‘Never lose sight of survival’
Bird Box is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Susanne Bier from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer (Lights Out; The Thing [2011]; Final Destination 5), based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman.
The movie stars Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Trevante Rhodes, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Machine Gun Kelly, BD Wong and John Malkovich.
On Twitter, Netflix recently confirmed that Bird Box has been seen by over 45 million viewers and counting on its platform: “Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched Bird Box — best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film!”
Plot:
Malorie (Sandra Bullock), a mother of two, must face an “entity that takes on the form of your worst fears” that has decimated much of the world’s population. In order to survive, Mamorie flees with her two children and has to travel down a river, and the trio must do it all while blindfolded…
Reviews:
“Bird Box‘s cross-editing is not only disengaging, but leaves the viewer stuck in a house for the majority of the film. If anything, the best moments come when Malorie and the children are blindfolded and terrified in the middle of nowhere.” Bloody Disgusting
” …the script is only moderately interested in logistics. There’s a quick lesson in echolocation, a dozen shots in blindfold-o-vision, sidewalks strung like Theseus outsmarting the Minotaur, and an entire sequence that’s a sales pitch for cars with proximity sensors.” The Guardian
” …Bird Box traps itself into the same cage that ensnared other high-concept sci-fi thrillers such as the forgotten Nicolas Cage movie, Knowing, and even the recent Alex Garland film, Annihilation. Its third act is far too grandiose in its themes, an unexpected change of pace from the rather lean story we’d seen so far. But when it soars it soars.” Hindustan Times
“There have been countless other dystopian sci-fi dramas in which civilisation collapses and survivors try to hold their families together. Bird Box doesn’t take us anywhere we haven’t already been in these other movies.” The Independent
” …the need for characters to be blindfolded or otherwise limited in sight presents the perfect opportunity to put audiences in their shoes and really dig into the threat of the unknown, à la The Blair Witch Project. Instead, those moments are chopped up anxiously, the camera frequently cutting wide to reveal what the characters are up against.” The New York Times
“The less said the better about plot developments, which use every twist they can get (the end is a doozy). The haunting, hypnotic, palm-sweating score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross promises way more than the film delivers.” Rolling Stone
“Bier’s realist approach to the many violent deaths Malorie witnesses makes the film much more gripping than most post-apocalyptic fare. Bird Box will creep under your skin without you noticing.” SciFiNow
“Bird Box has all the makings of a great horror film. But as Malorie and the children near the end of their journey, a curious disconnect settles in. The two halves of the film – the dangerous adventure up the river, and the band of plucky survivors gathered in a house – never come together into one whole.” /Film
“Heisserer’s script endeavors to give Bullock a rich psychological backstory — something to do with her reluctance to accept motherhood and the redemption she experiences in accepting that role — and the wonderfully self-reliant actress plays the arc earnestly enough. But there’s no getting around that this is a monster movie without a monster.” Variety
Release:
The world premiere of Bird Box was at AFI Fest on November 12, 2018. The film was released on December 21st 2018 by Netflix.
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