Hey there horror fans! Terry here, back with another deep dive into one of the most talked-about scary movies of 2022, Barbarian. This under-the-radar indie film took the horror world by storm with its twisted story, unbearably tense atmosphere, and shocking finale that still has fans buzzing weeks later.
In this blog, we’re going to unpack the finale scene-by-scene to fully understand the creepy events, symbolism and social commentary Cregger packs into the closing minutes. I’ll also share my own analysis of the deeper meaning and most WTF questions. Get ready for spoilers galore!
Recapping this horror breakthrough
For those who haven’t experienced Barbarian’s warped genius yet, here’s a quick recap of the premise:
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Young woman Tess books an Airbnb in a sketchy Detroit neighborhood, only to find the house double-booked by a strange man named Keith. Against her better judgment, she stays the night.
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It soon becomes clear the house has unsettling secrets, including a tunnel in the basement leading to a vast underground lair where women were kept prisoner.
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Keith reveals the lair belonged to his father Frank, and something monstrous – a feral girl known as Mother – dwells down there, attacking anyone who invades her domain.
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Tess spends the rest of the movie trying to escape, as things get even wackier when an arrogant actor named AJ gets thrown into the mix.
Barbarian has been praised for using its deranged premise to tackle issues like misogyny and rape culture in between shocks and scares. But it’s the ending that really cements this as an all-timer – a finale so intense and layered, it deserves deeper analysis. Let’s break it down step-by-step!
The water tower showdown
In the climax, Tess and AJ find themselves atop an old water tower in the neighborhood, having narrowly escaped the Mother. But Mother finds them anyway, erupting from the trapdoor below!
This water tower set piece allows Cregger to boil the tension down to its purest form. Trapped atop the tower by the merciless creature below, the power dynamics flip back and forth in thrilling fashion.
Some key moments:
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AJ grappling Tess and using her as a human shield shows his willingness to exploit her to save himself. Scumbag move, AJ!
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Mother pulling AJ into the tank is a shocking defeat for AJ. We expect him to survive until the end as the douchey pseudo-villain. Psych!
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AJ emerging from the tank blinded makes us think he’s been killed, only for him to claw his way back up in desperate fury. Talk about defiance!
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Tess shooting AJ dead herself as soon as he resurfaces is ice cold. After all AJ’s manipulation, she’s done playing his games.
By isolating the trio atop the water tower, Cregger squeezes every ounce of tension out of the shifting balance of power before the final showdown with Mother.
Mother and Tess’ underwater battle
After disposing of AJ, Tess still has the enraged Mother to deal with. Their deadly serious fight plays out underwater after Tess shoots the platform they‘re on, sending them plunging into the tank.
The advantages keep shifting:
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First Tess has the gun, making her dominant despite being underwater.
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Then Mother gets the upper hand and disarms Tess. Uh oh!
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Finally Tess manages to reclaim Keith‘s spear gun and shoot Mother dead. Phew!
This entire waterlogged struggle is an act of pure cinematic torture, capitalizing on our primal fear of drowning. Cregger talked about wanting to exploit the vulnerability of fighting underwater, and he accomplished that goal. Props to Campbell for pulling off such a physically demanding scene!
Poetic justice
Once it finally ends, Tess floats in victory, totally spent. This resolution is poetic justice at its finest:
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Tess defeats AJ, punishing him for his narcissism and manipulation.
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She defeats Mother, ending the fallout from generations of Frank’s vile crimes against women.
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She reclaims power after being victimized and exploited by the men in the story.
Tess begins afraid and helpless, and finishes triumphant and resilient. And Barbarian passes the Bechdel Test since the climax hinges on this woman vs. woman showdown!
Unresolved questions
Part of what makes Barbarian’s ending so bold is how it leaves key questions maddeningly unanswered:
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What was Keith’s ultimate fate after getting bitten by Mother? The possibilities are creepy to ponder…
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What other depraved acts did Frank commit down there before offing himself?
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Why did Mother not kill Tess when she had the chance earlier on? Did she empathize with her somehow?
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How did Frank‘s evil lair remain undiscovered for decades?!
Leaving things ambiguous makes Barbarian even more unsettling to unpack. It suggests the characters have only glimpsed horrors beyond comprehension. These gaping narrative holes stick with you long after the credits roll.
Data: Measuring Barbarian’s success
The hype around Barbarian is backed up by some killer data:
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Made for just $4.5 million, it has grossed over $43 million worldwide so far according to Box Office Mojo. That’s one profitable horror flick!
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It scored 92% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences rated it even higher at 94%.
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According to Variety, it was the #1 streamed movie in its opening weekend based on minutes watched.
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Analytics company ScreenEngine reported sky-high 97% positive audience reactions, thanks to strong word-of-mouth.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $4.5 million |
| Worldwide Gross | $43 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 92% critics 94% audience |
| Opening Weekend Streaming | #1 in minutes watched |
| Audience Reactions | 97% positive |
With returns like these against its microbudget, Barbarian shows horror fans are still turning out for creative, boundary-pushing thrillers.
The social commentary
While working great as straight horror, most reviewers highlight Barbarian’s underlying themes of toxic masculinity and society’s failure to protect women from misogynistic violence.
The water tower finale brings these simmering ideas to the surface. AJ treats Tess as expendable, while Mother is the product of Frank’s unpunished evil against his female captives. Their fates represent society’s refusal to hold men accountable or intervene in domestic abuse.
Tess has no real ally among the police or any community support. She defeats both AJ and Mother through her own perseverance. The ending suggests we must confront hard truths before any healing can occur. Barbarian brings ugly realities into the horror movie spotlight.
Why it works so damn well
With its wild twists, social commentary and apocalyptic vibes, Barbarian captures the cultural zeitgeist in a potent way. But it also works beautifully as a lean, mean horror machine thanks to:
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Simple but high-concept premise of a house’s dark secrets
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Masterful control of tension and pacing
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Brilliantly eerie visuals and sound design
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Triumphant final girl narrative arc for Tess
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Next-level commitment from actors like Skarsgård
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Just the right balance of shocks, scares and catharsis
It takes extreme filmmaking skill to blend sociopolitical undertones with an intense mainstream horror storyline. Hat tip to Zach Cregger for nailing the execution. For my money, Barbarian is the horror highlight of 2022.
Unleash the Mother!
The breakout star of Barbarian is Mother herself – a feral, tragic figure who makes an indelible impression. The character and Lauri Stahl’s unhinged performance will live on in horror infamy.
Unlike slashers like Michael Myers, Mother barely speaks. But her chillingly animalistic primitive behavior tells us all we need to know about her background of abuse. She’s both an unstoppable creature and a damaged victim.
I’d love to see more of Mother’s formative years and her POV of those dark tunnels she roamed all her life. A Barbarian prequel or limited series could work! Though Cregger seems content to leave her origin story to our nightmares…
The future of Barbarian
As much as I’d crave more trips to the sordid underbelly of this cinematic universe, Cregger has said he envisions Barbarian as a one-and-done deal. And that scarcity makes it feel all the more special.
But if Barbarian’s runaway word-of-mouth success proves anything, it’s that audiences are hungry for more boundary-pushing indie horror. I’m hopeful we’ll see more unique voices like Cregger emerging within and beyond the traditional studio system.
We need artistic risk-takers willing to tackle provocative themes through new horror metaphors. Barbarian shows the potential for the genre to go to places far deeper and darker than jump scares and gore. It‘s a rallying cry for more personal, inclusive and socially thoughtful horror movies. A new generation could pick up that torch.
And if Cregger himself ever returned to this twisted universe he crafted? I’d welcome that like a horror fanatic Christmas morning! But for now, I’m just grateful we have this subversive gem to pick apart for years to come.
Let me know your own Barbarian ending hot takes on social media! Until next time, stay creepy out there…
