daniele dixon

"Barbarian"? - The name of this film is not anyway related unless it's referring to Justin Long's part which inserts directly into the #MeToo movement. TWO stars. And ONLY two stars since I was forcing myself to continue to watch it to see why top critics liked it. I was still baffled as to why at the end of it. Here's why it FAILED for me. 1. PLOT: Thin, Contrived. A SMART woman interviewing for a documentary research job doesn't do her research to see that the Air BNB she's renting is in a neighborhood where all other houses are dilapidated? There's a distraction with Bill Skarskard but 'plot' builds with a flashback mid-way in this snore of a film to 'earlier' 'happier neighborhood' times with a glimpse into the previous home's owner, 'Frank', suggestively doing devilish things to women and we learn later the current 'monster' inhabiting the basement is one of his victims/progeny decades later? A homeless person is on the 'Delipidated Neighborhood Watch' however? And ends up being a quasi-savior? Please. 2. MORE FOCUSED ON MESSAGE THAN CONTENT: Yes, 'Men', overall, can be monsters. And women somehow continue to support them still. That's the SHOUT OUT message from this film that I got. Great Message. Got that. And #MeToo. But that's all I got. There was no added depth. Story was thin and lacked context. Horror films with more CONTEXT than MESSAGE but where the MESSAGE resonates due to the artful skill of their direction and writing are those like Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth or Stephen King's Dolores Claiborne. These films remain unparalleled today in their depth, artistry, messaging, acting, and delivery. I was HOPING this film might reach a fraction of that caliber. I was VERY disappointed it never approached anywhere near 'near'.