Is this New Horror Movie Dissing Detroit?

Everyone in Michigan knows that while Detroit is a city of full of future change and promise, people love to underestimate this city and it's great people. To the point that people love to find and highlight negative stereotypes about the city an unfair amount.

So when I heard that a new horror movie was coming out that was set in the city, I was excited. But of course, without fail, it quickly turns into a "don't go to Detroit because it's scary" plot, versus it just being the setting for the movie like any other film that has come out in recent years.

In the description of the film provided by 20th Century fox, "In “Barbarian,” a young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview books a rental home.

But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked, and a strange man is already staying there.

Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest."

The houseguest in question is actor Bill Skarsgård, who you may remember played Pennywise in the recent IT remakes. As a man who is looking to murder a woman who wants to rent an Air B&B in Detroit (or at least you assume based on the trailer)

But, I can tell you I've rented multiple air B&Bs since moving to Michigan, and the one I stayed in Royal Oak was safe, clean, and wonderful. So, why are we bothering to push the narrative that Detroit is a scary place you can't trust?

Barbarian (2022) isn't the only film to use Detroit as a "scary" setting for their movie including The Crow, Don't Breathe, and It Follows. And while they don't all hyper focus on the fact that Detroit has a negative reputation to outsiders, they definitely play off the stereotype a little bit.

So hey Hollywood, can you try making a movie about scary LA is? I'd rather hang out in Detroit with all of it's unique character, than a city full of plastic clones.

The only scary thing about Detroit is how scary it is that you're missing out on a really cool city due to dumb stereotypes.