The 2022 American horror film 'Barbarian', hailed by critics as a 'masterpiece' with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, is set to become available for free streaming this week. Penned and helmed by Zach Cregger in his solo screenwriting and directorial debut, the film features Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long in its central cast. The compelling storyline follows a woman who discovers that her booked rental property has been mistakenly double-reserved by a man, leading her to an unsuspecting encounter with a sinister secret hidden within the property.

Zach Cregger drew significant inspiration for the film from the non-fiction work 'The Gift of Fear', which emphasizes the importance for women to trust their instincts and not disregard subconscious warning signs in their daily interactions. Cregger aimed to craft a sequence that integrated numerous such warning signals, as reported by the Express. 'Barbarian' is recognized for its exploration of profound themes including sexual abuse, incest, trauma, and various manifestations of misogyny.

Critically, the film has garnered widespread acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a 92% favorable rating from 207 critics' reviews, with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. The site's consensus describes it as "Smart, darkly humorous and above all scary, Barbarian offers a chilling and consistently unpredictable thrill ride for horror fans." Metacritic awarded the picture a weighted average rating of 78 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audience polling by PostTrak revealed a 70% overall positive rating, with 54% expressing a definite recommendation. The film also performed well commercially, earning a global total of £33.93 million against a production budget of £3.37 million.

Reviewers have lavished praise on 'Barbarian' for its unique approach to the genre. One critic lauded it as "one of the most unique horror films I've seen in a very long time," highlighting its "unsettling atmosphere" and "jaw-dropping plot twist." The critic further noted how the film "plays with horror tropes and then spirals into something much darker and completely unpredictable," with "impeccable tension-building." Another viewer described it as "one of the BEST movies I've watched in a long time," appreciating its ability to surprise and its "incredible suspense" punctuated by "excellent comic relief by Justin Long."

Audiences will have the opportunity to stream 'Barbarian' for free on Channel 4 after its broadcast tonight, Monday, October 27th, at 1:40 AM on Film4. Data from Whip Media shows that 'Barbarian' topped the most-streamed film charts across all platforms in America during the week ending October 30 and ranked sixth during the week ending November 13, further cementing its popularity.