Bird Box (2018)

What a film. Based on the 2014 novel by the same name, written by Josh Malerman, Bird Box is a sense-deprivation thriller, causing the characters (and audience) to rely solely on their senses other than sight to get them through an apocalyptic and violent world, surrounded by, well, insanity.

With a really impressive and unexpected cast, including Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Tom Hollander, and more, this film is packed with acting chops, including the child actors, which are harder to come by in terms of talent for a horror film.

Well, maybe not horror. Maybe dread. It took me a while to learn the difference. Horror is when you see the results of the scare. Or rather, the scare is the result of experiencing the direct cause of the awfulness. For example, seeing someone get shot. But dread is a little different, and Bird Box nails it. Dread is rather the suspense that someone could be shot. Or loading the gun and pointing it, but not firing. The apprehension that comes with dread is masterfully crafted in Bird Box. The creatures, or beings, whatever they are that are roaming the streets and causing people to lose their minds, are never seen or expressly illustrated. The only moment where we receive an idea is when Gary opens his suitcase and shows the viewers his obsession with the creatures. The images he has drawn of them.

Now, let's talk about these creatures. The film implies that they are some kind of entity that causes you to experience your greatest sorrow or fear, and that you lose your mind from looking at it and experiencing those feelings. In the original cut of the film, the creature was revealed in a dream that Malore has. That being said, I am so incredibly glad this was removed from the film. I think having a creature that we never see is vital to this being a successful film, and Gary's interpretations of the creature through his drawings only add to the dread, they don't take away from it. So, long story short, this film is better without a physical embodiment of the creature to make contact with us. Because the characters can't see it, neuither should we, and I'm glad the production team agreed.

Now, the story. I really loved Malorie as a character, and I appreciate that in the film, they made her a badass pregnant woman instead of a viewer who stayed at home, like in the book. (Read my post on the Bird Box Novella here.) This being a female-directed film - Susanne Bier - it's no wonder that the team did an amazing job to shape Malorie into a true survivor, instead of a passive main character that relies on Tom to guide her. That being said, we also see Tom and Malorie's relationship blossom from the cautious care we see in the book, to the full-blown domestic romance that we see in the film. I'm also thankful for this because I do believe that having something to lose raises the stakes a bit. And after the destruction at the end of the novella, there was almost nothing to lose. But at the end of the film, losing Tom was as devastating as Gary's destruction of their home, and was the catalyst for the river journey with the children.

The portion of the film with the rogue crazies and the second portion of the film where Tom and Malorie have become a couple and parents to Boy and Girl was not in the novella, but I thought added a little more realism to the film. Of course, there would be crazies roaming the streets looking for victims. And of course, if you're surviving with someone who takes care of you, you're likely to form a relationship with them. So frankly, I didn't mind that the team added these concepts and scenes, even if it was only for screen time, as typically novellas that become films are more likely to not have enough content for two hours of screen time. Adding scenes and content is not unheard of and is typical in film adaptations of novellas.

I would have to say, Tom Hollander, John Malkovich, and Lil Rel Howery were my favorite actors in this film. They made the film for me. Tom Hollander as the unhinged Gary was so frightening, as he was just an unstoppable force, bringing destruction in his wake. John Malkovich's bastard Doug was so real - he reacted as most people I interact with would act. And Lil Rel Howery was hilarious and loveable as always, every time I see him in something. Sandra Bullock as our lead was a fantastic survivalist in Malorie and was incredibly strong in this piece. Her performances never cease to amaze me. The actors for Boy and Girl, Julian Edwards and Vivien Lyra Blair, were amazing in their roles. Often I am worried about child actors, but their roles in this film seemed fairly tame, which I am happy for. The rest of this cast did a fantastic job all around. Sarah Paulson's shorter role was impactful as well. Trevante Rhodes as Tom was a comforting presence throughout his entire time on screen. Everyone was believable, even in the unbelievable moments, which is what made this movie special.

The sound design in this film gave me chills multiple times. The selective use of score, along with the creatures' sounds, including whispering, animal noises, and more, was definitely the scariest part of this film. It was even scarier than the moments where we see dead bodies, or can't see through the blindfolds that the characters may be wearing. The cinematography of this film I especially liked - focusing almost entirely on Sandra Bullock as Malorie and the boat with the kids, or, in her flashbacks, in the home.

After re-watching this film, I can see all the foreshadowing that was written deeply into the beginning of the film, especially when looking at Malorie's painting and discussing loneliness. This is a precursor to the housemates that are living together later in the film. Everyone is together, but incredibly alone in their suffering, only brought together by the need to survive. Malorie's life being turned upside down at the beginning of the film, is only the start. Her life is turned upside down over and over and over again until finally, she has her baby in the middle of the film's climax. Gary's destruction of the home and the housemates is the start of a third reality for Malorie, and little does she know there will also be a fourth.

After Tom dies protecting Malorie and the kids later in the film, Malorie makes the decision we see right at the start of the film - to try to move to a new safe house in this world of chaos, with two children, blind. Being on the river with the children makes up a large portion of the film, and comes with its own fear of the unknown. I remember traveling with my boyfriend one time, and the plane had some vicious turbulence. Imagining turbulence and having your ears peeled for over 30 hours sounds not only frightening but incredibly exhausting. And then doing it blind? Hell no. And then doing it with children??? TO PROTECT THEM? Impossible. And yet Malorie pulls it off. What a rockstar.

Seeing how Tom and Malorie have raised the children, to only survive and listen to them, was crucial for this story. Having "normal" children would have absolutely doomed Malorie, the two youngsters, and the birds in the box. The children being so obedient, was incredibly useful in this story. Reading the novel gave more of a clue as to how the children were so obedient, (go read it), but this film makes it seem like they just happen to understand the danger they are in and understand the gravity of their circumstances.

The birds in this film were a symbol of hope. This was kind of expected, but well done. Using the birds as an alarm system in the film, reminding the housemates that something evil was near, but also that there is hope they may live, was clever. Birds have been both omens of evil and symbols of hope since before humanity can remember, and combining those concepts in this film is a smart way to make the sounds of the birds both dreadful and relieving at the same time. We can live, but only because we had a warning.

All in all, this was an enjoyable film that didn't break me down, but it definitely filled me with unease throughout the entire piece. Well done! Worth multiple watches and worth the time spent on it. Streaming on Netflix.

-B