The expectations I held for Barbarian were quite high considering the fact critics gave it a 90% Rotten Tomatoes and my dad highly recommended it to me (he’s a film fanatic), but sadly it left me disappointed and laughing at the cheesiness which isn’t an ideal horror film. 

The film was directed by Zach Cregger, a notorious filmmaker, and one of the main stars was Bill Skarsgard, a fantastic actor who grew into popularity after playing the famous clown Penny Wise from It. I went into the viewing feeling rather excited to watch what the two brilliant minds had put together, but sadly it didn’t meet my expectations. I’m a horror movie fanatic, but I don’t easily get scared, so it’s very rare I find a movie that puts me on the edge of my seat, and this didn’t even come close to a goosebump although my 24-year-old brother was trembling through the whole thing. 

The movie starts on a cold and rainy night, like every other stereotypical horror movie, and the stupidity the characters radiated throughout the movie turned this “scary” movie into a comedy. 

The overwhelming feeling they placed on certain items and characters in the movie made it very easy to predict, which was rather disappointing figuring out the whole plot of the movie within 15 minutes of the film. This was in addition to the rather weird ending they had which grossed me out rather than left me feeling terrified.

When it comes to my taste in horror movies I prefer the characters to act to a problem in a more realistic way rather than blatantly putting themselves in a situation no logical human would do.

Not to mention the terrible graphics the movie had placed in the films which also gave me a good laugh. 

However, switching from my overall negative review of the movie I will give credit where credit is deserved and the shots and cinematography in the movie truly blew me away. The interesting camera work they played around with in the film gave it a rather scary and different feel than most horror movies. They went about it in an artistic way which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Going back to the cheesiness that radiated through the movie, although the actors and actresses did a fabulous job of playing terrified people, the movie’s plot was one I’ve seen repeated many times in horror movies. The scary dark basement, the mythical creatures, and the comedic relief are all very common traits within this genre of movies. I want something new and exciting and creative to make my hair stand up, but unfortunately, this movie left me feeling as relaxed as I did walking into it. 

Therefore, if you’re looking for a good scare this time of year, I would not recommend Barbarian unless you’re looking for a film to laugh at the stupidity portrayed by the characters and all their decisions. HBO sadly let me down with this film.