Zach Cregger made one of the most exciting films of the year with “The Barbarian”. But perhaps the biggest shocker for fans is that a member of the disrespectful drawing group Whitest Kids U’Know effortlessly turned into horror. For Krieger, the two worlds are not far from each other.
“I don’t think horror and comedy are very different,” Krieger says. “The anatomy of fear is very similar to the anatomy of laughter. It’s all about timing, tone, and zigzag when the audience expects you to stumble. I feel like my time on sketch comedy has prepared me to play in this pool.”
Krieger got advice from a friend with a similar path: Jordan Peele, who has gone from the stand-up comedy “Key & Peele” to directing his blockbuster “Get Out” and two other horror works.
“He spent a lot of time with me before I went to Bulgaria to shoot the movie,” Krieger says. “It gave me a crash course on how to deal with the inevitable challenges, and it was so valuable.” (Peele also watched an early cut and provided feedback for the September 9 issue.)
Preparing for ‘Barbarian’: What do you do when you’re stranded on Airbnb and the house is booked twice with a stranger? A well-paced trailer went viral, as horror fans were alarmed by haunting images that didn’t reveal any plot.
“The movie that’s being announced in the trailer is not the one you’ll see in the theater,” Krieger says. “This doesn’t mean it’s bait and diversion or false advertising, but there’s no way of knowing what’s coming.”
Some of the film’s biggest surprises have to do with the sly social commentary lurking around the edges.
“I don’t want a ‘barbarian’ to have an agenda, nor am I trying to make anything preachy,” he says. “I just want people to have fun. But the conversation will be there, if they want to have it.”
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