There are a lot of elements that contribute to "Barbarian" being one of the most genuinely shocking horror films of the decade so far. Director Zach Cregger, former member of the sketch comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U'Know, made an unexpected and indelible mark on genre cinema, seemingly out of nowhere, dropping this A+ example of midnighter genre cinema that springboarded him into making "Weapons," one of the most talked-about movies of 2025 .

The ghoulish magic of "Barbarian" is how it concocts a mixture that stands entirely on its own out of a clear-as-day set of influences. It's a movie that will make you think of the greatest subterranean horror films you've ever seen, and the craziest hagsploitation movies, and those movies with that elusive, perfect blend of laughs and scares,

See Full Page