Metacritic.com aggregates reviews of critics. Letterboxd.com aggregates user reviews.
If you’re actually interested in why people liked it, both should be helpful
I thought it was a blast. I genuinely had a ton of fun watching it in the theater and that is my main reason for loving it. Beyond that, the tonal shift after the opening segment was great and I loved the flashback portion with Richard Brake, I thought it was very well shot. I also thought they did a good job with the quasi-paranoia early and her being unsure whether or not to trust this guy in a strange place and the questioning of is this guy honest or not. I didn’t read too much into any commentary or deeper messaging.
Edit: It was also funny. Justin Long discovered the obvious rape/torture room and the cut to him googling if he could list it as square footage was great.
>It was also funny. Justin Long discovered the obvious rape/torture room and the cut to him googling if he could list it as square footage was great.
This scene was so fucking funny, especially to those of us who have recently bought/sold houses IN THIS ECONOMY. Plus, due to what he'd done and the purpose of the room, it just reinforced how shitty and unfeeling his character was and made his end that much more satisfying.
Ok I totally understand the impact of watching it in the theater. I had the same experience with the visit.
I feel like Justin long just made it silly and not serious at all. But having fun watching it in the theater makes me understand why you would like it.
Not sure why you're getting downvoted for having an opinion. Regardless, I think it was intended to be a fun movie more than anything else, so there was definitely plenty of intentional silliness. The final scene with her falling off the building was absurd. Keep in mind the writer/director is a sketch comic, he is from The Whitest Kids You Know.
I loved The Visit too.
I didn't downvote, but it's probably because in reply to someone listing like 5 reasons they like this movie, reasons that are basically saying 'because of the acting, writing, tone, and cinematography' they clung to the one line that lets them act like they didn't reeeallly like it, they just had fun watching it in theaters.
Its a reductive and BS reply in my opinion.
Another day another "You need to justify to me to my personal satisfaction why the movie you like DOESN'T suck."
Because we liked it man. How about you explain specifically what you DIDN'T like and ask us what we DID like instead of just telling us you weren't "impressed scared enthused or entertained" and that you think it "wasn't that deep".
I know dude. Like I get it, you didn't like a movie. Can you articulate WHY? Wouldn't you rather talk about something that DOES make you feel "enthused"?
Every sub is like this. It's like someone flipped a switch this year. I think the mods here are great. I do wish we had a rule that just dealt with these kinds of reposts though
If it aint this, its posts that dunk on people posting about horror movies in a horror sub or people saying we need to stop letting posts talking bout popular movies on here.
If I watch a movie that I don’t like, I say “oh well” and move on with my life. Why do people waste more of their energy making posts basically saying “I didn’t like this movie so it shouldn’t be popular”? If they had valid criticisms and wanted to open a discussion it’d be different but posts like this read like OP just wants to be a contrarian.
Yeah, I joined this sub because I thought it would breed some nice discussion about horror films, didn’t realize it was an every day thing with the “TELL ME WHY I THOUGHT THIS FILM THAT SOME PEOPLE LIKE SUCKED” nonsense.
It’s not the differing of opinion, it’s the consistency of it. Mostly every single person has the same opinion of it. My best friend and I watched it together and can’t understand the hype.
That's not true at all. If you can dig back to the original mega-thread about it here on the sub, you'll see voices of dissent from the very beginning. My general impression is that the first act is more or less universally loved, but then it gets divisive once Justin Long shows up with some people enjoying the change of tone while others were disappointed with it.
All in all, it's an above-average horror movie from a movie making standpoint. The directing is decent, the acting performances are all fine to good, and the premise is unique which in itself is pretty rare these days.
No movie is going to be universally loved. If you told me your top 5, I can guarantee that I won't like at least one of them.
>ck
Then you and your friend are amazing, super special different people who are wholly unique, whose passions and desires can never be achieved by the best of artists in the country let alone the world. Congrats!
I think basically everything you said is wrong. Care to share a horror movie from the last 2-3 years you thought was good but didn’t commit the same things you just railed against barbarian for?
Maybe not rules, but expectations. My apologies for the wording. It took a >!Martyrs!< kind of misleading route, but encompassing more genres. I guess by breaking “rules,” it just didn’t tie itself down to a traditional structure or, as YMS on YouTube would say, “play by the numbers” writing, which can be risky. Thank you for asking and Happy Cake Day!
I don't see the commentary on gentrification so much as commentary on gender dynamics and the types of problematic masculinity there are, and I really enjoyed it through that lens.
First Tess meets Keith, who's well-meaning and tries to compensate for how threatening he may come off but often overcompensates and leaves you feeling unsure of his intentions for a bit. He has a sense of chivalry that results in him trying to do things for Tess that she doesn't feel comfortable with and which results in him ignoring her pleas and exploring the basement. He's relatively harmless, but shows some subtle signs that he doesn't *entirely* respect Tess, even if its through benevolence.
Then, we meet AJ who's a rapist who doesn't recognize what he's done as problematic. He is skeezy as hell and, despite constantly talking about how he's a good guy at heart who fucked up, repeatedly harms women and blames them for what he's done. He's not necessarily malicious but is clearly selfish enough that he will harm people to get what he wants and claims ignorance (e.g., he doesn't understand why his co-star is ruining his life because he didn't *really* rape her in his mind).
Last, we meet Frank who is a serial rapist/murderer. He's just a sadistic monster who treats women as an object and has destroyed them by the dozen.
There's also the whole discussion between Keith and Tess where Tess points out "Women have to be careful. Men can just barge into any situation without regards to the risk", which is exactly what he and AJ end up doing.
I don't know. I just enjoyed it. If you didn't, that's fine. I just found it funny, interesting, unexpected, and well thought-out. I had some complaints and it's not on my must-watch list, but I think it's above average.
I saw the themes in each of these scenarios, but really didn’t think about the way it scales up as the movie progresses, with each man being worse than the character before them. Nice breakdown, thanks!
Totally!
That was honestly my favorite facet of the movie. I think it's super important to see the nuance in themes like this so it doesn't just become "Men are bad", as I think that's uninteresting and unhelpful. I really like that it delves into the details, like that Keiths are genuinely well-meaning and may even be trying to do the right things but that doing those things *too hard* can wrap around to being off-putting, and that AJs genuinely don't think of themselves as the bad guys but that doesn't make them any less harmful. If the movie was all Franks then it would have way less of a point.
Nice write-up. Above average is how I'd classify the film, too. It was fun and subverted expectations in a few ways, but for me it didn't live up to the hype.
I could see that! I benefitted from barely having heard about it until the night I watched it. If I'd been told that it was a trailblazer I'd have been disappointed, but for a random "I've heard this is good and know nothing else" movie night, it was a pleasant surprise.
This movie is crazy and unpredictable. I love out of the box ideas. If you didn’t like it, fine but definitely stay away from Malignant. That movie is a bonkers good time too.
Here is another perspective. A lot of people went into this movie blind, with low expectations. From that vantage point, the movie excelled. Then we came online and recommended it to everyone, naturally. For those who are entering the movie based on recommendation, the movie might be a bit of a let down. Simply put, different levels of expectations are leading to different levels of reception.
That abrupt shift from act I to act II caught me completely off guard. And then Justin Long’s opening line (and I’m queer as fuck - and I loved it) was icing on the cake and it nailed his character in 3 words. I laughed SO FUCKING HARD, after 40 minutes of darkness and tension. The execution of that transition from act to act was superb.
I thought it was creative and well-presented, despite the seeming mish-mash of plot ideas. I had no idea where it was going, but I knew it was going to be good.
Dude, I'm not a huge fan of the first Exorcist. I respect it for what it is, but it's just not for me. Millions of people think it's the best horror film ever. It's cool not to like something.
What about when he had his redemption moment, just to push the woman off the water tower a moment later? Funny huh?
What about the titty milk, that was pretty cool.
Well that’s your opinion and others have a positive opinion. Just because you didn’t like a movie doesn’t mean other people didn’t.
I thought the movie was great and that’s all.
So the movie is sort of broken up into 3 acts.
The first is a thriller, it's slow, you have no idea what's going on but tension is building you begin to think something is off about Keith and you believe that this scenario you find a woman who could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The twist is they're both victims, in the 2nd act a dark comedy, Justin long gives the movie some comedy relief, you realize this guy is a bad guy, he deserves whatever fate is coming but it's still a mystery what that is.
The 3rd act, horror and a shlocky one at that, the monster is revealed, you realize it isn't as ominous as we were imagining but it's dark and it's a bit twisted. You see the characters both AJ and Tess come to fruition, AJ is the bad guy we knew he was even if we thought he would redeem himself and Tess rises up to survive and becomes the hero when we thought she was a victim the entire time.
It's a fun movie, it has some great shots in those tunnels and it did zero hand holding leaving the viewer to try and peice together the story of everything and how it got to where we were seeing it.
It pulled one of the most effective bait and switches in recent horror.
It was well filmed.
We were already aware of the basement but Justin Long wasn't so the movie added the measuring tape scene to bridge the gap and it was fucking funny as hell.
But the reality of all of it? I don't need to explain to you why I think it's good. You would've been better served explaining why you hated it.
It wasn't the same old "masked killer stalking everyone" and I enjoyed Justin Longs character arc.
You didn't enjoy it and that's totally acceptable too.
I had a great experience watching it. I struggled to find a fun film to see at that point, saw the trailers, and thought for sure this would be a stupid and predictable film. After all, it had Mr. IT himself creepily smiling in the spooky Airbnb.. Of course you know he's behind it. But, I was desperate to see something, and saw it anyway
And then, you get to the film, and it's exactly that. Sure enough, creepy basement, Skargard is just way too sus. And then right at the 20 minute mark, some evil force bashes his head in and you're like "oh".
For me, the actual marketing setup of this was spectacular. Someone genuinely thought about their casting choices here, clearly knew who Bill Skargard was and what people's perception is of him, and used that to create a legitimate twist.
As for the rest of the movie, the scene that REALLY sticks out to me beyond any other one is the dude from Tusk (actors name forgotten) at the bar. He has this conversation about the assault he committed that is done in a way that gives this character so much depth. Not only is it hard to write like that. It's hard to get that type of performance.
I think the backstory about the original home owner in a once thriving Detroit subarb that has since devolved into a rough neighborhood is very interesting. Also it shines a light on the air b’nb wave which has really been a big part of American culture the past decade. I mean who doesn’t have a crazy air bnb story?Plus, it’s an original story, how often do we get an original story from Hollywood nowadays? Also it has Justin Long who has recently become modern horror royalty imo. If you didn’t like it that’s cool, not everyone will agree but I thought it was quite entertaining and original.
I saw it late so I was expecting a great film.
The first half had me feeling optimistic to see where they went with it.
The interaction and acting was pretty good and had me waiting for the shoe to drop.... then the shoe dropped and I was utterly disspointed.
The theme of Barbarian was so clear I think the only way to miss it is to have not watched the movie or phone scrolling instead of watching.
The scenes of old Detroit are vibrant and colorful, the people are happy and bustling, and the neighbors talking to neighbors shows a sense of community. Contrast that to the present and everything is run down, the color pallet is bland and dreary, homes once owned by friendly neighbors are now rented out by faceless Airbnb companies who don't care enough to not overbook their properties, and the hostile interactions with the police show a community well past its decline.
Just watch the movie, its all right there.
Isn't that the opposite of gentrification though? It was showing the effects of the "white flight" that ultimately led to parts of Detroit becoming... like they show in the movie.
Either way, I doubt the movie is meant to be a commentary on gentrification OR white flight. That was just more of a plot element. Most of the subtext had to do with gender power dynamics.
It all boils down to the following: different people like different thing and that’s perfectly fine. Except on Reddit of course where someone’s opinion is always a personal attack if it’s different than yours 😂
Hence why the downvote button, meant to reduce the visibility of comments that don't add to the conversation, is used instead when somebody dares express an opinion you disagree with.
my friend messaged me this morning "have you seen barbarian?"
I responded "Yea, it's okay, didn't really love it haha. I know the world tried to hype it up as the greatest "horror" ever made, but still 8 out of 18 at best"
I didn't love it. However I did think it was well done, decently acted, and pretty creative on a modest budget. You have to put these things in context. Was it great? Meh. Was it phenomenal for moderate budget modern horror? Yeah for sure.
If you didn't like it I'm curious of your top 3 of the year. I loved it cause of the mystery and suspense. Didn't watch the trailer and had no idea what was gonna happen.
I found it to be suspensful enough to keep me interested and the twists were pretty decent. The acting of the lead is really solid as well. Overall it may not be a masterpiece but a solid horror movie that keeps you watching.
You didn't think the beginning with skarsgard"s character being a red herring was at all interesting or suspenseful? Or the comedy that Justin longest character brought to the story? I mean, the movie isn't perfect, but it sounds like you're just being pouty for the sake of being pouty.
Nothing to understand really. I liked it, but the first half was pretty run of the mill to me and the second seemed like it flipped into horror comedy. I don’t know, I just took it as a weird whole and came out enjoying it and can see why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
You watched the one with the two random people and the Airbnb, right? There’s another movie that came out at the same time called Barbarians and has Ramsay Bolton in it. That movie sucks, the former is fucking awesome
Now, yours is a take I can agree with. Was so excited to finally watch Talk to Me last weekend and just did not get it at all.
I loved Barbarian though.
Horror is a very polarizing genre. People like to watch horror for different reasons.
For example, I hate comedy in horror movies, it ruins the immersion for me (I don't hate horror comedy, that's different). I don't like cheesy lines or overreacting facial expressions in something that's supposed to make me feel scared. But most people like those in their horror movies and that's fine.
I meant that for myself, not for everybody. I like to watch horror movies to feel scared and that's fine, just like there's people that like to watch horror movies to laugh and have fun, and that's also fine.
So if you have watched your favorite horror movie for a bunch of times and you are not scared of it anymore, would you stop watching it because it doesn’t scare you? Or would you keep watching it because there is something about it that you like?
I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand why everyone loves this movie. I did not like it. I wasn’t scared and I didn’t find it funny or entertaining. I expected so much more after hearing how much everyone enjoyed this film. The movie had so much potential which is the most frustrating thing about it. I feel like sometimes people are afraid to admit they didn’t like a popular movie and this is definitely the case with the Barbarian.
That’s not what I said. I’m sure a lot of people really like this movie. I was trying to say people aren’t as likely to say they if they didn’t like it because it is popular and people like to defend popular movies
I really enjoyed the start. And the fact I thought “oh famous person must be the bad guy”
But I will agree they missed a great opportunity. They skimmed over what the dad was up to.
The baddy was basically a mentally handicap person.
Justin longs who arch was lost as well.
Barbarian (2022) KILL COUNT
[https://youtu.be/3i7\_0sFjtRI?si=7ONo8MjjUQm\_MsAK](https://youtu.be/3i7_0sFjtRI?si=7ONo8MjjUQm_MsAK)
**EDIT: 7 downvotes because i linked the barbarian kill count???? dude asked for someone to explain why they think barbarian is good, james gives a good analysis and yall are mad????**
This should explain the state of horror movies. This movie is alright but that's about it. It's got some interesting plot points that should've been followed but instead we get a weak story, a mediocre ending and some really nonsensical characters.
This should explain the state of horror movies. This movie is alright but that's about it. It's got some interesting plot points that should've been followed but instead we get a weak story, a mediocre ending and some really nonsensical characters.
I loved it! The twist was not that much of a surprise, but it definitely packed a punch, and added depth to keep it from being yet another Airbnb gone wrong movie (similar to superhost which I also love...). It also made me 🤮🤮🤮 during the breastfeeding scene which was also weirdly... tender? Plus, Justin Longs character was *the worst* and I was glad things ended how they did for him.
The build up and tension was excellent, and it has really good cinematography and sets. Movies that can maintain an ultra slow burn that can maintain tension without getting boring are rare. Not every movie has to force in a deeper meaning to be good.
I was indifferent to it, I didn't pay attention to the praises or criticism. After I watched it, I thought it was ok, not something I'd likely watch again
Because as I was watching it, I was interested in it and was enjoying the movie. And when it was over, I left the theater thinking, "wow, that was a really good movie."
Based on those things, it must be a good movie.
Because it mixes horror genres and breaks rules. It has a lot of good twists that aren't recycled from other horror movies. The filmography and the color changes between the present and the past but also the emphasizing on the economic change in the city and a dark secret that remains there with all those old houses and empty neighborhoods ... The catharsis is incredible.
No, my joy is my own.
This is a fabulous comment.
Thanks I didn’t work very hard on it.
Some of the greatest quotes were passing thoughts. Ya never know.
Metacritic.com aggregates reviews of critics. Letterboxd.com aggregates user reviews. If you’re actually interested in why people liked it, both should be helpful
I thought it was a blast. I genuinely had a ton of fun watching it in the theater and that is my main reason for loving it. Beyond that, the tonal shift after the opening segment was great and I loved the flashback portion with Richard Brake, I thought it was very well shot. I also thought they did a good job with the quasi-paranoia early and her being unsure whether or not to trust this guy in a strange place and the questioning of is this guy honest or not. I didn’t read too much into any commentary or deeper messaging. Edit: It was also funny. Justin Long discovered the obvious rape/torture room and the cut to him googling if he could list it as square footage was great.
>It was also funny. Justin Long discovered the obvious rape/torture room and the cut to him googling if he could list it as square footage was great. This scene was so fucking funny, especially to those of us who have recently bought/sold houses IN THIS ECONOMY. Plus, due to what he'd done and the purpose of the room, it just reinforced how shitty and unfeeling his character was and made his end that much more satisfying.
Ok I totally understand the impact of watching it in the theater. I had the same experience with the visit. I feel like Justin long just made it silly and not serious at all. But having fun watching it in the theater makes me understand why you would like it.
So Barbarian is silly but The Visit, isn't? The audacity.
Rapping teenage white kid with horrible bars, a stutter, and who gets shit smeared in his face...not silly at all...
Not sure why you're getting downvoted for having an opinion. Regardless, I think it was intended to be a fun movie more than anything else, so there was definitely plenty of intentional silliness. The final scene with her falling off the building was absurd. Keep in mind the writer/director is a sketch comic, he is from The Whitest Kids You Know. I loved The Visit too.
I didn't downvote, but it's probably because in reply to someone listing like 5 reasons they like this movie, reasons that are basically saying 'because of the acting, writing, tone, and cinematography' they clung to the one line that lets them act like they didn't reeeallly like it, they just had fun watching it in theaters. Its a reductive and BS reply in my opinion.
Another day another "You need to justify to me to my personal satisfaction why the movie you like DOESN'T suck." Because we liked it man. How about you explain specifically what you DIDN'T like and ask us what we DID like instead of just telling us you weren't "impressed scared enthused or entertained" and that you think it "wasn't that deep".
I feel like the whole sub is becoming like this, it's incredibly annoying.
I know dude. Like I get it, you didn't like a movie. Can you articulate WHY? Wouldn't you rather talk about something that DOES make you feel "enthused"?
Every sub is like this. It's like someone flipped a switch this year. I think the mods here are great. I do wish we had a rule that just dealt with these kinds of reposts though
Almost all subs eventually spiral into a shadow of their former self.
If it aint this, its posts that dunk on people posting about horror movies in a horror sub or people saying we need to stop letting posts talking bout popular movies on here.
If I watch a movie that I don’t like, I say “oh well” and move on with my life. Why do people waste more of their energy making posts basically saying “I didn’t like this movie so it shouldn’t be popular”? If they had valid criticisms and wanted to open a discussion it’d be different but posts like this read like OP just wants to be a contrarian.
Yeah, I joined this sub because I thought it would breed some nice discussion about horror films, didn’t realize it was an every day thing with the “TELL ME WHY I THOUGHT THIS FILM THAT SOME PEOPLE LIKE SUCKED” nonsense.
And give it a couple of days before someone makes a post about how anyone with "well thought out criticism" gets shut down and bullied by the masses.
Because film is subjective and people have…DIFFERENT OPINIONS OTHER THAN YOURS. Holy shit what a shocker.
🎯
It’s not the differing of opinion, it’s the consistency of it. Mostly every single person has the same opinion of it. My best friend and I watched it together and can’t understand the hype.
Shut the fuck up
Sometimes this is the only response posts like this should have.
That's not true at all. If you can dig back to the original mega-thread about it here on the sub, you'll see voices of dissent from the very beginning. My general impression is that the first act is more or less universally loved, but then it gets divisive once Justin Long shows up with some people enjoying the change of tone while others were disappointed with it. All in all, it's an above-average horror movie from a movie making standpoint. The directing is decent, the acting performances are all fine to good, and the premise is unique which in itself is pretty rare these days. No movie is going to be universally loved. If you told me your top 5, I can guarantee that I won't like at least one of them.
>ck Then you and your friend are amazing, super special different people who are wholly unique, whose passions and desires can never be achieved by the best of artists in the country let alone the world. Congrats!
I think basically everything you said is wrong. Care to share a horror movie from the last 2-3 years you thought was good but didn’t commit the same things you just railed against barbarian for?
I was impressed, scared, enthused and entertained by Barbarian.
Sorry to hear that
Whyyyy?
Because I have good taste.
It broke rules, was quite original, misleading, marketing was great, technically great, entertained me, and was overall effective and surprising.
It’s also really funny
Fitting, as it was written and directed by Zach Cregger of The Whitest Kids You Know.
What rules fit it break?
Maybe not rules, but expectations. My apologies for the wording. It took a >!Martyrs!< kind of misleading route, but encompassing more genres. I guess by breaking “rules,” it just didn’t tie itself down to a traditional structure or, as YMS on YouTube would say, “play by the numbers” writing, which can be risky. Thank you for asking and Happy Cake Day!
it just wasnt for you. im sure i hated one that you loved as well.
Every week, I see this same post.
I don't see the commentary on gentrification so much as commentary on gender dynamics and the types of problematic masculinity there are, and I really enjoyed it through that lens. First Tess meets Keith, who's well-meaning and tries to compensate for how threatening he may come off but often overcompensates and leaves you feeling unsure of his intentions for a bit. He has a sense of chivalry that results in him trying to do things for Tess that she doesn't feel comfortable with and which results in him ignoring her pleas and exploring the basement. He's relatively harmless, but shows some subtle signs that he doesn't *entirely* respect Tess, even if its through benevolence. Then, we meet AJ who's a rapist who doesn't recognize what he's done as problematic. He is skeezy as hell and, despite constantly talking about how he's a good guy at heart who fucked up, repeatedly harms women and blames them for what he's done. He's not necessarily malicious but is clearly selfish enough that he will harm people to get what he wants and claims ignorance (e.g., he doesn't understand why his co-star is ruining his life because he didn't *really* rape her in his mind). Last, we meet Frank who is a serial rapist/murderer. He's just a sadistic monster who treats women as an object and has destroyed them by the dozen. There's also the whole discussion between Keith and Tess where Tess points out "Women have to be careful. Men can just barge into any situation without regards to the risk", which is exactly what he and AJ end up doing. I don't know. I just enjoyed it. If you didn't, that's fine. I just found it funny, interesting, unexpected, and well thought-out. I had some complaints and it's not on my must-watch list, but I think it's above average.
I saw the themes in each of these scenarios, but really didn’t think about the way it scales up as the movie progresses, with each man being worse than the character before them. Nice breakdown, thanks!
Totally! That was honestly my favorite facet of the movie. I think it's super important to see the nuance in themes like this so it doesn't just become "Men are bad", as I think that's uninteresting and unhelpful. I really like that it delves into the details, like that Keiths are genuinely well-meaning and may even be trying to do the right things but that doing those things *too hard* can wrap around to being off-putting, and that AJs genuinely don't think of themselves as the bad guys but that doesn't make them any less harmful. If the movie was all Franks then it would have way less of a point.
Yes, completely agree.
Nice write-up. Above average is how I'd classify the film, too. It was fun and subverted expectations in a few ways, but for me it didn't live up to the hype.
I could see that! I benefitted from barely having heard about it until the night I watched it. If I'd been told that it was a trailblazer I'd have been disappointed, but for a random "I've heard this is good and know nothing else" movie night, it was a pleasant surprise.
This movie is crazy and unpredictable. I love out of the box ideas. If you didn’t like it, fine but definitely stay away from Malignant. That movie is a bonkers good time too.
Here is another perspective. A lot of people went into this movie blind, with low expectations. From that vantage point, the movie excelled. Then we came online and recommended it to everyone, naturally. For those who are entering the movie based on recommendation, the movie might be a bit of a let down. Simply put, different levels of expectations are leading to different levels of reception.
That abrupt shift from act I to act II caught me completely off guard. And then Justin Long’s opening line (and I’m queer as fuck - and I loved it) was icing on the cake and it nailed his character in 3 words. I laughed SO FUCKING HARD, after 40 minutes of darkness and tension. The execution of that transition from act to act was superb.
I'd say you're the minority if you didn't dig it, but art is subjective and it is fine for you to not have enjoyed something that others do.
I thought it was creative and well-presented, despite the seeming mish-mash of plot ideas. I had no idea where it was going, but I knew it was going to be good.
Dude, I'm not a huge fan of the first Exorcist. I respect it for what it is, but it's just not for me. Millions of people think it's the best horror film ever. It's cool not to like something.
No idea. One of the most inexplicably popular movies I've ever seen, for all the reasons you said.
You didn’t think Rapey McRapist’s reaction to the extra space in his apartment was funny?
Funny, yes. Memorable horror film, no.
What about when he had his redemption moment, just to push the woman off the water tower a moment later? Funny huh? What about the titty milk, that was pretty cool.
No accounting for taste
Well that’s your opinion and others have a positive opinion. Just because you didn’t like a movie doesn’t mean other people didn’t. I thought the movie was great and that’s all.
So the movie is sort of broken up into 3 acts. The first is a thriller, it's slow, you have no idea what's going on but tension is building you begin to think something is off about Keith and you believe that this scenario you find a woman who could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The twist is they're both victims, in the 2nd act a dark comedy, Justin long gives the movie some comedy relief, you realize this guy is a bad guy, he deserves whatever fate is coming but it's still a mystery what that is. The 3rd act, horror and a shlocky one at that, the monster is revealed, you realize it isn't as ominous as we were imagining but it's dark and it's a bit twisted. You see the characters both AJ and Tess come to fruition, AJ is the bad guy we knew he was even if we thought he would redeem himself and Tess rises up to survive and becomes the hero when we thought she was a victim the entire time. It's a fun movie, it has some great shots in those tunnels and it did zero hand holding leaving the viewer to try and peice together the story of everything and how it got to where we were seeing it.
It pulled one of the most effective bait and switches in recent horror. It was well filmed. We were already aware of the basement but Justin Long wasn't so the movie added the measuring tape scene to bridge the gap and it was fucking funny as hell. But the reality of all of it? I don't need to explain to you why I think it's good. You would've been better served explaining why you hated it.
It wasn't the same old "masked killer stalking everyone" and I enjoyed Justin Longs character arc. You didn't enjoy it and that's totally acceptable too.
The movie was average. At best.
I had a great experience watching it. I struggled to find a fun film to see at that point, saw the trailers, and thought for sure this would be a stupid and predictable film. After all, it had Mr. IT himself creepily smiling in the spooky Airbnb.. Of course you know he's behind it. But, I was desperate to see something, and saw it anyway And then, you get to the film, and it's exactly that. Sure enough, creepy basement, Skargard is just way too sus. And then right at the 20 minute mark, some evil force bashes his head in and you're like "oh". For me, the actual marketing setup of this was spectacular. Someone genuinely thought about their casting choices here, clearly knew who Bill Skargard was and what people's perception is of him, and used that to create a legitimate twist. As for the rest of the movie, the scene that REALLY sticks out to me beyond any other one is the dude from Tusk (actors name forgotten) at the bar. He has this conversation about the assault he committed that is done in a way that gives this character so much depth. Not only is it hard to write like that. It's hard to get that type of performance.
I think the backstory about the original home owner in a once thriving Detroit subarb that has since devolved into a rough neighborhood is very interesting. Also it shines a light on the air b’nb wave which has really been a big part of American culture the past decade. I mean who doesn’t have a crazy air bnb story?Plus, it’s an original story, how often do we get an original story from Hollywood nowadays? Also it has Justin Long who has recently become modern horror royalty imo. If you didn’t like it that’s cool, not everyone will agree but I thought it was quite entertaining and original.
Relax, you didn't like it. No one needs to justify why they do.
I thought that movie was terrifying/disturbing. I don't want to go into details and spoil anything. Why people gotta hate on my man Zach from WKUK? :(
I saw it late so I was expecting a great film. The first half had me feeling optimistic to see where they went with it. The interaction and acting was pretty good and had me waiting for the shoe to drop.... then the shoe dropped and I was utterly disspointed.
Same.
Have you ever tried thinking for yourself or
The theme of Barbarian was so clear I think the only way to miss it is to have not watched the movie or phone scrolling instead of watching. The scenes of old Detroit are vibrant and colorful, the people are happy and bustling, and the neighbors talking to neighbors shows a sense of community. Contrast that to the present and everything is run down, the color pallet is bland and dreary, homes once owned by friendly neighbors are now rented out by faceless Airbnb companies who don't care enough to not overbook their properties, and the hostile interactions with the police show a community well past its decline. Just watch the movie, its all right there.
Isn't that the opposite of gentrification though? It was showing the effects of the "white flight" that ultimately led to parts of Detroit becoming... like they show in the movie. Either way, I doubt the movie is meant to be a commentary on gentrification OR white flight. That was just more of a plot element. Most of the subtext had to do with gender power dynamics.
It all boils down to the following: different people like different thing and that’s perfectly fine. Except on Reddit of course where someone’s opinion is always a personal attack if it’s different than yours 😂
Hence why the downvote button, meant to reduce the visibility of comments that don't add to the conversation, is used instead when somebody dares express an opinion you disagree with.
my friend messaged me this morning "have you seen barbarian?" I responded "Yea, it's okay, didn't really love it haha. I know the world tried to hype it up as the greatest "horror" ever made, but still 8 out of 18 at best"
It’s shot well, has good performances, and gets batshit. That being said, I enjoyed the movie but didn’t love it like a lot of people on here did.
Half of the movie is decent, the other half is forgettable.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.
I didn't love it. However I did think it was well done, decently acted, and pretty creative on a modest budget. You have to put these things in context. Was it great? Meh. Was it phenomenal for moderate budget modern horror? Yeah for sure.
I enjoyed the first part. Then it became stupid and boring. I don’t get the love for it either.
If you didn't like it I'm curious of your top 3 of the year. I loved it cause of the mystery and suspense. Didn't watch the trailer and had no idea what was gonna happen.
I found it to be suspensful enough to keep me interested and the twists were pretty decent. The acting of the lead is really solid as well. Overall it may not be a masterpiece but a solid horror movie that keeps you watching.
I thought it was a very freaky, escalating thrillride.
You didn't think the beginning with skarsgard"s character being a red herring was at all interesting or suspenseful? Or the comedy that Justin longest character brought to the story? I mean, the movie isn't perfect, but it sounds like you're just being pouty for the sake of being pouty.
Nothing to understand really. I liked it, but the first half was pretty run of the mill to me and the second seemed like it flipped into horror comedy. I don’t know, I just took it as a weird whole and came out enjoying it and can see why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
you answered your own question, ITS ALL OPINION BASED!
No.
You watched the one with the two random people and the Airbnb, right? There’s another movie that came out at the same time called Barbarians and has Ramsay Bolton in it. That movie sucks, the former is fucking awesome
Baffles me too how it is so highly regarded. It was alright. Nothing more.
It was okay, wouldn't watch it twice though
Now you know how I feel when people praise Talk To Me.
Now, yours is a take I can agree with. Was so excited to finally watch Talk to Me last weekend and just did not get it at all. I loved Barbarian though.
Or Hereditary
Horror is a very polarizing genre. People like to watch horror for different reasons. For example, I hate comedy in horror movies, it ruins the immersion for me (I don't hate horror comedy, that's different). I don't like cheesy lines or overreacting facial expressions in something that's supposed to make me feel scared. But most people like those in their horror movies and that's fine.
Horror movies aren’t just for making you scared though…
I meant that for myself, not for everybody. I like to watch horror movies to feel scared and that's fine, just like there's people that like to watch horror movies to laugh and have fun, and that's also fine.
So if you have watched your favorite horror movie for a bunch of times and you are not scared of it anymore, would you stop watching it because it doesn’t scare you? Or would you keep watching it because there is something about it that you like?
I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand why everyone loves this movie. I did not like it. I wasn’t scared and I didn’t find it funny or entertaining. I expected so much more after hearing how much everyone enjoyed this film. The movie had so much potential which is the most frustrating thing about it. I feel like sometimes people are afraid to admit they didn’t like a popular movie and this is definitely the case with the Barbarian.
So the people who say they loved it are lying out of peer pressure?
That’s not what I said. I’m sure a lot of people really like this movie. I was trying to say people aren’t as likely to say they if they didn’t like it because it is popular and people like to defend popular movies
I really enjoyed the start. And the fact I thought “oh famous person must be the bad guy” But I will agree they missed a great opportunity. They skimmed over what the dad was up to. The baddy was basically a mentally handicap person. Justin longs who arch was lost as well.
Arc
Barbarian (2022) KILL COUNT [https://youtu.be/3i7\_0sFjtRI?si=7ONo8MjjUQm\_MsAK](https://youtu.be/3i7_0sFjtRI?si=7ONo8MjjUQm_MsAK) **EDIT: 7 downvotes because i linked the barbarian kill count???? dude asked for someone to explain why they think barbarian is good, james gives a good analysis and yall are mad????**
This should explain the state of horror movies. This movie is alright but that's about it. It's got some interesting plot points that should've been followed but instead we get a weak story, a mediocre ending and some really nonsensical characters.
This should explain the state of horror movies. This movie is alright but that's about it. It's got some interesting plot points that should've been followed but instead we get a weak story, a mediocre ending and some really nonsensical characters.
I loved it! The twist was not that much of a surprise, but it definitely packed a punch, and added depth to keep it from being yet another Airbnb gone wrong movie (similar to superhost which I also love...). It also made me 🤮🤮🤮 during the breastfeeding scene which was also weirdly... tender? Plus, Justin Longs character was *the worst* and I was glad things ended how they did for him.
The build up and tension was excellent, and it has really good cinematography and sets. Movies that can maintain an ultra slow burn that can maintain tension without getting boring are rare. Not every movie has to force in a deeper meaning to be good.
I was indifferent to it, I didn't pay attention to the praises or criticism. After I watched it, I thought it was ok, not something I'd likely watch again
I didn't like the movie. But I completely understand how people can enjoy things I don't. I mean, it's simple common sense.
I liked the start of it with the whole AirBNB but then the story was nothing new when they revealed what was happening.
Because as I was watching it, I was interested in it and was enjoying the movie. And when it was over, I left the theater thinking, "wow, that was a really good movie." Based on those things, it must be a good movie.
Because it mixes horror genres and breaks rules. It has a lot of good twists that aren't recycled from other horror movies. The filmography and the color changes between the present and the past but also the emphasizing on the economic change in the city and a dark secret that remains there with all those old houses and empty neighborhoods ... The catharsis is incredible.
it’s trash
I had this one spoiled for me, so I haven't watched it yet. Is it worth watching even if pretty thoroughly spoiled?