Bill Skarsgard has proven himself to be an extremely versatile actor with a variety of roles in every genre from action to comedy. Nevertheless, he has established himself as one of the leading horror actors of our time. Full bad boy enjoyment in Hemlock GroveSkarsgård finally began to gain recognition for his less noble roles, especially when he mysteriously appeared on the set of a Stephen King Adjustment, Castle Rock. He became a household name when he took on the huge challenge of playing one of horror’s most famous villains, Pennywise in the two It films. His latest role, The Crowsees him play another dark and complicated character (but not one who likes to bite children’s arms off in a sewer). His perfectly creepy villain status gave director Zach Cregger a brilliant opportunity for his horror film 2022, Barbar. Although Skarsgård plays a small role alongside the underrated scream queen at the beginning Georgina CampbellHis character contributes significantly to the twisted and horrific tone of the film.

Barbar

Release date

9 September 2022

director

Zach Cregger

Duration

102

Who does Bill Skarsgård play in “Barbarian”?

Barbar is set on a rainy night where a woman is driving in the dark, looking for the house she booked through Airbnb. Campbell’s Tess finally arrives at her destination, but finds that the key is not in the lockbox as the Airbnb host promised. Unable to reach the host by phone, she waits in her car, unsure of what to do now, until a light turns on in the house. She returns to the porch and knocks on the door, ready to confront whoever answers, and comes face to face with Keith (Skarsgård). After some cautious back-and-forth and showing receipts, You finally confirm that the host accidentally booked the house twicebecause it is advertised on two different websites.

Of course, Tess’ protective instinct is at full speed, but with the shady neighborhood and the storm outside, She accepts Keith’s offer to share the place. Keith is a gentleman and happily takes the couch, while also agreeing to wash the sheets for her. In the meantime, the two tentatively get to know each other and hit it off romantically. They eventually say goodnight to each other when the sheets are dry. During the night, Tess notices that the door to her bedroom has been opened and cautiously goes into the hallway to confront Keith about it, but he wakes up dazed and completely baffled by her accusation.

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The next day, Tess attends a job interview where she learns that the area she lives in is just as shady as she thought. When she returns to the Airbnb, she is followed by a stranger but manages to get in in time. She also ventures into the basement and discovers creepy things there, only to be locked in by a broken door. Keith saves her but doesn’t believe what she saw, so she decides to investigate herself. When he calls her there but disappears, we’re sure he’s about to jump out and do her some harm. However, Barbar subverts our expectations as Keith is the first character in the film to die.

Bill Skarsgård and Georgina Campbell deliver exciting performances at the opening of “Barbarian”

This first night masterfully presents the creepy and twisted premise of Barbarand it depends on Skarsgård’s ability to walk the line between innocent and disturbing. His reputation as a villain is limited: when we first see Skarsgård opening the door with a sluggish, confused expression on his face, we are instinctively suspicious. But Skarsgård underlines this by giving Keith’s casual demeanor a kind of performative aspect this makes us suspicious. When Tess demands that certain measures be taken for her safety, such as showing the Airbnb receipt or refusing the tea that Keith makes, Keith’s reaction is overly casual. He does everything to make her feel comfortable, almost as if he is putting on a show to demonstrate how normal and safe he is. Ironically, this makes us even more suspicious of him.

We are also able to view the bizarre situation from Tess’ perspective, whose uncertain and cautious portrayal embodies every woman’s fears. The two politely tiptoe around each other in a strange dance of Tess masters her precarious situation and Keith follows her precautions. Keith’s knowledge of her concerns makes him even more unsettled, especially with his comments that directly address those concerns, such as how he wouldn’t accept tea or wine from a stranger either. Skarsgård and Campbell slowly replace their strained chemistry with a more romantic one, even leading to a frank conversation about women’s safety. It almost seems as if the film is suggesting, by metaphor, that Keith will eventually threaten Tess’ safety.It just seems too good to be true.

“Barbarian” pits Keith and Tess against each other

The way this night is filmed also raises our suspicions about Keith, because Barbarians The opening is set up like any other horror film, where the victim meets the killer for the first time. During the night, the background music is reduced, Only the heavy rain outside fills the silence between the voices of the two characters.. They speak in hushed tones, while polite jargon and caution constantly overlay their conversation. This doesn’t necessarily help build tension, but keeps it at a steady, fluctuating level that slowly wears on our nerves. It feels like one wrong word or one wrong breath could disrupt the bond they’re desperately but carefully trying to build. Tess needs that bond to feel safe, while Keith tries everything to show Tess he means no harm.

Visually even The placement of the title scene supports our expectations of who the title villain is. As Keith invites Tess in, the camera angles at her from the side, pans across as she steps over the threshold of the house, and transitions into the title scene, which is accompanied by the haunting sound of muffled wailing. Barbar makes viewers easily believe that this fateful meeting seals Tess’ fate, and it does – just not in the way we expectedThe two characters do not even appear together in the same shot until they sit at the dinner table. We only get shots focused on a character’s face alone, or over-the-shoulder shots during a conversation. As they begin to exchange ideas about their jobs, the camera catches them both on opposite sides of the table – even when they appear together in one frame, it subliminally sets the characters against each other. Both visually and aurally, the first night is meant to evoke an air of deception and caution, making their tentative friendship or romance later seem insincere, at least on Keith’s part.

“Barbarian” exploits Skarsgård’s reputation as a villain

When Tess begins to fall in love with Keith, we’re inclined to scream at her to get better, especially when he calls out to her in the basement. The film revels in our suspicious reaction and exploits it until the very last moment, when Keith is brutally dragged into the darkness and our expectations are thoroughly upended. Barbarians Skarsgård’s choice of cast is the solid foundation that allows him to manipulate the audienceas it effortlessly uses its reputation against us, backing it up with convincing performances and a nerve-wracking atmosphere. It initially fulfills all of our expectations of a horror film and builds up the premiere in such a way that it lulls us into knowing complacency, feeling like we’ve already seen the whole movie through. Barbar becomes the perfect example of manipulating audience expectations by not only exploiting our knowledge of genre conventions, but also using Skarsgård beyond his acting abilities. The masterfully staged premiere also establishes the film’s unpredictable and merciless tone, strapping us in for a thrilling ride as Skarsgård’s usually villainous face is dragged away screaming.

Barbar can be rented in the US on Apple TV+

Rent on Apple TV+