If you haven’t seen Barbarian, there’s probably one thing you know about Barbarian: don’t know anything about Barbarian. The horror movie, starring Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård and written and directed by Zach Cregger (from the Whitest Kids U’ Know), made $42 million at the box office on a $4.5 budget thanks to word-of-mouth buzz and strong reviews. But if you didn’t catch it in theaters, Barbarian is now available on HBO Max, just in time for Halloween. It’s best to watch it before October 31; you don’t want someone in a Barbarian costume (not this one) to ruin it for you.
Cregger told Bloody Disgusting that his comedy background helped him write a horror movie. “It’s all about subverting expectations. It’s all about being a step ahead of the audience, zigging when they expect you to zag, and timing. It’s just timing and tone,” he said. “That’s the anatomy of a joke; that’s the anatomy of a scare. I do feel like I’ve been working that muscle group out for a long time through comedy.” Jordan Peele can relate.
Here’s the plot synopsis from the trailer:
In Barbarian, a young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked, and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.
Here’s some more horror goodies on HBO Max.
