MovieChat Forums > Barbarian (2022) Discussion > stunned that so many people liked this m...

stunned that so many people liked this movie

posted 2 years ago by sONOMArEturns (1253)
42 replies | jump to latest

all of the characters are beyond stupid and make the dumbest decisions over and over again (justin long tape measuring the basement was funny tho), the plot is all over the place, the random jump cuts are incredibly pretentious and reek of the director screaming "i'm an artiste!", the subplot with the serial killer was nearly entirely pointless, so many loose ends don't wrap up, so many unintentionally hilarious moments, so many logical errors, etc. even the reveal of what the monsters really are wasn't all that clever or interesting. they're inbred, that's it? so why do they have superhuman strength?

my theater was laughing the whole time. really stunned that it has a 92% on RT and people on this very website are calling it "the best horror movie in years". this was a mess. i'm really curious to know why people are raving about it.

[–] yatzo376 (7717) 2 years ago

It’s a fun popcorn horror flick that looks great, and doesn’t take itself seriously

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 2 years ago

"my theater was laughing the whole time."

So was mine. Your theater and mine both enjoyed the movie it seems.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

didn't really seem like it was at intentionally funny times.

stuff like the tape measuring scene was clearly meant to be funny, and it was. but the audience was laughing when the main chick got thrown off the water tower and nearly dies, and when the big tit lady is smashing in that guy's face. seemed like a really dramatic moment to me.

[–] NoEasyBuckets (346) 2 years ago

Wait..you thought the inbred creature trying to breast feed Justin Long was supposed to be a really dramatic moment? When he threw her off the water tower it was funny because it was so unexpected, and he had just told that whole sob story about being a good man and saving her. Of course a lot of it doesn't make logical sense but not everybody feels the need to nitpick everything. I found it to be suspenseful early and then fun/entertaining later.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 2 years ago

lmao exactly. We were roaring at the climax.

[–] whynotwriteme (7720) 2 years ago

There's a big tit lady in this? Maybe it's worth a look.

[–] ribtin (151) 2 years ago

Absolutely. She's super hot too.

[–] DoctorThirteen (13920) 3 months ago

😂

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I thought it did a good job of building suspense and getting to know the characters before things start to happen. The film goes in some interesting and unexpected directions along the way. I enjoyed the performances and felt it was an entertaining and memorable horror film.

[–] Someguy1 (65) 2 years ago

I agree with everything Allaby said!

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

i can agree that the acting was pretty solid, especially from justin long and richard brake, who are both great in about everything. to me, the suspense kinda got cheap after a while. i kinda expected there to be a third set of stairs at the bottom of the dungeon that reveals a SUPER dungeon, and then a fourth set after that reveals a SUPER SUPER dungeon. now that would've been hilarious.

[–] ChipDouglas (1607) 2 years ago

It was intended to be a shocking, entertaining and comedic horror movie. Lots of horror movie tropes were throughout the entire movie were made to feel fresh with modern cinematography and storytelling. Didn't find the director to be incredibly pretentious, but most likely a little self absorbed. People have compared this to X, myself included. I would not recommend watching that since this wasn't your style.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

i actually enjoyed X alot more, though X was not perfect. X was clearly a loving homage to the 70's horror style. this movie just felt like a cliched modern horror movie with random style changes thrown around. what era of film is this trying to pay homage to? it doesn't feel 70's, 80's, or 90's to me at all. it's very 2010's. the only "homages" i could really identify were the terrible cops who ignore the situation (seemed more like bad writing to me), and the gory kill at the very end.

i would honestly compare barbarian much more closely to Tusk. both movies have that same pretentious writing and editing clearly inspired by tarantino, how the film will just jump cut an hour into the movie to new characters we've never seen before. the johnny depp / michael parks comedy routine and the 2-minute genisis rodriguez monologue where she talks into the camera would've both fit perfectly into this movie. not in a good way.

[–] CyberVerm (117) 2 years ago

I respect everyone’s opinion but if you think the serial killer in the past was a “subplot” then you really missed what the film was about.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

not really. you could have easily removed the killer and instead made the movie about a house with a secret dungeon that has inbred humanoids who've never seen daylight before. the descent, but set in a dungeon. instead, we now have a serial killer AND an inbred humanoid fighting for screentime.

[–] CyberVerm (117) 2 years ago

Well, what makes this movie scary is not the superhuman naked lady who loves to force breast feed you, the horrific part of this movie is actually that scene in the past when the guy is out buying diapers, because that stuff happens in real life and sadly it’s a bit too common. It reminded me instantly of the Josef Fritzl case, which is pretty much what that dude in the movie was doing down to the secret room in his house and all.

In my opinion this is why this movie is good, it has a good balance between the funny stuff and gory stuff while actually talking about a very common crime that happens all the time.

But yeah it’s mostly hilarious.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

and that is kinda the major problem of the whole film to me. i agree that the serial killer stuff is very disturbing because it does happen in real life. however, it clashes horribly with the fantasy dungeon (who even built that in suburban detroit???) and the inbred woman with superhuman strength. discovering a secret murder room in your house is scary enough. that's why i maintain that it should've been focused on either/or.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 2 years ago

The serial killer built the dungeon under his house. The inbred woman was his offspring, having kidnapped/raped/impregnated and murdered many, many women over the years. He had many other children that probably died as they were inbred, deformed and insane. The entire story was based on what he did. His backstory explained the entire movie.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

yes, i know. but how can one person build a giant dungeon underneath his house and not have a single person notice??? imagine all the dirt and rock that would've been excavated from that dig. surely he must've been tunneling underneath his neighbors to build it, and it would've taken decades to do it by himself. if he didnt build it, who did?

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 2 years ago

OK, now I understand what you're saying. I assumed that it was originally built as a bomb shelter. People built bomb shelters under their homes in the 50's and 60's, it was very common. Since it showed the backstory and it looked to me like it was during that time, I'm pretty sure it was a bomb shelter that he and maybe one or two other neighbors built. Neighbors moved out, houses never lived in again, and he stayed.

[–] exatera (3953) 2 years ago

No, they mentioned president Reagan on the radio in the backstory, so this was the 80's.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 2 years ago

I just looked it up and you're right, it was supposed to be the 80's. It certainly didn't look like the 80's to me (and I missed the comment about Reagan). It also said that Frank built the tunnels. If he is supposed to have built that huge, elaborate tunnel system under the house in the 80's, sONOMA is absolutely right, it's extremely unrealistic!

[–] exatera (3953) 2 years ago

I would think the tunnels were already there, he just maybe expanded or connected some of them.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 2 years ago

Actually, I just read an interview the director gave where he said Frank built them. It was the same interview where he said it was the 80s. I looked it up after reading your reply 🙂

[–] mel2000 (259) 9 months ago

People built bomb shelters under their homes in the 50's and 60's, it was very common.

Not true. If it were so, you'd see existing homes from that era with bomb shelters. They all have ordinary basements, if any.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 9 months ago

They were common in homes of people that could afford them. I stand corrected 🙂 https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/fallout-shelters-american-homes-36770210

[–] mel2000 (259) 9 months ago

The bomb shelters described in that link were just ordinary basements with disaster preparations added. They still weren't common. And they were nothing like the labyrinthine tunnels depicted in the movie.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 9 months ago

Yeah, I said I stand corrected, trying to be nice about it. I don't think you understand what that means. I was replying to your response to me about people commonly building bomb shelters in their basements. That link was very appropriate as it explained it was usually only wealthy people who built bomb shelters. Nothing more, nothing less.

[–] jcnyclv (1557) 2 years ago

Just found out that Frank was supposed to have built this tunnel system in the 80's. You're right - completely unrealistic!!

[–] exatera (3953) 2 years ago

Another thing that was frankly horrifying to me was the police conduct.

That was uncomfortably realistic.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 2 years ago

it just seemed like shitty writing to me. and i hate cops as much as the next guy.

[–] exatera (3953) 2 years ago

The humor was actually very much intentional.

[–] pelosfx (140) 2 years ago

Same here. I’m perplexed this film got such high ratings.

[–] fzane (1105) 2 years ago

maybe there's something wrong with me, but i really liked it. it was hilarious, freaky, and fun!