Hollywood seems to have a new darling in director Zach Cregger, who is slowly emerging as a virtuoso in the realm of mystery and horror. He’s a bit like a mad scientist behind the camera, concocting dark delights for the silver screen. His film, “Barbarian,” has been met with great applause, setting the stage for Cregger to showcase his undeniable knack for storytelling. One might say he’s quite the modern-day Alfred Hitchcock. Well, almost.
“Barbarian” rides on waves of suspense and mystery, but this cinematic voyage hits the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the McGuffin – you know, the plot device that drives the story forward but isn’t fully fleshed out. Hitchcock, the grand master of suspense, wrapped his movies around well-crafted McGuffins, noting that these elements actually mattered quite a bit. Cregger, however, seems to have missed the lesson about the finer points of storytelling, taking a slightly lackadaisical approach to this pivotal element.
Much like M. Night Shyamalan, famed for the twist in “The Sixth Sense,” Cregger shows potential for gastro-intestinal surprises in storytelling. But while Shyamalan became infamous for both brilliance and blunders in his plot twists, there’s a worry that too much praise might send Cregger down the same slippery slope. Shyamalan started thinking every movie needed a surprise ending, and we all know how that worked out. Cregger, with his penchant for building tension, needs to pull a rabbit out of the hat and focus on giving the audience a payoff that doesn’t fall flat like a poorly made soufflé.
Ultimately, “Barbarian” leaves viewers with the hint that Cregger is merely warming up in the bullpen. Given time, he could potentially hit it out of the park. But for now, while his films are fascinating works of art, they could use a little more polish in crafting an unforgettable narrative experience. Consider this a gentle nudge towards greatness, with a dash of tough love. After all, they say practice makes perfect – or, in the parlance of Hollywood, box office gold.
