BARBARIAN

2022 horror film written and directed by Zach Cregger.  Upon arriving in Detroit in the dead of night, a young researcher Tess (Georgina Campbell) finds that her Airbnb is double-booked, and occupied by an awkward young man Keith (Bill Skarsgård).  He convinces her to stay overnight with him so she can attend the job interview that she is in town for... but can Keith be trusted?  Is this neighbourhood safe?  And is the house all it seems? Less concerned with jump scares than most modern horrors, this effective film ramps up the tension to a point that has you urging to look away from the screen. It has a level of intensity that calls to mind classic noughties horrors such as The Descent, [REC] and Martyrs. Anna Drubich's score also helps to add to the audience's feeling of oncoming fear and dread. Great central performances particularly from Campbell really sell the terror. The locations and set designs are eerily wonderful. Cregger's script sometimes plays to genre expectations but also often subverts them, and its structure skillfully weaves a handful of narratives that build toward a cohesive and satisfying finale.  After a year that has brought us horror hits like X, Men and The Black Phone - as well as franchise prequels Prey and Orphan: First Kill - it feels like the best has been saved till last.