This recent horror hit is streaming for free this week, just in time for Halloween
Lucas Hill-Paul Content Editor and Grace Piercy
20:48, 27 Oct 2025
A horror ‘masterpiece’ boasting a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes will be available to stream for free this week.
Barbarian is a 2022 American horror film penned and helmed by Zach Cregger in his maiden solo screenwriting and directorial effort.
Featuring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long, the storyline centres on a woman who discovers that her booked rental property has been mistakenly double-reserved by a man, unaware of the sinister secret lurking within the property.
Zach Cregger drew inspiration from the non-fiction work The Gift of Fear, which urges women to trust their instincts and not dismiss the subconscious warning signs that emerge in their daily encounters with men.
He set out to craft a single thirty-page sequence that would weave in as many of these warning signals as he could manage, reports the Express.
Barbarian has been recognised as exploring themes connected to sexual abuse, incest and trauma, alongside various manifestations of misogyny.
Barbarian was inspired by nonfiction book The Gift Of Fear(Image: 20th Century Studios)
It will be available to stream for free on Channel 4 after it airs tonight (Monday, 27th October) on Film4 at 1:40am.
The picture earned £30.56 million in the United States and Canada, plus £3.37 million in additional territories, achieving a global total of £33.93 million against a production budget of £3.37 million.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 207 critics’ reviews are favourable, with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10.
The site’s consensus states: “Smart, darkly humorous and above all scary, Barbarian offers a chilling and consistently unpredictable thrill ride for horror fans.”
On Metacritic, the picture boasts a weighted average rating of 78 out of 100, signalling “generally favourable” reviews. PostTrak audience polling revealed the film earned a 70% overall positive rating, with 54% stating they would definitely recommend it.
Whip Media data shows 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.
One critic hailed Barbarian as a “masterpiece” and “one of the most unique horror films I’ve seen in a very long time.”
Barbarian has a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes(Image: 20th Century Studios)
They continued: “From its unsettling atmosphere to its jaw-dropping plot twist, the film keeps you on edge, constantly subverting expectations.
“What makes it so incredible is how it plays with horror tropes and then spirals into something much darker and completely unpredictable. The tension-building is impeccable, with every scene dripping in suspense, making you feel as lost and terrified as the characters.
“The plot twist? Absolutely mind-blowing! Just when you think you have the film figured out, it flips everything on its head in the most shocking and disturbing way.”
Another viewer remarked: “Truly one of the BEST movies I’ve watched in a long time. It’s rare to see a movie these days that can actually surprise you.
“Incredible suspense the entire time- palms clammy, in a good way. The thrills/scares are broken up with some excellent comic relief by Justin Long, right when you need it.”
Barbarian will air tonight at 1:40am on Film4 and will be available to stream on Channel 4.
