Movie Review: Bird Box

Directed by Susanne Bier, 2018

IMDb listing

Pros: great acting, tense moments

Cons: some difficulties glossed over

When unknown entities start appearing, those who see them turn violent and kill themselves. Amid the mayhem this causes, a small group of people, including the pregnant but distant Malorie, hole up in a large house.

The film combines aspects of zombie horror with apocalyptic infection films. If you liked 28 Days Later, this is for you. There are some great tense scenes and while the film doesn’t dwell on it, there is the question of whether it’s worth helping others if there’s a risk you - and/or others - will die doing it.

The actors are great. John Malkovich plays the paranoid a-hole white man, who, while I didn’t like, I could at least understand the motivations for. Sandra Bullock did a brilliant job as Malorie. But for me the standout was Trevante Rhodes as Tom, who kept the idea alive that life isn’t meant to be endured, it’s meant to be lived. The film made me tear up a few times, which showed the actors did a great job of making me sympathize with their characters.

There were a few difficulties the movie hinted at and then completely glossed over. Like how the group loaded groceries into the car and what happened on the boat at night (did they sleep on the water or pull over to the side)?

There’s a little gore but it’s mostly a psychological horror movie. It’s a Netflix original, so if you’ve got the service, it’s worth checking out.