We’re Finally Getting a Physical Media Release Of Barbarian
The much-coveted 4K UHD + Blu-ray of Zach Cregger’s Barbarian finally comes out on August 11.
Even as boutique labels like The Criterion Collection and Vinegar Syndrome thrive, major film studios are still coming around to the idea that physical media is back, baby. The list of acclaimed films from this decade — Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow, for example, or Richard Linklater’s Hit Man — that have yet to receive Blu-ray releases is surprisingly long. And for the past four years, Barbarian has been at the top of that list.
Zach Cregger’s 2022 directorial debut did surprisingly well at the box office, and became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to its wild twists and disturbing horror imagery. The film was successful enough to establish Cregger — previously best known as a member of the sketch group The Whitest Kids U’Know — as a major new voice in horror, beginning a chain of events that eventually built up to Amy Madigan winning an Oscar for her role in Cregger’s followup feature Weapons (2025). (Which is already out on Blu-ray, by the way.) A remarkable arc, but not remarkable enough to put the movie that started it all in the hands of collectors — until now.
Last month, a French 4K of the film was announced, sparking speculation that an American Blu-ray package might not be far behind. Today, 20th Century Studios and New Regency announced that Barbarian is finally getting a physical media release, four years after the fact. Here’s what the press release puts it:
Terror comes home on August 11, when the acclaimed horror classic Barbarian arrives in physical format for the first time on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray SteelBook. The creepy, evocative, and stunningly packaged SteelBook features brand-new art by Creepy Duck Design.
Irish designer Creepy Duck is known for his ‘70s-style painted posters for films like Late Night with the Devil and the Terrifier movies, so the art probably will be pretty neat.
If you haven’t seen Barbarian, the film opens with a relatable contemporary dilemma — what if you checked into an Airbnb, and someone else was already there? — and spins it out in nightmarish directions. Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård star in the film’s initial stretch, with Justin Long joining the cast as a Hollywood scumbag right when things start to get really freaky. But if you really haven’t seen it, good for you for blind-buying 4K discs.
