Screenplay: Eric Heisserer
Year: 2018
With the review of “A Quiet Place” still fresh in my head, I went on to see “Bird Box”. Why do I mention “A Quiet Place” in this review? Because the premise of both movies is similar, and it plays against the originality of “Bird Box” and to a certain point makes it predictable. This does not mean that it is a bad movie but being launched with less than a year of difference makes it feel like a copy and takes away much of the enjoyment it could have offered. In “Bird Box”, an epidemic of mass suicides is spread around the world. The reason is a supernatural being that, when looked at, makes people want to commit suicide or turns them into sociopaths that force others to look at the beings and take their lives. A mother and their two sons face a great challenge to reach a safe place and survive this epidemic.
Even though, this movie has a lot of positive points. The brilliant acting of Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”, “Speed”) is enough to carry the whole movie in her shoulders, without taking away from the rest of the cast, which makes a wonderful job. I was also impressed by the acting of John Malkovich (“Being John Malkovich”, “The Man in the Iron Mask”), who makes you love and hate his character with ease; one that is hostile but is usually right about what he says. The visual section is favorable, with impressive views and a lot of simplicity and mystery when presenting the presence of the supernatural beings on screen. Like what happens in “A Quiet Place”, the story is presented from the perspective of the protagonist, which leaves plenty of unanswered questions. While some may consider that this is a negative aspect, I consider that it is a positive one, as it makes it easier for the viewer to sink into the story, just that in “Bird Box’ it is not as great as how it was on “A Quiet Place”.
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To me, “Bird Box” had much more potential than what was shown on screen. I don’t know if the novel in which it is based does better justice (“Bird Box’ by Josh Malerman). The main issue with this movie lies in how the story is carried and how it never reaches that horror movie status that the promotion let us think it would reach. Having said that, it was an enjoyable movie, in which the acting and the audiovisuals stand out. It was also interesting how the story was used as a metaphor for the life and fears of the protagonist, even when I felt it the flow needed more working out.
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