Review: “Barbarian” is a brilliant exploration of man's evil in its most primal form

By Brynley Jones

Warning: This review contains spoilers

          Zach Cregger's “Barbarian” explores the subliminal hunter vs prey dynamic between men and women, but twists our expectations left and right. The film was released in September to a mediocre box office. However, those who did watch it were stunned by the craft and brilliance in storytelling.

        The film follows a woman named Tess who rents an airbnb in a sketchy neighborhood, but discovers that a man has been staying there due to a mistake with the owner. Keith, the man staying in the airbnb, is an awkward but considerate individual. He offers Tess his bedroom to spend the night, while he stays on the couch. Despite her intuitions about the situation, she decides to stay against her better judgment.

        Over the course of the film, Tess discovers that there is a large basement underneath the house, and within it lives a towering, brutish hag of a woman searching for victims to “love.” In this case, love means keeping them in the basement and nursing them like infants. The hag kills Keith, and captures Tess. The story then shifts to an actor named AJ, who's career is in shambles due to him being the perpetrator of sexual assault. AJ is the owner of the airbnb, and decides to wait the “me-too” drama out in his rental house. While there, he discovers Tess held captive by the hag.

        We then learn that a man from decades before has been capturing women against their wills and having children with them within Tess's airbnb. The hag is just a bi-product of his “barbaric” behavior.

AJ and Tess manage to escape, but not without AJ essentially sacrificing her in order to save his own skin. Tess overcomes, and manages to kill the hag, who in turn kills AJ.

         “Barbarian” explores several fascinating themes in the form of an entertaining horror film. For one, it shows the fear that women have from men, and shows the intuitions that need to be acknowledged about danger. Then, it explores the selfishness and primal need for self preservation, even if it means holding people hostage or sacrificing someone else to save your own skin. The film targets men specifically, and with good reason. Human nature in general contains an unconscious darkness that comes out when we least expect it to, even if it comes in the form of a barbarian.