Barbarian

Barbarian starts from the ordinary fear of a bad rental and keeps changing shape, which is why it stands out in modern horror. By our assessment, its strongest move is the way it keeps pulling the viewer away from the expected track and into uglier, stranger territory. The downside is that the film depends on surprise and on letting you stay off balance, so some of its power is tied to first-time viewing. In practice it feels messy in a controlled way, with jumps in tone that can be exciting if you like not knowing where the floor is. Compared with more formulaic horror, Barbarian is less tidy and more mischievous, and that is what makes it memorable. It is for people who want a horror movie that keeps refusing to behave like one neat machine.