Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the filmBarbarian.Continue at your own risk.
About a third of the way throughBarbarian,the new horror film cuts from a scream-inducing sequence in which the protagonist sees the monster for the first time to a man, AJ Gilbride, (Justin Long) cruising down a sunny California highway in a red convertible. It’s a transition so intentionally jarring it warrants laughter, forcing every viewer to exhale the giant gasp of breath they’ve been holding from the nightmarish sequence prior. AJ takes a call from his agents, and we learn he’s a Hollywood actor who has just been accused of rape by his costar. As his agents try to prep him for the headlines and lawsuits to come, it becomes clear that writer-directorZach Creggerhas something achingly timely to say with this terrifically bonkers tale. As the twists and turns of the story unravel, Cregger’s unflinchingly bold entry into the feminist horror canon reveals that the real monsters take the form of the misogynistic, abusive men who walk among us.
Before we meet AJ, we meet Tess (Georgina Campbell), a young woman who arrives at an Airbnb for a job interview only to find a mysterious man Keith, (Bill Skarsgård) already staying at the home. Concluding the property has been double booked, Keith offers they share it for the night. Understandably, she’s highly reluctant to share an Airbnb with a male stranger, and thanks to Skarsgård’s propensity to play creepy characters, we’re inclined to believe he means no good. It’s unbearably tense and nerve-wracking as Tess weighs her options in a nightmare scenario for any woman traveling alone. Eventually, Keith wins her over with his awkward charm, and it turns out he’s actually a good guy. Despite this, his reluctance to believe Tess when she discovers a hidden corridor in the basement is what incites the terror that ensues. He wants to investigate it for himself, leading Tess to follow behind him and become trapped in the corridor by The Mother (Matthew Patrick Davis), who brutally murders Keith.
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Who is The Mother?
The Mother is the monster who lives in the basement, and her terrifying appearance is the source of much of the film’s scares. As the film progresses, flashbacks reveal the origin of The Mother and the house she lives beneath. She is the product of decades of incest and rape at the hands of an evil man named Frank (Richard Brake), who decided to build a massive lair under his home to keep his atrocious activities hidden. Frank stalked his female victims and found his way into their homes to kidnap them by dressing up as a utility worker. The flashbacks reveal the chilling irony in Frank’s seemingly normal existence. His home is charming and as normal-looking as it gets, yet darkness and pure evil lie within its cheery yellow exterior. His ability to commit these atrocious crimes while living freely for so long is a painful yet truthful depiction of just how easily men can move about the world while committing violent acts behind closed doors. While Tess is now trapped in the basement, The Mother is also trapped in the underground lair Frank has created.
The monster is called The Mother because of her desire to have children. In holding Tess captive, she tries to raise her as if she was a newborn baby. Several moments of comedy come from the juxtaposition of this terrifying woman earnestly trying to mother Tess and AJ. When AJ becomes trapped as well, Tess urges him to drink from The Mother’s milk bottle to appease her, but he stubbornly refuses. The Mother drags him to her bedroom, where she tries to breastfeed him and boops his nose, to AJ’s utter horror. These comedic moments reveal the true humanity of The Mother. She is a victim of horrific abuse, afraid of her father, and only wants to have children to care for. While she is the film’s obvious source of visual terror, she is far from a monster, and the true source of evil is the man that created her from decades of incest and rape.
But Who Are the True Monsters?
Frank is not the only monster, however. AJ becomes trapped with Tess after flying to Detroit to liquidate his property there and secure extra income for his hefty legal fees. His reaction to discovering the basement’s hidden chambers marks a hilariously stark contrast to Tess’s discovery of it. While she rightfully trod with caution and terror through the dark passageways, AJ marches through the tunnels fearlessly with unabashed confidence. He yells and threatens whoever is down there to reveal themselves as if he’s invincible, and he measures each new room with wicked glee, ecstatic that the extra space can increase the house’s value. Justin Long brings charisma and kooky charm to the character, illuminating how abusive men can so often disguise themselves as the good guy or a reformed man. While men like AJ storm into every room as if they own it, women must navigate these same spaces with caution and vigilance to protect themselves.
In a hilariously superficial monologue, AJ proclaims he wants to save Tess as a stepping stone in his path to redemption for his prior actions. Moments later, he tries to sacrifice her to save himself. After being chased up a water tower by The Mother, AJ grabs Tess by the hair and pushes her off the tower, offering her up to The Mother as bait. The Mother manages to save Tess and exacts gory revenge on AJ, gouging his eyes out for trying to harm her child. AJ’s false, comical attempt at a redemption arc proves to be a sham, begging the question if monstrous men can ever truly change, or if it’s all just an act of pretending for the sake of image rehabilitation. In the film’s final moments, The Mother urges Tess to come back to the house with her, tenderly touching her face. Tess refuses, and The Mother understands, saying goodbye and kissing her forehead. It’s a strikingly poignant moment that evokes genuine sympathy for The Mother and the tragic life she’s endured at the hands of Frank.
While all the male characters are brutally killed, Tess is the final girl. She ultimately survives because she’s the only one willing to empathize with The Mother and understand that her intentions are, essentially, harmless. Despite her monstrous appearance, The Mother is not the true monster. She is merely a victim of the real bad guys: the abusive, misogynistic men who can easily disguise themselves as good. WithBarbarian,Zach Cregger offers a biting and achingly relevant condemnation of the monsters that are hiding in plain sight.
