Bird Box

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)

Netflix has been heating up nicely under the boiler for the last quarter of a year and has released another solid genre film that appears to be a little sibling to A Quiet Place. Danish director Susanne Bier, from whom I've only seen the solid thriller In a Better World, is definitely a decent director and add to that a perfect Sandra Bullock, a solid John Malkovich and new discovery Trevante Rhodes, who’s starred in The Predator and 12 Strong. Sarah Paulson is also here in a smaller role. Bird Box is a mix of several films at once, but it takes the best of them and makes a tasty post-apocalyptic cocktail that is top-notch in craftsmanship and acting, engaging in plot, and there are a few surprises. The film manages to build tension brilliantly at certain points and there's a bit of gore too, so I can hardly complain. Solid. It's just a shame that the film ends where it could easily have started. 80%. (20/12/2018)

I liked it a little more than A Quiet Place, because this film started, continued and ended with a intimate-depressing atmosphere, and never drifted towards action scenes at all costs. Moreover, the evil that was causing all this was even more mysterious, unknown the entire time and thus more interesting. That's great. And the scene with the car ride to the supermarket was truly superb. (05/01/2019)

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)

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)