Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Fried Barry’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Fried Barry’.
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One of the biggest reasons that we are drawn to horror stories, is that they help us to face our greatest fears, by having the monsters that populate the genre, stand in as the allegory for what truly terrifies us to our core. For example, the zombie tends to represent our collective fear of death, whereas the werewolf and the vampire explore different aspects of losing ourselves to others and our inner demons. And of course, possession themed films, tend to serve as a grand exploration of our fears of the unknown, especially in regard to our bodies. Since the ghost or offending force are akin to the surprises our physical health can and will encounter at some point in our lives, the kind that ravage us physically and mentally and force us to cede control.
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But while those explorations have made for some powerful horror stories over the years, they are in fact... quite broad and often up for interpretation at times. To the point where they might not provide the viewer with the exact insight they need in that moment. But as the years roll on and horror is starting to discover that it is okay to examine more intimate fears and incredibly taboo topics, we are being treated to stories that are narrowing their focus in regard to our fears so they can examine them in great detail. For example, the possession movie is now slowly moving beyond ghosts and demons and otherworldly terrors and is now starting to focus on our fears of mental illness and also how addiction can consume us and bring about a loss of control of our bodies, as evidenced by the brilliant and fascinating new horror film on Shudder, Fried Barry.

Now in this particular film, we are transported to Cape Town, wherein we are introduced to a man named Barry who is definitely lost. Because despite having a kid and a wife that loves him, the only thing in life that Barry seems to care about, is drugs. Because the draw and the power of heroin is too much for him to avoid and he spends his days away from home and with a needle in his arm. But one fine day, his desire to escape everyday life through drugs is about to be taken in a wild new direction. For a species of aliens have arrived on Earth to study us in great detail and they’ve decided that Barry is the man that will serve as the vessel for this exploration, and they insert one of their own into his body and turn this hybrid loose upon the world… so they can properly experience, a day in the life of a human being. 

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Which is a plot that sounds more science fiction than horror, but rest assured, the horrors are there. Partly because there are some physiological changes that come about with this possession, to the point where we are treated to an homage from the obscure horror/sci-fi flick Xtro, alongside some love for John Carpenter’s Starman as well. But all of that aside, the real terror that this film explores, is the dark side of the human condition. Since the being that is now in control of Barry is treated often to the horrible things that we are capable of and how we let them persist. Which allows for this story to question why exactly we let bad things continue to happen in this world, when clearly action and attention would solve a great deal of those problems, adding depth to a story that really does do a wonderful job of exploring the power of addiction.
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Because in essence, the alien in this story serves as the personification of Barry’s addiction to heroin. Since it takes control of his body and makes him nothing more than a mere passenger along for the ride and that is… quite the powerful and accurate way to present addiction in this tale. For addiction as a whole, regardless of the poison of choice, is indeed a form of possession. One that grabs hold of the user and never lets go and makes them a passenger in their own body since their flesh is only focused upon the next fix and the resultant rush from it and the story deserves absolute credit for presenting addiction in this raw and dynamic manner. And for also pointing out that the only way to truly escape it… is to desire a change and to put in the effort to make that happen and to have a solid support network surrounding that person, to help them maintain the strength they will need to escape its grip.

But what’s truly amazing about this motion picture, is that it still has more to offer the audience than a powerful examination upon the nature and horror of addiction. For this is also a story that knows exactly when to inject comedy into the right moment to break up the heavier stuff and it also features a stellar performance from Gary Green, who plays Barry. Since he does an incredible job of transforming his character into an awkward alien that doesn’t have a clue what’s happening around it and to top it all off, this movie is also visually exquisite. For it truly paints our world as a visual feast, one filled to the brim with beauty through and through and well, all of these elements make Fried Barry an absolute must-see. Because this is quite the original story when all is said and done, one that really does a wonderful of job of putting a real-world horror and fear on full display.

‘Fried Barry’ is available to stream now, exclusively on Shudder.

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