Bird Box (2018)

Directed by: Susanne Bier | 124 minutes | drama, horror | Actors: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Machine Gun Kelly, BD Wong, Pruitt Taylor Vince

One pandemic is not the other. In the American post-apocalyptic horror drama ‘Bird Box’, the world’s population is hit by an insane suicide epidemic. That disease seems to come from aliens and the only way to escape it is to cover your eyes. The heavily pregnant artist Malorie is very lucky to escape the danger. She goes into hiding in a completely taped house, where a diverse band of survivors wait for what’s to come.

‘Bird Box’ begins some five years after the outbreak of the epidemic, in an abandoned house by a river. We see how blindfolded Malorie and two children embark on a rowing trip in search of a colony of survivors. This rowing trip is the common thread for a film that mainly consists of long flashbacks. We go back to the early days of the pandemic, to the survivors in the taped house, to the food shortages, to desperate romances and to the ever-present danger of intruders. Because very occasionally someone knocks at the door of the house.

‘Bird Box’ is a film by the acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier. This director is best known for intense, emotional, completely humorless dramas such as ‘Brødre’, ‘Efter Brylluppet’ and ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’. ‘Bird Box’ is also intense and emotional, humor is nowhere to be seen. Tension does. Unfortunately ‘Bird Box’ suffers from the usual weakness of Bier: it’s all a bit too much. The film is so intense that a climax is actually unnecessary. Such a shame, because the climax here is super exciting.

The actors are at least as acclaimed as the director. With Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Jacki Weaver, Tom Hollander and Sarah Paulson from the older guard, and Trevante Rhodes, Rosa Salazar and Danielle Macdonald as (slightly) younger talents. The big name that is still missing is that of Stephen King. Although the famous horror writer contributed nothing to this film, everything in ‘Bird Box’ is reminiscent of his (filmed) books. The battle between good and evil, invisible alien danger, a small community of survivors, a hellish journey to redemption. Lovers of King will certainly get their money’s worth here. For all other film lovers, this is an exciting, fascinating but a bit too tiring session.