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A barber comes into contact with two men fixated on what triggers evil. A father, whose life is destroyed in pursuit of a killer, and a son who is trying to prevent his father's obsession.
Director:
Basel OwiesWriter:
Max Enscoe (screenplay)Stars:
Scott Glenn, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jessica Lu |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
The Barber, examines two men fixated on what triggers the enormity of evil: a father whose life
is destroyed in pursuit of a killer, a son caught in a deadly charade as he tries to unravel his
father's obsession.
is destroyed in pursuit of a killer, a son caught in a deadly charade as he tries to unravel his
father's obsession.
Movie Reviews
Greetings again from the darkness. There is a theory that to catch a killer, one must think like a
killer. Young John McCormack is in the next room when his detective father, frustrated at being
unable to put away a serial killer, commits suicide. Flash forward twenty years, and John is now
himself a police officer intent on finishing his father's work … and gaining a bit of revenge in the
process.
The story picks up as John (Chris Coy) has tracked Francis Visser to a small town, where he is
known as Eugene the town barber, a gentle and dignified friend to all. Scott Glenn portrays
Eugene as a slow-shuffling elderly gentleman who doesn't much appreciate profanity, rudeness
or poor decisions. He is even friends with the local police chief (Stephen Tobolowsky), who
accepts Eugene's word on just about any topic.
The cat and mouse game between John and Eugene plays a bit like Sleuth (1972) where each
participant sees himself as smarter than the other. Only this time, there are 17 previous
murders to go along with the developments after Eugene agrees to mentor John on the fine art of
stalking, planning and killing without evidence. Beginning with a gypsy proverb: "You have to dig
deep to bury your father", the film seems to use that quote figuratively and literally, as being
buried alive plays a role alongside the detective father's ruinous obsession. Supporting work is
provided by Kristen Heger, as John's co-worker (and more), Olivia Taylor Dudley as the waitress
looking to John for fun, and Max Arciniega as Eugene's barber shop employee.
More attention to the John vs Eugene piece, and a little less to the various sub-plots, could have
tightened up this thriller and elevated it to an even more suspenseful level. Mr. Glenn and
Mr. Coy are both excellent, and at their best when sharing a scene. It's a nice first feature from
director Basel Owies, who has an eye for nuanced characters with a dark side.
killer. Young John McCormack is in the next room when his detective father, frustrated at being
unable to put away a serial killer, commits suicide. Flash forward twenty years, and John is now
himself a police officer intent on finishing his father's work … and gaining a bit of revenge in the
process.
The story picks up as John (Chris Coy) has tracked Francis Visser to a small town, where he is
known as Eugene the town barber, a gentle and dignified friend to all. Scott Glenn portrays
Eugene as a slow-shuffling elderly gentleman who doesn't much appreciate profanity, rudeness
or poor decisions. He is even friends with the local police chief (Stephen Tobolowsky), who
accepts Eugene's word on just about any topic.
The cat and mouse game between John and Eugene plays a bit like Sleuth (1972) where each
participant sees himself as smarter than the other. Only this time, there are 17 previous
murders to go along with the developments after Eugene agrees to mentor John on the fine art of
stalking, planning and killing without evidence. Beginning with a gypsy proverb: "You have to dig
deep to bury your father", the film seems to use that quote figuratively and literally, as being
buried alive plays a role alongside the detective father's ruinous obsession. Supporting work is
provided by Kristen Heger, as John's co-worker (and more), Olivia Taylor Dudley as the waitress
looking to John for fun, and Max Arciniega as Eugene's barber shop employee.
More attention to the John vs Eugene piece, and a little less to the various sub-plots, could have
tightened up this thriller and elevated it to an even more suspenseful level. Mr. Glenn and
Mr. Coy are both excellent, and at their best when sharing a scene. It's a nice first feature from
director Basel Owies, who has an eye for nuanced characters with a dark side.
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