Film Review – Barbarians

It takes a considerable amount of patience to remain interested in “Barbarians.” It’s not an especially menacing thriller, with writer/director Charles Dorfman keeping away from violence for the majority of the feature. He’s more interested in mental challenges involving land deals, a dinner party, and all sorts of secrets that won’t stay hidden. It take most of the run time to get anywhere visceral, with most of “Barbarians” dealing with characterization and conversation, which isn’t as riveting as Dorfman assumes it will be. Perhaps there’s something in the more physical conclusion worth waiting for, but escalation isn’t a priority for the production, which aims for a more slow-burn sense of agitation, but even that’s debatable as Dorfman gradually finds his way to an unsatisfying conclusion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com