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Barbarian (2022)
There must be some sketch-comedy-to-horror pipeline that I’m not aware of. John Landis, Max Brooks and Jordan Peele are all writers that shifted from making viewers laugh to making them scream, with Zach Cregger of The Whitest Kids U’Know being the latest to join their ranks. His sophomore effort, Weapons, releases Aug. 8, and Cinemagic is preparing by screening his debut thriller, Barbarian.
While visiting Detroit for a job interview, Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives at her Airbnb to find she’s double-booked with Keith (Bill Skarsgård), an awkward but seemingly harmless artist. With no other option, she stays, but what are Keith’s real intentions? And do they have anything to do with the mysterious door in the basement? To say any more would give away the game, but Tess can’t shake the feeling that something’s amiss on Barbary Street.
The story’s unpredictability is one of Barbarian’s greatest strengths, as Cregger thrives on pulling the rug out from under audiences and trusting them to keep up just to know what’s going on. It helps that he shows an adeptness at creating and maintaining tension: Every camera movement, every cut, every sting from Anna Drubich’s score is designed to maximize dread and keep you on the edge of your seat. Campbell, who has the unenviable task of carrying the viewer’s emotional weight, makes for an exceptional scream queen and a star in the making.
Barbarian’s themes of misogyny and the knock-on effects of urban decay show a deft intelligence from Cregger as a writer, but if you’re looking for chills, thrills and a splash of dark comedy, book a trip to Cinemagic and discover all that lies beneath. Cinemagic on Friday, Aug. 1.
Also Playing:
5th Avenue Cinema: Go (1999), Aug. 1–3. Academy: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Wings of Desire (1987) and Hook (1991), July 30 and 31. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Alligator (1980), Aug. 1–5. Cinema 21: The Room (2003), Aug. 1. Cat Video Fest 2025, Aug. 2. Cabaret (1972), Aug. 2. Stop Making Sense (1984), Aug. 2. Between the Mountain and the Sky (2022), Aug. 6. Cinemagic: Kindergarten Cop (1990), July 30 and 31. Pacific Rim (2013), July 30 and 31. Barbarian (2022), Aug. 1, 6 and 7. Traxx (1988), Aug. 1. Taxi Driver (1976), Aug. 2–4. The Thin Red Line (1998), Aug. 2–4. Clinton: Evening Land (1977), July 30. 1984 (1984), July 31. Bride of Chucky (1998), Aug. 1. Seed of Chucky (2004), Aug. 1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Aug. 2. Child’s Play (1988), Aug. 3. Gut Instinct (2024), Aug. 4. Hollywood: Cooley High (1975), July 30. Four Films by Maya Deren, July 30. Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982), July 31. Strangers with Candy (2005), Aug. 1. Ebony and Ivory (2024), Aug. 1. The American Astronaut (2001), Aug. 2. Strangers on a Train (1951), Aug. 3. Conan the Barbarian (1982), Aug. 4. Princess Madam (1989), Aug. 5. Hawk Jones (1986), Aug. 6. Tomorrow: Election (1999), July 31. The Godfather (1972), Aug. 1. The Conversation (1974), Aug. 2. Apocalypse Now (1979), Aug. 2.
