Bird Box - Summary/ Review (with Spoilers)

While Bird Box certainly contains some emotional high points, it overstays its welcome.

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Director(s)		Susanne Bier
Written By		Eric Heisserer
Date Released		12/21/2018
Genre(s)		Drama, Thriller
Good If You Like		Long, Drawn Out Movies Films Which Rely More On The Actor’s Persona Than Having Them Become Characters Sandra Bullock
Noted Cast
Malorie	Sandra Bullock
Jessica	Sarah Paulson
Boy	Julian Edwards
Girl	Vivien Lyra Blair
Tom	Trevante Rhodes
Douglas	John Malkovich
Lucy	Rosa Salazar
Olympia	Danielle Macdonald
Greg	BD Wong
Felix	Machine Gun Kelly
Gary	Tom Hollander

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Bird Box‘s Plot (Ending on 2nd Page)

My interpretation: Fallen angels land in Russia and soon spread out through the world. To see these angels means going mad which a handful of the population can deal with, since they were already mad. However, for most, the madness is too much and so they kill themselves. As you can expect with any apocalyptic movie, this means the first few days of the crisis are horrific. However, some, like Malorie, get lucky. For while her sister, Jessica, dies on the first day, she is able to find a house and some sense of safety.

However, within 5 years, it seems her life changed drastically and the group she was with disbanded. Now all she has is her children, some supplies, blindfolds, and just enough hope to try to make it down a river. Where is she going? Well, there was a man on the radio, one of the first she may have heard in years, who promised a safe place. Which, considering the life she lives, and the psychos who can walk around without blindfolds, Malorie finds herself with no other choice but to take boy and girl, her children, to this, hopefully, safe place.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

If you are watching for anyone besides Sandra Bullock and Trevante Rhodes, you may not feel this film is worth sitting through. I say that because their time around Malorie will feel short when you take not of this movie being 2 hours.

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Question(s) Left Unanswered

What happened to Lucy and Felix?

Collected Quote(s) or .Gifs

I find it comforting to focus on the wrong things.
— Malorie

Highlights

Sandra Bullock

Being that Malorie is really the only one we get to know, and is made to be interesting, she is a highlight by default. Though, it also has to be noted that Bullock just has that star power, as also seen in Gravity, where she doesn’t need much to keep you engaged. Granted, supporting characters who were made to be more interesting, a more active threat, and a few other things would have helped. Yet, for a film that supposedly was less than $20 million, she does a lot with the little she is given. I’d even say she’ll make you get teary eyed towards the end.

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Criticism

You May Not Feel Fear or Worry For The Characters

Okay, when the movie is at its height, we have at least 7 characters who are available to us. To be 100% honest, your sole interest in those characters will be entirely based on how much you like or know the actor. As for the character themselves? You’ll probably not give one damn about whether they live or die. Yes, Douglas is comical, since John Malkovich is being, well John Malkovich. However, he is the only actor really allowed to play up what he is known for.

As for the rest? Well, while shown in previous productions that Rosa Salazar is talented, Danielle Macdonald, and BD Wong, they, alongside the others not named, you kind of hunch off as things happen to them. Either death, them going out on their own, or making it to the end.

On The Fence

This Seems Like It Needs to Be Seen In Theaters

While Sandra Bullock can carry a movie by herself, when surrounded by other actors, she naturally tries to share the spotlight. In doing so, as noted above, this allows the film to drag. For between monsters who we only see when one character manically draws them, crazy no name people trying to force people to see what is going on, no explanation as to what is going on, and so much more, this gets boring after a while. To the point that I could imagine not being the only one who starts this movie one part of the day, let’s say morning, and either doesn’t finish it until the nighttime or a completely other day for you find something better to do. Yet, because you got so far, you figure maybe at least it will end well.

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Overall: Mixed (Divisive) | Purchase, Rent, Get Tickets, or Merchandise On (Watch on Netflix)

I really don’t understand the Bird Box comparisons to A Quiet Place at all. For one, that movie smartly kept its cast small and made it so you were invested in their life and safety. With this movie, you are never really invested in the characters as much as seeing the actor you enjoy live for as long as possible. Which is the problem with Bird Box. The characters are written so thinly that the actors don’t seem able to get lost in their roles. Then, when it comes to the life-threatening danger, no matter if we’re talking about psychos or what I deemed to be fallen angels, neither are made to be compelling either.

Hence the mixed label. At times, Bullock does figure out a way to make a scene compensate for the many which come before it. However, as talented as she is, Bullock isn’t at the level where she can carry the movie, her fellow actors, and a script that probably makes fans of the book pissed. So unless your love for one of the actors is undying and you must see whatever they are in, be cautious with this one. For truly, the time commitment alone may lead you to stop watching.

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Bird Box Ending (Spoilers)

Title card for movie Bird Box

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So, after Greg dies thinking you can get away with seeing the angels through a camera, Charlie dies when they head to the supermarket for food, Lucy and Felix steal the car, Olympia, Douglas, and Cheryl die thanks to a stray named Gary, it’s just Tom, Malorie, and two children. One child originally named boy, Malorie’s biological son, and the other girl, Olympia’s daughter. For five years Malorie and Tom raise these kids but not in an “It gets better!” kind of way. Malorie doesn’t play that but Tom wants to give the kids something to hope for.

Hence why, when Rick speaks into the ever silent walkie-talkie, Tom gets excited. Yes, the journey Rick makes clear is arduous, but Tom hears sanctuary and wants to keep his family safe. Problem is, Malorie isn’t on board until Tom gets killed by some psychos. After that, she takes Boy and Girl, later named Tom and Olympia, down a river, for over 42 hours, over rapids as well, a school for the blind. A place which is safe, has other kids, and a lot of what Tom dreamed of for the kids.