Film Review – Barbarian

2009’s “Miss March” was the last time Zach Cregger directed a feature film (sharing duties with Trevor Moore). It was one of the worst movies of the year, quickly forgotten by the public, which is likely why it’s taken him so long to make another picture. However, instead of returning to slapstick comedy, Cregger goes solo with “Barbarian,” which tries to make something happen in the world of horror. The writing has a little more on its mind than simple scares, trying to untangle the ways of predatory men and problematic choices, using the menace of subterranean terror to connect the dots on some type of gender commentary. Cregger has a stunning opening 45 minutes, offering a smooth communication of his ideas and wonderful suspense involving a disturbing situation of exploration. And then it all falls apart in a way that’s more shocking than the material’s eventual reveal of evil, with Cregger trying to be clever and surprising while he quickly loses command of his unsatisfying endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com