Bird Box

Another attempt at combining horror and social drama, sitting in a corner in the shadow of Darabont’s The Mist. The constant alternation of the two different time planes becomes narratively monotonous after an hour or so. Somehow, with its “relationship content” and all of the clichés it tends to use, it becomes very unlikely that the film may in any way be surprising or bring something new into its subject matter, which resembles that of some recent genre movies. The intriguing premise with a great start fails to fulfill the potential of a decent genre event, leaving only a safe, mainstream drama about the importance of sticking together with a few scary scenes, children at risk and a pleasant Sandra Bullock. It’s not that I didn’t watch it with interest; I just consider it a waste of a great potential. (20/01/2019)

Anyone could admit  that it is only a facsimile of A Quiet Place, however, Bird Box cannot be denied its own merit and the fact that it goes off in a different direction. From a technical and acting point of view, it is a great achievement (I think that more time and space could have been given to John Malkovich’s character especially, I would have appreciated that). However, the retrospective narration was painful - and, because of it, you could predict how the movie would turn out from the beginning concerning most of the characters, so there are no real surprises when something really bad happens. The audience is thus unnecessarily deprived of suspense, and it is impossible to generate an emotional connection with the characters from the start, which is a great shame with this type of movie. Also, perhaps only those with the sunniest of dispositions could have actually believed the ending. (11/01/2019)

Netflix, a good director, decent idea and actors. That’s becoming a synonym for 2018. I hope that sticks with the years to come as Birdbox is quite a good apocalyptic drama I could imagine as a series. What makes me happy is that Sandra Bullock again proved herself to be a great actress. Not many people appreciate her, still I think she deserves some respect. Similarly to the plot of the movie which kept me on the edge of my seat from start to end. However I know how hard it is to walk blindfolded through the forest – had the honor on a team-building exercise I went to – and the characters in this movie made it seem all too easy. It’s true that the plot is a bit naive yet under Susanne Bier’s baton it works perfectly and the movie deserves attention. (31/12/2018)

A similarly conceived atmospheric group survival like A Quiet Place, or the slightly more pompous and louder World War Z, two films dealing with a global apocalypse and the initial inability to locate why, or even how to defend oneself. Unlike its competitors, Bird Box doesn't go the route of flashy kills or massive shots of tons of dead bodies. Instead, it plays an interesting game between a group of people, led by the initially slightly controversial mother Sandra Bullock, and an invisible evil. It's a film that surprisingly isn't about being out there, and to make that very clear, it's very slow and hard to find out what's actually going on. Instead, Susanne BIer plays a rather sophisticated and entertaining game about the fact that the absolutely key clue to victory is family cohesion, dreams and the will to go on no matter what. All this in a non-pathetic, light and perhaps even "fun" way that does not outright bring pain. I would ignore the experts who will bitterly complain that they didn't get the explanation they needed. There's an abundance of it, it can be taken at any time, you just need to watch carefully, because sometimes the greatest danger may not be visible at first sight. (17/02/2019)

It is impossible not to compare Bird Box with the very similar A Quiet Place. In this case, the creatures sensitive to the subtlest sounds are replaced by creatures you are not allowed to look at, almost like Medusa's gaze; it won’t turn you into stone, but it does make you go crazy. If I had to choose between these two thematically similar films, I would choose A Quiet Place. Bird Box offers a very decent set-up, and since it takes place in two time planes, the story doesn't feel so monotonous. What it lacks, however, is a greater dose of suspense and fear, which I would expect in a film like this. The atmosphere did make me feel a bit uncomfortable at times, but I expected maybe something more in that regard. However, the final scene from the boat was very powerful, as was the following sequence from the forest. The film would definitely have benefited from a shorter running time, a denser plot and more tension. I was obviously curious to see how the story would turn out, but I think it could have been done more effectively. (19/04/2020)