‘There’s Something In The Barn’ Review – Yule Wanna Skip This One [Fantastic Fest 2023]

It’s a crisp 74 degrees, late October, and guess what? It’s time to watch a Christmas horror film. In a literal frosty cold open, we find a man comforting some unknown creature. Flashfoward and an American family move into a remote cabin in Norway, after inheriting it. Soon, the youngest member of the family, Lucas (Townes Bunner), finds an elf in the barn. He tries befriending it, yet after breaking every slap-dash “rule,” the little mystical creatures attack the family, the sheriff, and anyone else they meet.

Gremlins was one of those lightning-in-the-bottle movies. It masterfully blends horror, comedy, and holiday heart in a way that few of its successors have. 2010’s Rare Exports (another Norwegian horror film) manages to do all of this, all while offering a fresh new perspective on the concept of Santa Claus. We mention these films because There’s Something in Barn seems to want to be a new Gremlins meets Rare Exports, yet it fails on a few fundamental levels.

The first issue the film has is its world-building. The frustrating thing is that There’s Something in the Barn only hints at a highly interesting larger world but it never attempts to explore it in any meaningful way. Sure, there is something to be said about not overly explaining things, yet it’s baffling to have magical beings and be so lazy with the lore. Going back to Gremlins, Joe Dante gives you some insights into the creatures without ever losing focus on the narrative flow and character development. Later, more of the lore would be expanded upon in the fantastic animated series. It’s hard to get truly invested in a movie that feels uninterested in its own mythos. 

Then you have what might be the biggest problem: the tone. Making a Christmas horror movie is honestly not that difficult. However, making one that centers around a family and maintaining a consistent tone is very tricky. Yet, there are plenty of examples, so it is not impossible. It just takes more care in the screenplay, something that is sadly lacking here. The film throws out some fun splatter-based mayhem, and its try-hard social commentary, but it also feels like it wants you to be able to sit down and watch this with the entire family.

One minute an elf blows itself away with a gun, and the next moment, the daughter and stepmom are having a heartwarming resolution. Or, we’ll get fart jokes and then a scene with the dad having a very earnest and heartfelt scene in which he confesses he feels like a failure after his wife died. Yes, this family dramedy comes complete with a tragic dead mother. Which, again is something that Rare Exports handles more effectively. It very much wants to have its gore-soaked cake yet serve it up to a wide audience. Yet, this only serves to alienate its audience.

What makes films like Krampus, Gremlins, and Rare Exports so special is that they masterfully blend the scary, yet have real pathos on display. In the latter examples, the filmmakers never cross that line in terms of gore, crude jokes, and tonal whiplash. Barn also isn’t helped by its poorly defined characters, clunky dialogue, and its lame attempt at social commentary. For example, we get a so-so joke about Americans loving their guns, and how the Norwegians are more peaceful. Yet, it takes this just alright joke and really hammers it home by repeating it at least two more times. The bratty daughter you’ve seen is trotted out, which is a lazy trope that we wish we could retire. You can see the arc they are setting up a mile away. 

To not be a total Grinch, there are some highlights that are well worth mentioning. Mainly, the makeup work is really top-notch. The prosthetics for the elves come off as realistic and never cheesy. The production design and cinematography are also very nicely handled and the filmmakers craft a nice atmosphere that is at times creepy and, at times incredibly bombastic. While the writing is weak, you have to appreciate that some depth and character arcs were attempted. 

Something in the Barn has a cool concept, and really nicely done effects. Sadly, the narrative lacks anything compelling in terms of story or characters. It’s just another yule-tide horror outing that offerings nothing original to horror fans. Yule wanna skip this one. 

There’s Something In The Barn had its World Premiere in the Official Selection section of Fantastic Fest 2023.

Director: Magnus Martens

Writers: Aleksander Kirkwood Brown, Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout

Rated: R

Runtime: 96m