Bird Box

I liked it a little more than A Quiet Place, because this film started, continued and ended with a intimate-depressing atmosphere, and never drifted towards action scenes at all costs. Moreover, the evil that was causing all this was even more mysterious, unknown the entire time and thus more interesting. That's great. And the scene with the car ride to the supermarket was truly superb. (05/01/2019)

I just don't know. Similar to A Quiet Place, the film has a unique premise and a great cast, but the final execution lost quite a few points in some aspects. I genuinely appreciate the idea of suicidal tendencies after seeing the entity... but then there's the entity. The film fails to explain anything; we don't get any details about whether these are extraterrestrials made of flesh and blood or some sort of cosmic matter. I don’t even know how it came to Earth. I don't consider myself someone who enjoys filling in gaps left by others. Why should I have to? Moving on... Sandra Bullock surprised me. Although I didn’t quite buy her as a pregnant woman, she delivered high-standard performances in emotionally charged moments. There are some great scenes (the one in the house with Tom Hollander was absolutely top-notch). The ending played on emotions, which I understand, but the abrupt cut and lack of explanation really frustrated me. It felt like a missed opportunity, and it was a significant one. I give it 63%. (28/12/2018)

Netflix, a good director, decent idea and actors. That’s becoming a synonym for 2018. I hope that sticks with the years to come as Birdbox is quite a good apocalyptic drama I could imagine as a series. What makes me happy is that Sandra Bullock again proved herself to be a great actress. Not many people appreciate her, still I think she deserves some respect. Similarly to the plot of the movie which kept me on the edge of my seat from start to end. However I know how hard it is to walk blindfolded through the forest – had the honor on a team-building exercise I went to – and the characters in this movie made it seem all too easy. It’s true that the plot is a bit naive yet under Susanne Bier’s baton it works perfectly and the movie deserves attention. (31/12/2018)

Anyone could admit  that it is only a facsimile of A Quiet Place, however, Bird Box cannot be denied its own merit and the fact that it goes off in a different direction. From a technical and acting point of view, it is a great achievement (I think that more time and space could have been given to John Malkovich’s character especially, I would have appreciated that). However, the retrospective narration was painful - and, because of it, you could predict how the movie would turn out from the beginning concerning most of the characters, so there are no real surprises when something really bad happens. The audience is thus unnecessarily deprived of suspense, and it is impossible to generate an emotional connection with the characters from the start, which is a great shame with this type of movie. Also, perhaps only those with the sunniest of dispositions could have actually believed the ending. (11/01/2019)

For me, on the same level of A Quiet Place (which I actually liked a little bit less than the average rating would suggest), though it also has some passages that will make a sane viewer facepalm. The behaviour of the characters doesn’t correspond to what would be sensible a given situation (can anyone explain me why nobody paid attention to the guy who in the flashback was experimenting with cameras around the house?). Taken as a whole, however, it’s professionally put together, with solid performances and direction. But expecting a masterpiece would be a mistake. (16/12/2018)