"Barbarian" Review: An Unexpected Surprise!
If you like films that go in a direction you don’t expect, or subvert their genre, Barbarian is one to see. The film was marketed in a way that doesn’t give away the overall story, but has more to it than meets the eye. It’s a psychological thriller that will keep you questioning what will happen next, even when it admittedly goes a bit off track!
Tess (Georgina Campbell) is checking in to her Air BnB to no avail. A light pops on inside the house and she meets Keith (Bill Skarsgard), who seems to be occupying the space through another rental service. After they both realized they’ve been double booked, they’re tasked with awkwardly trying to figure out how they will do sleeping arrangements for the night. It’s the friend or foe mystery that propels the story forward.
As much as I’d like to give more context, going about as far as the trailers explore is best. Tess does discover an ominous room in the basement. Writer/Director Zach Cregger understands the story he’s telling and where he wants to lead his audience. Visually his framing leads the eye to an object or character, but he blocks his characters in the same frame to hide what we really want to see.
In understanding the rules of the horror genre, Cregger manipulates his audience in fun and entertaining ways. As Barbarian develops, its self-awareness and dark humor makes exploration of the secrets that lie beneath its story interesting to peel back. Somewhat like the way I’ve mentioned the genre(s) this film straddles, if you were paying attention! This is worth a view!
Rating: B
"Doctor Sleep" Review: Don't Overlook This One!
In a world where sequels, reboots, remakes, and a lack of creativity exists, it’s hard to believe that we’re revisiting the Overlook Hotel. There are certain classics we shouldn’t touch. I would have thought The Shining would be one of them, but director Mike Flanagan gives us The Shining meets Inception in an intriguing look at where Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is nearly forty years later in the new movie Doctor Sleep.
After learning how to deal with and master his shine, Danny has decided to dampen it by staying under the influence of the bottle. Drowning his grief to escape being haunted, literally and figuratively, by ghosts of his past, it’s years later that an event causes him to run to a small town and unexpectedly sober up. It’s when he starts to sober up that a connection with a powerful “shiner” named Abra (Kyleigh Curran) is made miles away. Simultaneously, a group of adults who have been living for centuries by finding people who shine and eating off of their life force, feels Abra on their radar and have to have her.
The first act of the film meticulously sets up the foundation for the expansion of its world. Once the film establishes itself, following its lead is a pleasure to watch. Flanagan slowly builds the layers of psychological horror through character development, cinematography, and a controlled camera that knows what to show, for how long, and what not to show.
McGregor brings an everyday man’s sensibility to the role as the reluctant, eventual mentor. Curran has a lot to take on as a child actor. It’s rare that you see a horror film in which the kid involved is not only not afraid of the monster or villain, but has a healthy understanding of the power she possesses and is willing to stand toe to toe with said villain. Curran embodies this balancing act with a rare comprehension of her character that helps make the film work. Which brings us to Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). Ferguson gives her character a tangible quality that is both attractive and terrifying. With a villain this good, it’s hard not to root for her and her band of thieves at times.
Flanagan makes a smart move in giving us the fan service in the final act of the film, rather than throughout it. In fact, he pays homage to many of the iconic frames Kubrick created by not giving us a shot for shot match, but instead finding his own frame in the same space. It’s a clever tip of the hat, that keeps us from making intense comparisons.
Doctor Sleep reminds us that occasionally a sequel can be done right these days. It’s a rich expansion of a world that shows us that sometimes the only way to face your demons is to go through them. I wouldn’t overlook this one!
Rating: B+