But is it any good?
Earlier this year, when A Quiet Place was released in cinemas, the story of a family attempted to survive in near silence was a brilliant one, because it automatically put the viewers in the exact same position as those in the movie: try to stay as quiet as possible.
With Netflix’s new release Bird Box, there another sense being taken away from the protagonists, with the movie’s official synopsis as follows:
When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life. Facing the unknown, Malorie finds love, hope and a new beginning only for it to unravel. Now she must flee with her two children down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary. But to survive, they’ll have to undertake the perilous two-day journey blindfolded.
Check out the trailer right here:
Clip via Netflix
With a very impressive cast including Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, John Malkovich, Jacki Weaver, and Trevante Rhodes, with critically acclaimed director Susanne Bier (Brothers, Things We Lost In The Fire) and screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Lights Out) behind the camera, there was a good chance that Bird Box could end up being on par with A Quiet Place.
However, with a score of 52% on Metacritic, it would appear that it is a lot more mediocre that it’s closest competition.
On the top end, The Wrap gave it four stars, saying that “Bullock’s performance is brilliant — she takes all these internalized fears and crafts a character who has already disconnected from emotion. Throughout the films, she challenges what “maternal” means in circumstances this dire.”
At the other end, The San Francisco Chronicle gave it 1.5 out of 5: “The effort behind Bird Box was to make something better than a standard horror movie, but the result is dull and half-hearted. It’s not serious enough or important enough to transcend the horror genre, but neither is it visceral enough to hold up as a regulation horror movie.”
Perhaps the best overall view comes from The Hollywood Reporter’s very middle of the read review: “This is a wannabe shocker with a clever premise that doesn’t really get down and dirty or betray the base instincts of a born horror filmmaker.”
Bird Box is available to watch on Netflix right now.
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