In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca discuss writer and director Zach Cregger's unexpected (and unexpectedly funny) 2022 horror film Barbarian. 

Episode Highlights: We talk about some of the behind-the-scenes decisions that had a profound impact on the final version of the film (including the original casting choice for Justin Long's character). Drawing deep from that one art appreciation class she took years ago, Katie describes the film as a triptych, with each of its three acts serving as distinct yet connected components. Toni shares some fascinating tidbits about the inspiration for this film's cinematography and how it impacts (consciously or subconsciously) the ways we see the "above" and "below" of this film. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, we revel in the film's ability to blend together--in unexpected but delightful ways--horror and comedy. 

A Dose of Scholarship: Since this is a new film, there isn't much scholarship (yet!) on this film, but we explore some of the existing thought pieces on Barbarian...including Sam Adam's Slate piece "Barbarian Is the Smartest, Funniest Horror Movie in Ages."  

This podcast episode first aired on March 10, 2023.

Thank you to our editor Jackson O'Brien who ensures that we sound better...literally and figuratively. 

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