and in this industry, so unfortunately you cross paths with a lot of AJs,” said Long. But it was also a guy he knew all too well. At first Cregger was looking to cast someone more conventionally alpha and - “you can say it - hunky,” the actor jokes. It wasn’t the kind of character Long (“Galaxy Quest,” “He’s Just Not That Into You”) is often considered for. I wanted them both to pass through the same prism.” “A man who is completely oblivious to the damage that he’s been inflicting on people. “I thought, what’s the opposite of ? A man who has no awareness,” said Cregger. At one point, he added the character of AJ, a Hollywood sitcom actor whose introduction marks one of “Barbarian” surprising shifts. When he got bored, he took wide turns to keep himself amused. The story flew along organically without an outline or intended end, Cregger subverting clichés with his knowledge of horror conventions and crafting a heroine savvier than the average final girl. At first the exercise, like his apples, was just for him, not to submit for anyone else’s approval - “a little scene that would just be spooky, for nobody” - as he challenged himself to write a scenario packed with as many red flags as possible that a man might not notice, but a woman might find unnerving. “It’s a meditative, silly little fun thing for me to do that no one will ever judge.”Īlthough known for his work in comedy, Cregger is a voracious student of horror movies and had always gravitated toward the dark. Video chatting ahead of the film’s release from the same desk where he penned “Barbarian,” he held up a sheet filled with vibrant paintings of apples. The film began as a writing exercise in Cregger’s home laundry room/office, where he works, takes Zoom calls, and has lately been painting colorful studies of fruit to unwind. In theaters today, “Barbarian” is a raucous descent with multiple surprises best left unspoiled - but they do involve a creepy basement and monstrous secrets deep beneath the surface.īest known as an actor and co-founder of the sketch comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know, Cregger expertly orchestrates the fright ride of the season, citing cinematic inspirations from Takashi Miike’s “Audition” to Sam Raimi’s “ Evil Dead 2” and “ Drag Me to Hell.” Yet the chilling tale was sparked by an Oprah-endorsed source - Gavin de Becker‘s nonfiction bestseller “The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence” - which cautions women to heed the micro-red flags from men that they subconsciously clock in day-to-day interactions. with very different results.)Īlas, Tess’ nightmare begins the moment she steps inside, lets her guard down and shares a bottle of wine with the handsome but sketchy Keith (“It” star Bill Skarsgard, minus the Pennywise makeup) in writer-director Zach Cregger’s delightfully twisted foray into horror. What’s a girl to do with a double-booking dilemma, an inviting stranger and nowhere else to go? Will fate swing this arguably alarming meet-cute into classic rom-com territory? (The recent Netflix romance “ Love in the Villa,” coincidentally, shares the same setup. In the new horror film “Barbarian,” Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives at her Airbnb one dark and stormy night only to find a strange man already in the house, claiming to be its rightful renter.
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