov 2022
Solid horror flick with some issues. Anyone who has watched Tusk will basically know what to expect from Justin Long's character. It had good pacing for most of the movie, even during the mid movie switch-up.
As others have noted, the characters' intelligence does seem to fluctuate wildly, and some of the obstacles to them feel a bit contrived and unimaginative, but the horror itself is good when it works and the film does build tension well.
The ending and characters did leave me wanting more, but it does give you something to mull over in a way that most feel-good algorithm-designed movies don't. I don't really take issue with the ending of the film in the same way others do, but I'm definitely annoyed by how hamfisted it was towards to end.
They definitely could've done more with both the protagonist's and Justin Long's characters. It works when the clumsy writing doesn't get in the way. A little more subtle showing and less telling would've helped a lot.
This review of Barbarian (2022) was written by Turgidtenthinc on 01 Nov 2022.
Barbarian has generally received positive reviews.
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