Early reactions to ‘Barbarian’ praise it as the most twisted horror film of the year

Barbarian is about to stomp into cinemas and it looks like good news for horror fans as early reactions pour in on social media.

Actor-director Zach Cregger’s first foray into horror is shaping up to be a solid entry to the genre. First shown at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, it’s out at the end of the week and these reactions should give plenty of hope to those searching for spooky season entertainment.

Audiences took to Twitter and compare it to the likes of Evil Dead II: Dead by Daylight, Scream, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez was full of praise for the film, calling it a “rare flick that hits all the right notes” in a tweet, before describing it as “so much fun”. Other viewers described it as being “absolute insanity”, as plenty encouraged people to purchase tickets and watch it in a crowded cinema.

Horror seems to be booming again as original ideas start being pushed forward back into the mainstream. Perhaps a result of franchise fatigue setting on, the likes of Ready or Not, Midsommar, Hereditary, and The Witch seem to be fan favorites over rehashes of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street.

This is a solid start to a spooky season that will also see the release of the potentially franchise-ending film Halloween Ends, and a myriad of originals coming to Netflix and other streaming services.

Barbarian is set for a full cinematic release on Sept. 9. You can read our review here.