Movie Review: 'The Barber'

The slow-burn thriller The Barber does its job, even if you've never ever heard of it.

Review by Matt Cummings

In Director Basel Owies' The Barber, the serial killer Eugene (Scott Glenn) has hid from the police for two decades after a string of brutal murders were initially tied to him. Having outwitted the police, Eugene has settled in to the quiet town Moraine as the local barber. But when the drifter John (Chris Coy) appears to get lessons from the now-senior citizen, Eugene must decide if he's worthy to be let in to his exclusive murder club.

Let's be clear: The Barber doesn't do anything new, settling instead on the plot of 'murderer next door.' But that doesn't mean first-timer Owies and Cinematographer Allen Liu squander the small budget with cheap thrills or over-the-top performances. The Barber is a slow burn and Owies knows this, centering instead on character development and snappy dialogue from Writer Max Enscoe's script. The result is a relatively tight affair, pitting the savage Eugene against John in a series of well-acted sequences; the two 'talk shop' with Eugene waxing poetic about a man's appearance and the rough-hewn John just trying to keep up. Both are playing an intricate game of chess, with Eugene never giving up his position even when John thinks he's got the old man. When that moment arrives, we learn just how brilliant our suspect is, diverting John from his prize while he rescues his girlfriend/fellow cop Kristen (Audrey Bennet).

Ultimately, Eugene wants to be remembered, even memorialized for his deeds, and when the moment arrives for justice to be served, Enscoe's script takes another turn, reminding us that those who get involved in these investigations sometimes become the very the thing they hate. Glenn has always been an underrated actor, content to hide in the shadows while generally doing good work. Here, he's creepy to a tee, uttering lines like 'yummy' to describe the bodies of the young women he hunts. Glenn is able one minute to play the old, feeble barber, then turn into a monster at the drop of a hat. This makes his character more dangerous than John realizes, taking the audience on a wild ride of doubt as to his guilt. Coy and Bennet are serviceable, but there's a big difference between them and Glenn; it almost mirrors the real divide that exists between these characters. Add a couple of bigger names and this movie might go places.

Unfortunately the ending goes a bit off the rails with yet another twist, but it's forgivable because the story does its work with Owies' frugal style forcing our actors to actually act. While it won't scare or thrill you, The Barber reminds us that we watch mainstream films for action and independent films for story. It's not a mantle the latter carries exceptionally well, but when it does the effect can be as enjoyable as the best explosions and mindless violence can offer.

The Barber is Rated R for violence, language and some sexual material and has a runtime of 95 minutes.

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