Emily
“Bird Box” by director Susanne Bier is Netflix’s most recent smash hit. With over 45 million views in the first week, it was clear that the streaming service had something very special here… or did it? All the hype may have been for nothing because at the end of the day the film is hardly more than your standard post-apocalyptic thriller. Granted it is starring the talented Sandra Bullock with a side of delightfully suspenseful cinematography, but anyone who thought those high viewership numbers meant a high quality and unique story is in for a long (over two hours) ride.
The story opens on Malorie (Bullock) as she prepares two small children for a dangerous journey. She places blindfolds over their eyes and demands that they never look, or else they will die. Then, the group begins their adventure down a river, made all the more difficult by the fact that they can barely see through their thick cloth shields. This opening is one of the best parts of the film, hooking the viewer in pretty successfully. The audience is given the occasional POV through the blindfolds which ups the suspense, drawing us in with the characters and daring us to learn more about what dangers exist just outside our vision.
What follows is a series of intermixed flashbacks and present day river shots. Five years prior to the trip down the river, Malorie is living a simple life as a pregnant single artist. She doesn’t take anything seriously, including her unborn child, but when all of humanity is suddenly overcome by the desire to commit suicide she is quickly forced to make an attitude adjustment. Sandra Bullock is certainly the high point of the film. She is both likeable and believable in her role as our guide through this world gone crazy.
Our planet has been overcome by the suicide epidemic seemingly overnight and without warning. When Malorie’s sister (Sarah Paulson) suddenly falls victim to the mysterious plague, Malorie manages to take refuge in a house full of strangers fighting to survive. The inhabitants only know one thing about the “killing machine”… don’t ever look.
Unfortunately, this is when the whole film quickly falls apart. As we learn more about the characters and this wave of death taking over our planet, we are forced to acknowledge the overplayed storyline and cliche characters. While some moments are certainly jump-worthy, there is an obvious lack of true character motivation and the film ends up feeling the director was just putting everyone through the paces.
Both John Malkovich and Trevante Rhodes deliver decent performances and have a solid chemistry with Bullock, but even they can’t save a film whose premise quickly becomes tired. Many viewers will find themselves wondering exactly what they just experienced. In the end, we are left with a fun, suspenseful Sandra Bullock vehicle that is practically free of charge, but not much else.
