I’ve been busy this Holiday, so I’m sorry I didn’t have a review for “Bird Box” before. But I’ve finally given in to all the buzz about it, and found it to be quite interesting.
Based on Josh Malerman’s post-apocalyptic novel, the movie involves a massive outbreak, which causes people to commit suicide (similar to “The Happening”). The lesson: if you look at any entity, you want to kill yourself. So, the only hope for survival is blindfolding yourself during travel. And those who do look outside become so poisoned that they try to convince others to look. That’s another deadly side effect.
Call me generic all you want, but I actually like these types of horror movies. The ones which make society difficult to live and breath in, and how people learn to survive. That’s what “Bird Box” does best.
Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie Hayes, who has learned to adapt to the horrifying situation over the course of 5 years.
The survivors she meets at the beginning are played by an all-star cast of Trevante Rhodes as a former solider, Danielle Macdonald as a pregnant young woman, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar as a police academy trainee, Lil Rel Howery as a novelist, BD Wong as a homeowner, Colson Baker (better known as Machine Gun Kelly), and John Malkovich as a gun holder.
5 years since the outbreak, Malorie travels with 2 kids (Julian Edwards and Vivien Lyra Blair) and a few birds down a river, all of whom are blindfolded. They’re all looking a for a safe haven, which may or may not exist, based on what’s out there.
Directed by Susanne Bier, “Bird Box” keeps you going with its smart heroine and non-stop thrills. It’s all about adapting to your surroundings, even in your darkest hours. Bullock delivers one of her best performances as Malorie, in the ways she processes her situations, and how she learns important life or death lessons.
And the film is also beautifully photographed inside and outside. The forests look clean and foggy, the inside looks riveting, and only us, the audience, are able to see without blindfolds. Although, there is a “Bird Box” challenge about blindfolding yourself, which I promise I won’t engage in.
Some people would think “Bird Box” should play in theaters, and others would prefer to see it on Netflix. I saw it on Netflix, and while I found it weird at times, I still enjoyed it for what it was-a provocative post-apocalyptic thriller with a fresh cast.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I was hesitant to watch this but your comments have encouraged me to do so. I usually agree with your assessments so I’ll be spending part of my afternoon checking out BIRD BOX. You make an excellent observation concerning horror movies that are about making society difficult to live in and how people learn to survive. Horror movies that have this underlying theme rise above the others. Even when the characters don’t succeed their attempt at overcoming the odds can be inspirational as well as entertaining.
Thanks for another great review, we are watching it now and enjoying it in a creepy, scary kind of way!