Bird Box

Release Date: December 21, 2018
Runtime: 124 minutes
Rating: R
Studio: Netflix
Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Sandra Bullock; Trevante Rhodes; John Malkovich; Sarah Paulson; Jacki Weaver; Rosa Salazar; Danielle Macdonald; Lil Rel Howery; Tom Hollander; Colson Baker; BD Wong; Pruitt Taylor Vince; Parminder Nagra

**Minor Spoilers**

I’ve always been a rabid Sandra Bullock fan. She simply has that relatable star quality that can make any piece of garbage at least a little bit watchable (yes, even Speed 2). Yet, as much as I like her and enjoy her films (for the most part…I was not a fan of Premonition), I never really thought of her as much of an “actress,” in the sense that, say, Vanessa Redgrave or Meryl Streep are “actresses” (yes, I know she won an Oscar for The Blind Side, but I think that that movie, as enjoyable as she was in it, was an instance of serendipitous marriage of personality to material). Hear me out…Bullock’s an enormously likable and captivating presence in the movies; a joy to watch. That’s not a trait one should take for granted…even if you are the most talented person on the planet, if the audience doesn’t want to spend two hours watching you, you ain’t gonna be a movie star. Certain roles and genres play to this type of inherent movie star-wattage, such as Tom Cruise and action comedies. Typically, an actor of Bullock’s prominence would appear to be stretching when he or she ventures out of their comfort zone to tackle a more uncharacteristic part in a drama or thriller. Sometimes this is not a good idea, as we saw when Julia Roberts made a grossly unfortunate foray into the period thriller with Mary Reilly and Bullock’s aforementioned Premonition. Sometimes, however, such risk-taking can result in a pleasant surprise, as is the case with Bullock’s appearance in Susanne Bier’s riveting Bird Box.

This sort of high-concept thriller appears to be en vogue lately (comparisons have been made with the recent A Quiet Place, but such comparisons are barely permissible). In Bird Box, Bullock plays Malorie, a very pregnant, reclusive painter who is nevertheless in pregnancy-denial mode. The audience is informed via news reports that some sort of invisible entity is blowing through Russia, causing all who catch its glance to commit suicide. Malorie is dismissive: this is a problem for the Russians. On the way home from an afternoon doctor’s appointment, however, all hell breaks loose on the streets of Sacramento (the story’s setting) as the invisible entity appears to have crossed the Pacific and hordes of people blindly commit suicide in all sorts of horrific ways (indeed, some of these opening scenes certainly earn the film its R rating). Luckily, Malorie is able to secure refuge in the nearby home of Doug (John Malkovich), whose wife, Lydia, has just succumbed to the deadly force. Also sheltering in Doug’s house is your standard horror movie ragtag group of (multi-ethnic) personalities that otherwise would unlikely be in the same room together. This includes Tom (Trevante Rhodes), the compassionate levelheaded guy who ends up as our heroine’s love interest; Cheryl (Jacki Weaver), the grandmother figure; Lucy (Rosa Salazar), the athletic, ass-kicking cop; Olympia (Danielle Macdonald), a fellow mom-to-be; Charlie (Lil Rel Howery), the closest thing we have to comic relief; Felix (Colson Baker), the tattooed rocker type; and Greg (BD Wong), an architect who, since he is played by a moderately recognizable name, you know is not gonna make it to the end. The meat of the movie concerns Malorie’s attempt to make it to a safe haven two days downriver from where she has been living with Tom and her two kids (how she ends up with two, I won’t say…she didn’t have twins).

Bird Box is an extraordinarily well-constructed thriller. Director Bier maintains high tension throughout and presents her story in a non-linear manner that forces the audience to remain intrigued throughout. Furthermore, Bier never relies on jump scares, but allows the drama to unfold organically throughout the story. There are a few plot threads that could have used a bit more explanation (a major point in the discourse is barely given one line in the way of explanation) and a couple of contrivances strain credibility, but because of Bullock’s presence (see what I mean????) and the tense direction, these points hardly affect one’s enjoyment of the film. Tremendous credit must be given to cinematographer Salvatore Totino (Everest, Angels & Demons) for his spectacular work during the forest and river sequences (difficult filming under the best of circumstances) and screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Arrival, 2011’s The Thing) for his tight, intelligent script adapted from the novel by Josh Malerman.

Bird Box isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s an enormously entertaining one. Bullock gives it her all (she’s in a blindfold for half the movie!) and effortlessly pulls off an uncharacteristic role; the kids, thankfully, aren’t annoying; narrative devices (including locations, plot points, etc.) are for the most part tight and convincing, and the film maintains its hold on the audience throughout. I’m glad to see it’s a hit for Netflix….and the memes circulating online are hilarious!