EMalloryHardgrave

The first half of Barbarians does exactly what it should: it hooks you. The setup works, the tension builds at a good pace, and the characters feel engaging enough that you want to see where things go. I thought the opening stretch was strong, and the cast carried it well. In fact, the movie works best if you think of it less as a straight horror film and more as a study in tension and atmosphere-the awkward dynamics and slow unease are where it really shines.

Unfortunately, the second half doesn't hold up. Once the reveals start coming, the film leans on familiar horror tropes I've seen many times before. It's disappointing, because the story begins with real promise and the performances are solid, but the later twists don't add much that feels fresh.

Overall, if you stumble across it on a streaming service and you're a fan of horror, it's worth a casual watch. For me, the movie as a whole lands at about 5.5/10-with the first half feeling like a 7 or 8, and the back half dropping closer to a 4 or 5.r 5.

This was made as a pilot for a new TV show, so it's not structured like a feature film. It just sort of lays out questions and then ends with zero resolution. If that's going to frustrate you, don't watch it. Apparently they released the pilot on Netflix in 2015, and they were in talks to make the series in 2016. But there's been no further development since 2016, so we are left to assume the project is dead. It's a shame because it's an interesting premise, reminds of of the series Sliders. I would have liked to watch the series had they made it.

I thought this was one of the best M. Night Shyamalan films in a long time, but it's not an M. Night Shyamalan film. He produced it, but this movie was written and directed by Celine Held and Logan George. They did an excellent job. I think people should watch this without knowing the premise, which, thanks to the first review I read, is what I did. I actually stopped reading reviews and just watched the movie without knowing anything about it, and I'm glad I did.

If by chance you somehow read this review and still know nothing about the movie, I suggest you stop now and watch it. I will not spoil anything. All I'll say is it was one of the best movies I've seen in quite a while.