31 Days of Halloween: Barbarian

2022, Zach Cregger (The Whitest Kids U'Know) -- Disney

OK, we need more like this one. Scary, compelling, well constructed and good acting. And apparently, part of this year's theme of tunnels / digestive tracts. OK, maybe I am stretching on that latter bit, but still... tunnels.

There is going to be more AirBnB featured horror in the coming years, just as chat rooms and cams became prevalent in the last few. The idea of being invited into someone's home, trusting the landlord to have been background checked well enough to preclude them being a serial killer. The fact that this one is in one of the more than desolate areas of abandoned Detroit just adds to the horror. 

Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell, Krypton) is in town to do an interview for a research job with a film maker. As she arrives, it is pouring and the key box is empty. She cannot reach the host, but just as she is about to leave and seek shelter elsewhere, a light comes on. Someone is already inside. Keith (Bill Skarsgård, It) answers the door. He also accepted a booking via a competitor to AirBnB. He has already settled in. But he sees the situation developing and invites Tess in to either stay, or further investigate finding another place. He also mentions there is a convention in town, trope lingo for "no room at the Inn".

The first night is tense, but cools off when she gets to know Keith. He is not, despite being Bill Skarsgård, a creep. In fact, he is a minor celebrity connected to the next documentary by the film maker that Tess will be interviewing with. They drink wine, they connect. She gets the bed, he gets the sofa but she is awakened by noises. Someone else is creeping around the house, but its not Keith as he is asleep, wrapped up in his own night terrors. But they survive the night, and she goes to her interview. It goes well. Things are going well for her.

When she returns, Keith is not to be found. Circumstances lead her to a secret tunnel in the basement, that leads to a room with a stained bed and a video camera. Ruh Roh. Before she can just "not go into the basement", she gets trapped by a door with an inconvenient lock. After a bit of panic, Keith shows at the basement window and helps her out. Instead of the two just running away and calling the police ("officer, I would like to report a creepy room."), Keith decides to investigate. He doesn't come back. Instead of HER running away and calling the police, she decides to investigate. Past the creepy stained bed & video cam, there is an even creepier stairwell leading into rough cut tunnels, rusty cages and ... Keith. But before she can be shushed by Keith, he is attacked by ... something.

Act 2.

AJ (Justin Long, House of Darkness) is a happy LA actor, driving in his happy convertible, singing a happy song. Then he gets the unhappy phone call. He is getting cancelled, both colloquially and literally, as the pilot for his new show is killed. Because he sexually assaulted a costar. Being cancelled for criminal behaviour is expensive so AJ has to liquidate some property, and guess what happens to be the property he owns in Detroit, which is on AirBnB ?

AJ shows up at the house not long after the above two go missing. Cuz, yeah, they have gone missing. He doesn't seem to be aware that his place is on multiple short term rental sites, and is kind of pissed someone has been sleeping in his bed, eating his porridge, etc. By this time, we don't really like AJ and are just waiting for him to find the basement. Which he does. And he quickly meets the ... something.

Detailed recap fades but the movie does continue. So yeah, this is a tense, well put together, utterly fucking creepy movie with some familiar tropes. I do like horror that is trope laden but does a good job with the tropes. The tunnels, and here we are again with tunnels, are deep beneath the house, all twisty and turny, with creepy lighting, and creepy videos about child rearing on VHS tapes. And there are cages, and holes in the ground. And a still alive Tess, who has to work with fucking a-hole AJ to escape from the ... something. There is a brilliant, but almost more horrifying scene where Tess, who has actually escaped, tries to convince the police about the creepy room, and the creeper tunnels and the something in the tunnels, and AJ being still down there. But they just see a filthy looking black woman in an abandoned section of Detroit, and ... well, just leave her behind. So Tess has to muster some empathy for asshole AJ and head back down to rescue him. It doesn't go well; oh, not as you would expect from that statement, but still not well, for Tess or AJ. We actually get a full Act 3.

I thoroughly enjoyed this flick. Social commentary, unexpected turns, expected turns well executed, etc. Hopefully Cregger will be around for this time next year.

P.S. Is Justin Long going to be type-cast from now on? Are people still annoyed with him being the facetious Apple Guy and just assume he is also an asshole in real life? Has he or will he be cancelled IRL ? News at 11.