Bird Box

Kamurai

Jul 28, 2020

6/10

Decent watch, might watch again, and can recommend, at least as a one-off. I have technical frustrations with this movie, but it's premise alone is interesting enough that anyone interested in survival style movies should watch it, though I'm not sure how many people are re-watching this. The movie is cast very well: Sandra Bullock and Jon Malkovich, both wonderfully portray jerk characters in completely different lights, along side several supporting actors who all deliver adequately or better. As most of the movie takes place inside a single house, they manage to keep things interesting there and vary up a few select locations, to include a city that is amazingly detailed in all the chaos unfurling and a river that is somehow both expanse enough you could feel lost and also claustrophobic in its restriction: it's a movie that presents very well. My big qualm is the structure of the writing: not the writing itself. All the dialogue and story arcs are great, but the RIDICULOUS insistence on re-ordering a story and not benefiting from it is just annoying. The second half of the story is interspersed with the first half of the story so you alternate back and forth. Really, who tells a story and jumps ahead 3/5 of the way, then back, then when you get to the 3/5 mark, not reiterate what is happening there. I might watch this again, but I know I won't truly enjoy it until I finally take the time to edit into the correct order.

Bird Box, adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel, presents a chilling premise of an invisible entity that drives people to suicide upon seeing it. The film uses a dual-timeline narrative effectively, balancing present danger with the origin of the chaos. While the internal group conflicts and tension are well-handled, the logic behind the creature’s effects and selective immunity leaves some ambiguity. Strong performances, especially from Sandra Bullock, and detailed direction enhance the film’s impact. Though intriguing, the film leaves room for deeper exploration of its mythos and psychological depth. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)