Barbarian (2022)

Writer-director Cregger delivers a fresh genre surprise in the cult movie in waiting ‘Barbarian,’ a triumph of Airbnb horror that builds bone-chilling suspense to operatic horror before cutting to new chapters and modes. It wraps multilayered contemporary social commentary in a rip-roaring, utterly horrifying flick with skull-rattling scares.

The critic calls it an excellent chiller and one of the most bracingly effective of the year, with a smart structure and novel real-estate horror angle focused on a double-booked Airbnb in derelict Detroit. It flirts with humour but mostly delivers inexorable tension.

The critic praises the film's unpredictable twists, tonal shifts, and thoughtful themes of urban decay and toxic relationships, calling it wildly unpredictable and a beguiling romp that maintains gripping intensity.

The critic highlights the inventive, nerve-shredding horror whose greatest shock is its unpredictability, with Cregger embedding the audience in the protagonist's mindset and delivering clever twists that recalibrate assumptions. Social commentary is thoughtful but secondary to the deft terrors.

A simple premise involving a double-booked vacation rental gets downright demented in Cregger’s unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable debut. It builds shock upon shock with an effective sense of dread and a deliciously twisted sense of humor, referencing Psycho while delivering outrageous thrills.

It is a clever horror thriller with Justin Long as the ultimate toxic white guy, a wild ride that is a hell of a lot of fun with a little something to say, though the final explanation feels like a mish-mosh.

Cregger's debut is impressive, a stunning addition to the horror canon that marries the absurd and relatable with an extremely dark joke told by a master comedian, though the explanatory mythology feels a little thin.

Cregger’s gleefully twisty horror movie is both a product of modern times and a throwback, as two strangers explore the basement of their Detroit rental home. It orchestrates a snappy spectacle that lets #MeToo, gentrification, and other elements fit like puzzle pieces into a broader nightmare.

The critic describes the film as an admirably tricky horror that uses structural fake-outs to reroute expectations and sympathies. It starts as a send-up of millennial meet-cute tropes before shifting into ferocious subterranean set-pieces, with praise for strong performances especially from Richard Brake.

The critic describes a gleefully scary and inventive tale full of disarming twists and #MeToo undertones, using the minor pitfall of a double-booked Airbnb as a satisfying plot hook in a decayed Detroit setting.

The critic notes Cregger's use of misdirection and redefinitions of meaning through twists that expand themes of male predation and gendered violence, though the execution is seen as somewhat blunt and the subject matter perfunctory. Visual inventiveness and showman's instincts for entertainment are highlighted positively.

The critic praises the cleverly constructed horror with myriad twists and turns that keep it unpredictable and engrossing. Cregger is commended for eking out tension from mundane interactions and Campbell for a magnetic performance, though some fear factor wears off by the climax.

The critic praises the craftily structured and frighteningly tense horror-thriller, noting its grotesque urban blight setting and effective middle stretch of genuine scares from claustrophobia and dark trapping, while noting some hokier elements later.

The critic calls it one of the most thrilling horror debuts in years, inventive and constantly surprising with well-timed laughs and structural timing. A small criticism is that the final punchline does not land 100 percent, letting things get slightly conventional.

The critic calls it a supremely gonzo horror debut that pulls out all the stops for a terrified frenzy and recalls early Wes Craven, with a perverse ride that will satisfy those who go along for it.

Cregger proves himself a jack-in-the-box horror filmmaker with a double-booked Airbnb nightmare in Detroit. The film builds visceral dread through creepy mysteries and wacky reveals, even when they get dumb, with strong performances from Campbell, Skarsgård, and Long.

The review highlights the best scene as one that nails the horror of knowing better, praising how the film avoids the usual 'you idiot' sensation by having a character make a bad call out of moral obligation while fully aware of the danger.

The critic finds it a cleverly plotted horror with solid gory scares and inventive unpredictability in its visual style and domestic setting, but notes it feels rote by the end with scares giving way to nearly-amusing violence and doesn't fully hit its target.

The critic calls it the must-watch horror movie of the year for its originality and constant subversion of expectations. They single out the unique narrative structure that switches up the story and keeps viewers on edge, along with tense set pieces and strong performances.

The critic calls it a bloody, bold, biting, and unpredictable horror gem that delivers whiplash with shocking revelations while maintaining a biting socially conscious undercurrent about male entitlement and the threat of sexual assault. They praise the satirical precision, humor, and strong performances, especially Georgina Campbell's.

The critic praises writer-director Zach Cregger for brilliantly baiting and switching in an exquisitely crafted scary story that keeps developing its twisty plot and stays one step ahead of viewers. They single out the atmospheric tension, circumstantial peril, and the cast’s body language for making the film genuinely scary and upsetting.

The critic calls it the unexpected surprise of the year and a masterclass in tension and unpredictability. They praise its deceptively simple premise that leads to shocking, original turns, strong performances, and a mix of scares and humor without relying on tropes.

The critic describes it as a bonkers horror favorite with compounding twists and a dark sense of humor that makes for one of the most surprising horror films of recent years. They highlight its surprising DNA with Psycho in the first act and the effective building of dread around the double-booked Airbnb premise.

The critic praises the film for reinventing suburban horror for the 21st century by linking it to the long history of the genre while addressing economic and social issues like gentrification and privilege. They single out the shocking flashback sequence and its thematic depth about suburbia's dark underbelly.

The critic praises it as a lean, surprising film with effective thrills that rewards close watching through well-calibrated creative choices and recontextualization of sympathies rather than big reveals. They single out its subtle shifts in viewer sympathies and the way it makes the biggest scares psychological, in the head.

The critic finds the film a mixed bag of horror and humor that starts strong with effective tension and surprises but loses momentum through exposition-heavy later sections and diminishing returns. They single out the technical craft, particularly the cinematography and score, for praise while noting the journey is more impactful than the reveals.