THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE BARN
Starring: Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia, Townes Bunner, Jeppe Beck Lauresen, Paul Monaghan, Kiran Shah, Zoe Winther-Hansen, and Calle Hellevang Larsen
Director: Magnus Martens
This film has been reviewed by Quentin and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of Fantastic Fest 2023.
QUENTIN
I have no doubt that there is an audience for There’s Something in the Barn, and had it come out in 1987, I probably would have been a part of it. However, as an adult, it’s just a little too campy and goofy for me. Imagine forcing someone to watch Gremlins 2 for the first time as an adult. Without the nostalgia, they almost certainly will think it’s too silly, and Barn is a mix between Gremlins 2 and Krampus. It almost needs that nostalgia to fully work, which means that 10-year-olds who discover this will surely be showing it to their kids in 20-30 years.
NICK
There’s Something in the Barn has all the makings of a future cult classic, but it didn’t quite work for me. It’s a campy film, so some of the acting and writing are expected to be over-the-top, but even considering that, there are some rough showings. Once we get into the elf mayhem, however, there is some fun to be had. Sadly, even these scenes leave a lot to be desired as they’re just not as wild and crazy as they could be. As far as Christmas horror goes, it’s certainly no Gremlins, and not quite Krampus, but likely falls somewhere just shy of that.