Year: 2022
Runtime: 102 min
Language: English
Seeking a fresh start, a young woman arrives at a remote town and books an Airbnb for the night. To her surprise, she discovers the rental has already been occupied by a man. As they navigate an uneasy coexistence, a terrifying secret lurks within the house, forcing them to confront a horrifying and unexpected danger hidden within its depths.
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Still thinking about how Barbarian (2022) ended? Here’s a full breakdown of the ending, key final moments, major twists, and the deeper meaning behind the film’s conclusion.
The ending of “Barbarian” reveals that the true monsters are not the deformed creature or even the house’s hidden horrors, but the humans who hide their malicious nature behind outward appearances of normalcy. Tess manages to escape the dungeon after a harrowing night, rescuing AJ, who is caught in the creature’s trap. As they try to flee, AJ’s greed and selfishness become apparent; he abandons Tess during their escape, climbing down the water tower while Tess struggles behind. In a final twist, AJ’s true character is exposed when he attempts to save himself at Tess’s expense, and the creature, which had previously shown moments of human-like mercy, ultimately kills him because of his callousness. Tess, meanwhile, recognizes that the creature, despite its monstrosity, was more innocent and trapped by its circumstances than truly evil. Her decision to shoot the creature at the end symbolizes her rejection of the toxic, predatory humans like Frank and AJ—people who appear respectable but harbor malicious intents. The film underscores a powerful message: the real barbarism lies in the cruelty, selfishness, and deceit of human beings, not in the outwardly deformed or the physically monstrous. Tess’s survival is not just about escaping a literal nightmare but also a symbolic victory over the darkness that humans can hide inside themselves. Ultimately, her act of mercy and strength highlights a key takeaway: true monsters are often hidden beneath the surface, and sometimes, no matter how horrifying, it’s human behavior that’s truly barbaric.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44
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