Barbarians (2021) Review

There is something about a movie set over a dinner party that just screams ‘shit is about to go down’. From director Charles Dorfman, tense thriller ‘Barbarians’ sees a group of friends come together for a birthday celebration that doesn’t quite go to plan.

Whilst it may seem like a relatively predictable plot on the face of it, the film lulls you into a false sense of security before taking a sharp veer into the unexpected. Though the dinner party deescalates as you may anticipate, the underlying threat comes from an unexpected direction.

Barbarians is driven by the flawed but realistic characters. The majority of the narrative focuses on the small cast of four, with powerful performances delivered by all – particularly the warring males Adam (Iwan Rheon) and Lucas (Tom Cullen).

Tensions rise as the air of toxic masculinity results in secrets divulged and catastrophic events causing arguments.

So much about the film just works well, and a lot of that is down to the disarmingly powerful performances – particularly from leading men Tom Cullen and Iwan Rheon. The toxic masculinity and culture of competition bubbles away under the surface. Masculinity and violence are intertwined.

This film will have you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you know what’s coming, you will be blindsided. It’s a strong directorial debut from producer Charles Dorfman and one that will leave audiences wanting more from him.

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