Bird Box (R)

Warning: slight spoilers ahead

The stakes are high in Netflix’s “Bird Box,” and the audience is smacked in the face with them in the first piece of dialogue. The film opens with Malorie (Sandra Bullock) harshly informing two young children they are going on a trip that comes with a high risk of death. She bluntly spits out the line, “If you take off your blindfold, I will hurt you.” 

“Bird Box,” based on the 2014 novel by debut author Josh Malerman, quickly cuts to a flashback of a pregnant Malorie, getting ready to attend an OB-GYN appointment with her sister Jessica (Sarah Paulson, in a shamefully short cameo). Malorie and Jessica discuss the “thing” causing mass suicides in Europe and Russia. The “thing” hits while Malorie and Jessica are at the doctor’s office. After a chaotic turn of events, Malorie ends up taking refuge in a nearby house with a group of strangers.

The rest of the movie is set up in a “then and now” style of storytelling, with the flashbacks setting us up for Malorie and the kids’ trip along the river. The flashbacks serve as a narrative vehicle for revealing information about these creatures causing the thing, and their impact on the remaining society.

The group quickly realizes the mass suicides are caused by looking at these creatures, so they swiftly cover up all windows in their house. As the majority of the action happens within this house, it’s a relief that the cast of characters is brought to life by a strong group of actors. 

Bullock leads the cast as Malorie. As she has progressed throughout her career, Bullock has found a niche for herself playing women who are whip-smart and tough as nails, protecting their vulnerable side. We see that same hard exterior with Malorie, but there’s no emotional monologue in this movie. Bullock skillfully plays Malorie as a woman who is clearly damaged. We see slight cracks in the shell when we see the look on Malorie’s face as her sister mentions the father of her baby or when she allows herself fleeting moments to grief during one of the film’s multiple devastating tragedies. 

But she manages to pick herself up and prove to perhaps be the toughest badass in the group. It’s a refreshing role for a woman to play, and Bullock is the perfect fit. I mean three years ago, Channing Tatum told Seth Meyers he would run to Sandra Bullock’s house in the apocalypse. If there wasn’t source material with a female protagonist, this is the type of role that would typically go to a man. How often do you see a pregnant woman as one of the leaders of a group of apocalypse survivors? It would’ve been nice to see a strong female lead in wide-release in theaters, but a massive platform like Netflix is a good start. 

We’d be remiss to overlook the rest of the cast. Riding high from the sweet Netflix original film, “Dumplin’,” Danielle Macdonald joins the group as another pregnant woman, Olympia. She is Malorie’s opposite. Olympia is a woman who is self-described as “soft.” (Exhibit A: she wants to name her baby after a Disney princess). But Macdonald brings a sweet innocence to a woman who is the yin to Malorie’s yang. John Malkovich plays Douglas — distrusting, booze-swigging and border-line rude. Pretty much what I imagine Malkovich to be in real-life (side note — how is Malkovich not a staple in every post-apocalyptic film?). 

“Bird Box” does a nice job building tension and mystery through its split timelines. However, the film would have benefitted more from spending a little more time in its present-day timeline. “Bird Box” seems to be a faithful adaptation of its source, which is a very admirable thing. The film focuses more on the flashbacks, which is largely conversations between the characters in their house. This portion of the film is fine drama and character development, but likely translates better on the page. Malorie’s journey on the river is tense and terrifying. She is blindfolded nearly the entire time, making it almost of riff of “A Quiet Place.” It’s the kind of action that leaves you holding your breath, which is what movie audiences respond more to.

Audiences may also be disappointed by the lack of answers “Bird Box” provides, but that’s something the film does well. There’s a lingering unease in never knowing what these creatures look like or what its victims see. That’s the kind of story-telling strategy that will keep audiences talking.

-by Brynne Ramella