I can't believe I have to write this review but after reading a vast amount of these, I can't not because y'all are so ridiculously blind to give this film such bad reviews.
First off, in response to those who keep stating Tess makes dumb decisions, from the trivia: '(Cregger wrote and adapted a short that) consisted entirely of a conversation in which a woman continues to ignore a series of mounting red flags.' Let me just say this - She is a woman. She is a woman of colour. She is a woman of colour who just got out of an abusive relationship. She is a woman of colour who just got out of an abusive relationship in an unfamiliar area and situation. She is on guard. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. All of her actions are actually understandable when you consider the history of her character and the history of women in general, if you can look outside your privilege and recognise that panic makes us do dumb things in the moment that don't make sense.
She doesn't drink anything he makes for her; she takes a photo of his licence (presumably for later evidence, or to send to a friend for safety purposes); she is wary of every single thing he says but stays polite and goes against her better judgement multiple times because that's what women have been taught to do.
Opinions like those expressed in other reviews are literally the reason why incels exist; patriarchy put both men and women in these boxes, you don't like us in them and you sure hell don't like it when we break out of them.
As to why the homeless man stays and doesn't trust cops - he's Black, homeless and I'm guessing doesn't have a lot of choices. Better the devil you know, y'know?
The tunnels and the probably spring-loaded, self closing door - obviously Frank built them.
The neighbourhood - y'all were okay with IT, where the entire town knew something was going on but did nothing? You understand 'don't ask, don't tell' in terms of military but don't understand people keeping themselves to themselves for fear of subjecting themselves to something worse by getting involved?
Why she goes back for AJ - because she doesn't know what we know (that he's just about the worst person ever), because she's human and sees another human in danger, because society has cast women as nurturers, even if it cost them their safety and sanity.
Missing women and man without wife or baby buying baby supplies - first of all, do you know how many people go missing and no one notices? Particularly those of Indigenous decent but just in general, it's a lot. When they were searching for Gabby Petito, they found like seven flipping bodies that no one was even looking for. Frank could've gone to other towns, man, that's just painfully obvious.
A convention filling up the hotels - I had a mate who landed in the UK years ago only to find the entirety of the accommodation was booked out for a U2 concert and he spent the night wandering around with his back pack.
Everyone seems to take issue with Tess' behaviour, but barely anyone has mentioned AJ's. That he just keeps measuring when he finds the bucket-bed-camera room, because he DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE DANGER INHERENT IN THAT SET UP, such as a woman would immediately. This also true of Keith, who has to SEE the room to apparently know it's bad news. The fact that AJ drops not one, but TWO potentially life saving weapons. You're fine with him shooting the wrong person in a moment of panic, but not fine with the decisions Tess makes in an anxiety-inducing and seemingly never-ending situation. I love how many people think that they'd behave in a perfectly rational manner in times of great stress, it's amazing.
Anything else? Oh, why is it called Barbarian? Again, from the trivia: 'The term "barbarian" originated in Ancient Rome. Romans would call non-Latin speakers "barbarians" because their languages sounded like "bar bar bar bar" to their ears which is similar to the vocalizations of the mother when trying to say "baby". The other more obvious reference is Frank kidnapping and raping women and their offspring being objectively barbaric. Also, Frank is, quite simply, a resident of Barbary Street, ie. 'a Barbarian'.' Enough, y'all. Check your privilege and appreciate this movie for what it is - an intelligent, thoughtful look at the complexities of men and women and what trauma does to a person.
First off, in response to those who keep stating Tess makes dumb decisions, from the trivia: '(Cregger wrote and adapted a short that) consisted entirely of a conversation in which a woman continues to ignore a series of mounting red flags.' Let me just say this - She is a woman. She is a woman of colour. She is a woman of colour who just got out of an abusive relationship. She is a woman of colour who just got out of an abusive relationship in an unfamiliar area and situation. She is on guard. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. All of her actions are actually understandable when you consider the history of her character and the history of women in general, if you can look outside your privilege and recognise that panic makes us do dumb things in the moment that don't make sense.
She doesn't drink anything he makes for her; she takes a photo of his licence (presumably for later evidence, or to send to a friend for safety purposes); she is wary of every single thing he says but stays polite and goes against her better judgement multiple times because that's what women have been taught to do.
Opinions like those expressed in other reviews are literally the reason why incels exist; patriarchy put both men and women in these boxes, you don't like us in them and you sure hell don't like it when we break out of them.
As to why the homeless man stays and doesn't trust cops - he's Black, homeless and I'm guessing doesn't have a lot of choices. Better the devil you know, y'know?
The tunnels and the probably spring-loaded, self closing door - obviously Frank built them.
The neighbourhood - y'all were okay with IT, where the entire town knew something was going on but did nothing? You understand 'don't ask, don't tell' in terms of military but don't understand people keeping themselves to themselves for fear of subjecting themselves to something worse by getting involved?
Why she goes back for AJ - because she doesn't know what we know (that he's just about the worst person ever), because she's human and sees another human in danger, because society has cast women as nurturers, even if it cost them their safety and sanity.
Missing women and man without wife or baby buying baby supplies - first of all, do you know how many people go missing and no one notices? Particularly those of Indigenous decent but just in general, it's a lot. When they were searching for Gabby Petito, they found like seven flipping bodies that no one was even looking for. Frank could've gone to other towns, man, that's just painfully obvious.
A convention filling up the hotels - I had a mate who landed in the UK years ago only to find the entirety of the accommodation was booked out for a U2 concert and he spent the night wandering around with his back pack.
Everyone seems to take issue with Tess' behaviour, but barely anyone has mentioned AJ's. That he just keeps measuring when he finds the bucket-bed-camera room, because he DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE DANGER INHERENT IN THAT SET UP, such as a woman would immediately. This also true of Keith, who has to SEE the room to apparently know it's bad news. The fact that AJ drops not one, but TWO potentially life saving weapons. You're fine with him shooting the wrong person in a moment of panic, but not fine with the decisions Tess makes in an anxiety-inducing and seemingly never-ending situation. I love how many people think that they'd behave in a perfectly rational manner in times of great stress, it's amazing.
Anything else? Oh, why is it called Barbarian? Again, from the trivia: 'The term "barbarian" originated in Ancient Rome. Romans would call non-Latin speakers "barbarians" because their languages sounded like "bar bar bar bar" to their ears which is similar to the vocalizations of the mother when trying to say "baby". The other more obvious reference is Frank kidnapping and raping women and their offspring being objectively barbaric. Also, Frank is, quite simply, a resident of Barbary Street, ie. 'a Barbarian'.' Enough, y'all. Check your privilege and appreciate this movie for what it is - an intelligent, thoughtful look at the complexities of men and women and what trauma does to a person.
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