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Writer and director Zack Kriegers barbaric is a twisted delight, a low-budget monster movie tucked inside a prestige horror movie. He slips satirical commentary on modern dating culture, sexual assault, and the Me Too movement in a white creature feature.
Part of the film’s success was a marketing campaign that hid its delicious secrets, allowing moviegoers the thrill of discovery. If you haven’t seen barbaricDo yourself a favor and check it out before reading any further. If you’re already a fan, enjoy this guide to the film’s talented cast and the characters they inhabit.
Georgina Campbell as Tess Marshall
Tess Marshall, the film’s heroine, is interviewing in Detroit for a research position with a documentary filmmaker. The hotels are fully booked, so I rent an Airbnb in Brightmoor, unaware of the neighborhood’s notoriety. When I arrived, I learned that a man named Keith had double booked in the rental.
Tess is an intelligent and resourceful woman who recently ended a relationship with a man who wouldn’t stop texting her. She’s guarded yet nosy, the kind of person who wouldn’t know to drink a cup of tea Keith prepares for her but spends the evening joking around with him anyway. When things get crazy, Tess proves to be very resourceful, fighting for her life and emerging victorious in the end.
Tess is played by Georgina Campbellan English actress, best known in the United States for her role in black mirror episode “Hang Up the DJ”. She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC programme He was killed by my friend. Her first post-barbaric His role will be in the Netflix sequel Bird boxtitled Birdbox Barcelonapremiere in July.
Bill Skarsgard as Keith Tuchko
Keith Toshko is the man who occupied the Airbnb when Tess arrived. It looks totally cute and cozy, but given the genre of the movie (and the actor playing the role), you wouldn’t be wrong to watch it with suspicion. Despite the tension that Krieger injects into the first scenes, Keith turns out to be just a nice guy who watches documentaries, works with an artist group, and reads. Jane Eyre.
His chemistry with Tess is so good that you have to wonder about the alternate universe where this movie is a romantic comedy and not a horror flick. If Keith has a fatal flaw, it’s that he doesn’t trust Tess’ judgment when she stumbles into a creepy basement corridor. He has to check it out for himself, with disastrous consequences.
I played Keith before Bill SkarsgardSon of Stellan and brother of Alexander (and six other siblings, including two other actors). Among his many film and television roles, he most memorably portrayed Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Monday He. She films. The role boosted his intimidating goodwill so much that it made him the perfect choice for the role in barbaric.
Justin Long as AJ Gilbride
about 45 minutes in barbaric, the movie is going in a whole new direction. The dark thrills of an ominous Airbnb give way to sunny California, as actor AJ Gilbride leads in his convertible vocals alongside Donovan Rikki-tikki-tavi.
AJ is not a good person. His drive is interrupted by a phone call from his management informing him that he has been accused of rape by a co-star. The allegations force him to close ranks and liquidate his assets, which include rental properties outside of Detroit.
AJ heads to an Airbnb and comes across the secret dungeon from the first chapter. His first instinct is to measure the area in square feet. He ends up in captivity and, at every turn, makes the most selfish choice available. Even after a moment of self-reflection hinting at his own redemption, he returns to form by sacrificing Tess to save his own skin.
Justin Long Casting is another stroke of genius by Krieger. Like Skarsgård, Long plays charge against type. The comedian, and ex-boyfriend of Drew Barrymore, has played nice guys in movies like dodgeballAnd Live free or die hardAnd Galaxy Quest. He is also the voice of Alvin V.I Alvin and the Chipmunks films.
Richard Brake as Frank
barbaric He has a number of villains, including AJ Gilbride and a monster who will be named later, but the most terrifying of them all is Frank, the original owner of the Airbnb. In flashbacks, we see Frank disguise himself as a repairman to kidnap and enslave a woman. It turned out to be his favorite pastime, and the basement dungeon was the scene of dozens of similar kidnappings. Even worse, Frank fathered children with his victims, and those children were victims of his predatory behavior as well.
I played Frank Richard Brakethe “that guy” actor who played villains in movies like deathAnd cool mountainAnd Batman beginsAnd Kingsman: The Secret Serviceand Rob Zombie’s Halloween II.
Matthew Patrick Davis as “Mother”
the mom barbaricHer Beast, a super-powered woman, is physically deformed and appears to be the product of generations of inbreeding. She lives in a dungeon under an Airbnb and captures human prey to raise as her own children. The only person the mother fears is Frank, her father/grandfather/abuser.
The mother kills Keith for her resistance but keeps Tess in a cage to feed and raise her. AJ ends up in this cage too but he fights off the evil milk bottle and ends up in a much less appetizing position. Despite the mother’s violent tendencies, she has a soft spot for Tess that leads her to save Tess’ life during the film’s climax.
The role of the mother, under many layers of prosthetics, is played by a 6′ 8″ musician/actor Matthew Patrick Davis. This is Davis’ first major role, but he’s had suspenseful parts in a slew of TV shows.
