BIRDBOX: One to watch with a blindfold.
Sorry for the long wait but here it is as promised for Hebba Brown I have watched ‘BirdBox’ and I have very mixed feelings about this film.
MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT!! I will be reviewing some key plot points and most importantly the ending, so if you haven’t seen the film (not that I’d recommend it) and don’t want it ruined then stop reading now.
On the whole I can't say this was my favourite Netflix film of 2018 but I did like some elements so I’ll go through those first as I’m aware I’ve become a very moany critic and I want to make it very clear I do actually enjoy watching films, I just seem to be on a bit of bad run at the moment.
Firstly I think the cast were fine ( I know that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement but that’s genuinely how I feel). I love Sandra Bullock in pretty much everything she does and she gave a decent surly and justifiably aggressive performance given the extreme circumstances her character finds herself in. John Malkovich played a very convincing asshole and catalyst in the group dynamic and the other notable performance was Mr Save-Every-Scene Tom Hollander (see previous review on Bohemian Rhapsody for that reference). Tom played his pathetic ‘businessman’ turn creepy enforcer of the dark spirit to a tee. I think there was probably a notable sigh of relief from me when he stumbled onto screen and he kept the plot moving on well in the middle section of the film.
Another surprisingly good thing about this film was the spirit/monster/demon was never revealed. This left the concept of it up to the viewers own imagination, and as was hinted at earlier on in the film, our own fears. This built the tension when we could hear/sense the spectrum was nearby and it was the suspense that kept me watching till the very end.
This is where unfortunately this review takes a sharp nose dive into aggravation and mild expletives from me.
I promise I won’t harp on too long however even before watching this film you can’t help but compare the concept of this film with the Masterpiece (in my humble opinion) that was ‘A Quiet place.’That film was so beautifully shot, wonderfully simple and incredibly scary, I feel like someone watched that and thought to themselves “well that was good but what if they weren’t allowed to see?” The comparisons become more apparent on dissection as well and ‘Birdbox’ falls short every time. Both leading women are pregnant throughout most of the film. They are looked after by heroic male partners who (spoiler) sacrifice themselves in order to protect their family. But ‘Birdbox’ just didn’t work as well. Sandra Bullock ran around blindfolded far too easily in unknown terrain and the relationship between the characters I felt you warmed to less, therefore lowering the stakes when they found themselves in peril.
I enjoyed the first half less than the second and far from being on parr with ‘A Quiet Place’ I would put it on a similar level with its clunky dialogue and 2D characters, to the horrific remake of ‘Dawn of the Dead’. I think the film fans amongst you can appreciate the similarities of the house in 'Birdbox' and the mall in ‘Dawn of the Dead.’ (Check out podcast for more info on that)
The most disappointing part of the film for me was it’s ending. I was saying all the way through “what had happened to all the blind people who would thrive in this environment?” And when a compound was mentioned I thought “that better be where they all are or this film really is terrible.” Low and behold we find out the compound is in fact an Institute for the Blind and I was even more disappointed that I figured it out so easily. And then there’s the ridiculous fact the her doctor after 5 years had also found her way there and welcomed them for absolutely no conceivable reason at all. Were we meant to care and find that sweet? Perhaps I’m just a cynic. Also why had Parminder Nagra (Bend it like Beckham) aged so badly in those five years with all the added grey hair compared to Sandy B? Weird.
I would give this film a begrudging 6.2/10 as I did enjoy a few bits but they were far too few and in between for me to give it anything more.
I would urge everyone if you haven’t already or have read this and are looking for a like minded film to watch ‘A Quiet Place’ instead. It does everything this film does but with more heart, style, suspense and substance.
Next up a shorter review on ‘Welcome to Marwen.’
If you have enjoyed this review please give me a like and I’ll let you know when my blog is up and running and if you have any suggestions or recommendations for me pop them in the comments below.
Also some people have said to me they don’t agree with my reviews so also air your thoughts on here and let me know.
I'll publish my blog next week I hope so I’ll only spam Facebook with the links and Sam Adamson and I recorded the trailer and Pilot for our Podcast ‘Reel Easy’ today so watch out for that coming soon.
I've been Christopher Whitmore, thank you for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment