Ari Aster And Freddy Krueger Are Both On Justin Long's Horror Bucket List
"Barbarian" is a movie teeming with nasty twists. Zach Cregger's slow-burning tale is one of the best horror movies this year; it induces palpitations and anxiety and fear that is so inherently relatable — because this isn't a movie where characters are making bad decisions just to further the plot. You can understand why they're choosing to do what they're doing. "Barbarian" stars Georgina Campbell as Tess, a woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview, who books a rental home on Airbnb and discovers the house is double booked.
When you throw in a normal-seeming Bill Skarsgård, a monster who lives in the basement, a hilarious Justin Long, and twist after twist, "Barbarian" truly becomes the stuff of nightmares. Justin Long is the movie's comedic relief. He's a man dealing with a career-ending accusation and is seen desperately measuring the undiscovered basement of his house so he may sell it at a higher price. It's a moment fraught with tension because by now, viewers know what lies in the basement, and he doesn't.
Long's spirited personality had made the actor a perfect fit for comedy films, but his career has often led him to feature in several works of horror — from "Drag Me To Hell," "Jeepers Creepers," to "Barbarian." The Mother, the humanoid monster in "Barbarian," might be Long's biggest movie monster yet, but it appears the actor is interested in tackling a few classic horror villains as well.
'I love Ari Aster'
In an interview with Vulture, Justin Long was asked if there's a horror film he wished he had been a part of. The actor stated that he doesn't assume his involvement in an existing film would make it more promising — but he does have a few ideas about who he wants to work with in the future.
Justin Long is interested in working with horror veteran Ari Aster; the actor is a big fan of the performances in "Hereditary," and described it as "one of the most unsettling movies" he'd ever seen. And then there are iconic monsters like Freddy Krueger from "Nightmare on Elm Street" and Jason Vorhees from the "Friday the 13th" films, that Long is fascinated by. And then there's Michael Myers, the embodiment of pure evil.
Here's Long's full quote from the interview:
"Usually, when I like a movie, I think it's perfect because of what it already is. My involvement in it would've made it something different. I like being scared. So obviously when you're in something, it's not quite as exciting, because you know what's coming. I love Ari Aster. I don't think I ever would've been able to give the performance that those actors gave in Hereditary, but it's one of the most unsettling movies I've ever seen. I would love to be in one of his movies but not the ones he has already made. Because, like I said, I love them the way they are. If I could, I think it'd be cool to work with an iconic monster like Freddy Krueger or Jason or Michael Myers. It would be a thrill to get a selfie with Freddy."
Justin Long wants a monster transformation
Along with starring alongside some of the horror genre's most iconic villains, the actor is also interested in playing "a more obvious monster." He's curious about special-effects makeup and prosthetics and hopes to work with special effects artist Robert Kurtzman ("The Haunting of Hill House" and "Wishmaster" among others) and Oscar-winning makeup artist Bill Corso ("Foxcatcher" and "A Series of Unfortunate Events"). If Long's horror bucket list wishes are indeed fulfilled, we can expect him to transform into quite a terrifying entity.
With "Barbarian," Justin Long has fully dived into the horror genre — and it'd be a treat to watch him continue his stint in horror movies. I can't imagine him encountering a monster scarier than the one in "Barbarian," but it seems the actor has ideas about where he wants to go from here.