Film Review: IFC Midnight’s Barbarians is a Folk Horror Fight Club
Steeped in lore and druidism, Barbarians is a home invasion thriller with a folk horror twist. A very strange albeit wildly engaging genre-bender, the film evokes the likes of Fincher and Peckinpah through its commentary on toxic masculinity and its thought-provoking analyses of societal gender roles.
Ever since I watched Misfits (2009-2011) in college, I’ve had a serious soft spot for Iwan Rheon…or as he’s better known ‘round these parts, “Simon”. It seems his gentle face and soft, kind eyes play in stark contrast to the roles he chooses, which absolutely fascinates me and, oddly enough, draws me right in. While I’ve yet to meet his character on Game of Thrones (2011-2019), I’ve heard his tender façade melts away completely in that role, leading me to believe Rheon is capable of pretty much anything. In fact, his transformative abilities are borderline frightening to me; I mean, my GOD, the man is versatile! So, when I heard about his new horror film Barbarians, I jumped at the chance to see it as soon as I could and, let me tell ya, I’m so glad that I did!
Directed by Charles Dorfman and starring Catalina Sandino Moreno, Tom Cullen, and Inès Spiridonov alongside Simon/Rheon, Barbarians follows two couples battling it out as they experience a birthday “celebration” from the depths of hell. Embodying the dinner party sub-genre at its finest, Birthday Boy Adam (Rheon) and his girlfriend Eva (Moreno) invite Adam’s brother Lucas (Cullen) and his girlfriend Chloe (Spiridonov) over for the special occasion. However, what was intended to be a nice evening with steak and wine doesn’t quite turn out as planned…because, well, Adam and Lucas hate each other’s guts. Ultimately, as the night rolls on making its way into a most grisly evening, the brothers’ already-tense rivalry reaches a boiling point. Adam and Lucas challenge each other through a series of increasingly violent and sophomoric trials until the unexpected company of brutal masked intruders throw into question everything they’ve ever held sacred.
SO, is the film good? Oh yes.
Is it effective? Double yes.
With notes of Kusama’s The Invitation (2015) combined with elements of Aster’s Midsommar (2019) and Lowery’s The Green Knight (2021), the film is nigh unclassifiable. Steeped in lore and druidism, Barbarians is a home invasion thriller with a folk horror twist. A very strange albeit wildly engaging genre-bender, the film evokes the likes of Fincher and Peckinpah through its commentary on toxic masculinity and its thought-provoking analyses of societal gender roles. Turning patriarchal expectations on their heads, Barbarians is a bloody, ferocious, and feminist tour de force. Moreover, with its potentially supernatural underpinnings, I’m not sure I’ve seen such a peculiar amalgamation of sub-genres before. I really enjoyed its offbeat uniqueness.
With that being said, I would caution those sensitive to animal cruelty to shield their eyes before watching this one. The animal violence was…a LOT for me, so please protect your hearts if such subject matter is difficult for you as well. Still, I deeply appreciated this film as a whole and the brilliant ways with which it entered the genre space. The talent both in and behind the screen is legendary and, believe you me, I will be seeing any and all other films Charles Dorfman puts out there. If you can stomach the animal stuff, definitely don’t miss Barbarians.
IFC Midnight’s Barbarians will be available in theaters and on demand on April 1, 2022.
