10 Horror Movies That Switch The Main Character Halfway
9. Barbarian
Upon its release, Zach Cregger's Barbarian instantly became one of the most talked about films of 2022. Because of this psychological thriller's subversive structure and misleading setup, it's best to go in blind.
Barbarian kicks off with two strangers, Tess (Georgina Campbell) and Keith (Bill Skarsgard) discovering they have both booked a rental home on the same night. Due to Keith's seemingly creepy nature, Tess is immediately suspicious of him. And when she discovers a hidden room and a subterranean tunnel in the basement, it feels like her worst fears are about to be realised.
Although viewers are expecting Keith to be revealed as the hero or villain, it turns out he is neither. After he decides to explore the tunnel, a naked woman appears from behind Keith, pulverising his skull into a rock.
Before viewers have a chance to process what they just witnessed, the scene cuts to a completely different scenario, involving a new character called AJ (Justin Long). From here on out, AJ serves as the new joint-protagonist, alongside Tess.
However, many watchers struggled to follow AJ's storyline at first, since they're still reeling from Keith's abrupt departure.