Review: Bird Box (2018)

Directed by Susanne Bier

Starring: Sandra Bullock

The plot follows a woman (Bullock) and two children as they make an escape to reach safety, five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide.

Well, I was supposed to review BlacKkKlansman (don't worry, review is coming out later this week), but then my dad asked me if I wanted to watch Bird Box with him. With the constant buzz surrounding this film for the past few weeks, I had to check out this film. I have to say that the film is really average.

The screenplay is weak, filled with plot-holes, and in general just plain and predictable. There are a lot of questions that were left unanswered, like the origin and history of said "presence", what do the victim see for them to commit suicide? Does the presence only visually "attack" their victims, or also physically? (This one was so confusing, like why is she running, if you only have to see it to die). All these questions were never answered, which felt like a wasted opportunity to help better the story-line. After all that buildup, the climax was just unsatisfying. Sandra Bullock did put in a good performance, and so did some of the other performers (I'm looking at you Jon Malkovich). Another problem was the characters, they lacked development, and when things did happen, I could barely care for them and their ridiculously stupid decision making. (Like where the hell is Bullock's husband if she's pregnant, and why isn't he mentioned like ever?)

The visuals. Barely any special effects, so I can't really judge on that, and no, the creatures were never shown (even though there are some drawings). Sound editing was alright. The music on the other hand, was great, it was dark and hypnotic, and fits right with the suspenseful tone of the film. The cinematography was decent, and there were some good shots in the film.

Even with all these flaws, the film still does well to create a new perspective in the post apocalyptic genre, and does share similarities to films such as John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, and M. Night's The Happening. The suspense was good, and while it was annoying that you never truly do see the "presence" or creature, it does well to make it feel mysterious. The film does really well to showcase the theme of Motherhood, as Sandra Bullock's performance is that of a mother willing to protect her children, and she does it well.

In conclusion, I say it's still worth checking out. Despite it's flaws and wasted potential, its a film that can still be enjoyed, if you don't put your mind to it. Personally it's not better than A Quiet Place, that's for sure, and definitely better than The Happening, no doubt about that either). It's not great, it's not awful, it's just plain average. I really don't get the buzz around this film at all, it was nothing special.

My rating: 6.5/10

#FilmReview #2018