The first time I watched Barbarian, I went in completely blind. It was such an unexpected treat! On a second watch, the twists and surprises don’t have as much of an impact, but it’s still extremely enjoyable. I even jumped a couple times despite knowing something was coming.

A couple things stood out to me this go-round that I didn’t pay much thought to previously:
1. I love the sound design — it’s not always perfect, but it isn’t shy.
2. Lens choice in certain scenes distorted proportions so much that it became distracting.

Comparing Barbarian to Weapons, the impact of a larger budget and Cregger’s growth is obvious. Weapons is undeniably the tighter film, but Barbarian is more fun and unexpected.

Hooptober 12 | 6 of 31