BIRD BOX

US, 2018, 124 minutes, Colour.
Sandra Bullock, Travante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, BD Wong, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Vivien Lara Blair, Julian Edwards.
Directed by Suzanne Bier.

Bird Box is an unexpected title for an apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic drama. It has been directed by Suzanne Bier, Danish director who won an Oscar for In a Better World, who has directed films in Europe and in the United States as well as the adaptation of John Le Carre’s The Night Manager.

At the opening of the film, we are introduced to a pregnant artist, Malorie (no father in view), moody, reluctantly going to visit the obstetrician, urged on by her sister (Sarah Paulson). We glimpse television stories about a disaster in Russia, crowds going berserk, mass suicides. And, within a short time, it takes over in the United States, women bashing their heads against glass windows, crowds running in the streets, vehicles hitting them, crashing into one another, vehicles on fire – and, scenes of people with madness in their eyes, glazed intensity before they go to kill themselves.

Malorie herself is in danger on the streets, almost killed, until a kind woman from a house nearby hurries out, despite her husband’s warning her not to, to help but then she is taken over, willingly gets into a flaming car.

The major part of the film concerns the range of people who have taken refuge in the house. They are a mixed group, John Malkovich as Douglas the self-centred on unwilling host, Travante Rhodes as Tom, a sympathetic worker, some of the staff from a nearby supermarket, Danielle Macdonald desperately taking refuge despite opposition, also pregnant, Jacki Weaver who proves to be a life-saving helper at the births, and, later, Tom Hollander as a mysterious refugee from an institution who does weird illustrations.

The screenplay does not give any detailed explanation of what has happened, only some suggestions, something in the air, sabotage… In fact, the filmmakers ultimately decided not to show anything of what the victims saw what, just the movement in the atmosphere, their eyes opened and transformed to death. Which means then that the survivors have to block out sight of the outside world, emerging only wearing blindfolds. It might defy realism, but the sequence where the group block the car windows, rely on the GSP to get them to the supermarket for supplies, driving over bodies and debris, does create some tension.

And, intersecting with this story is an episode, five years later, with Malorie desperate with a little boy and a little girl, explaining to them that they have to go on a voyage on the river, all of them blindfold, trusting her absolutely. This story draws attention as they experience difficulties on the river, crashing into a wreck, the boat overturning and the danger to the children, going through the rapids.

There are continual ragers around the countryside, able to see, but commenting on how wonderful the beauty is that they can see, urging others to look, to remove the blindfolds, to embrace the beauty.

There are quite a number of disasters, victims being exposed to the outside world, suicides, murders, and quite some empathy at the end towards Malorie, Tom and the children.

The final destination for Malorie and the children has touches of paradise – but, is not quite what the audience might have expected which makes the ending and the finale different, and rather touching in its way.

The film is rather long, sometimes repetitive, which may tax the impatient who want action to move along. However, for those drawn into the story, the mystery, the human experiences, the challenges, it proves to be an interesting, sometimes more humane, post-apocalyptic drama.

1. Science fiction, apocalyptic experiences, post-apocalyptic life?

2. The two stories and their interconnections? The buildup of suspense within each of the two stories?

3. The credibility of the plot, the characters, the mystery? No explanation given? No visuals of what the victims see? Suggestion, atmosphere of the air? The repercussions and the suicides?

4. The city, homes, hospital, the streets, the interiors of the house of refuge? The deserted mall? The musical score?

5. The contrast between the two stories, five years in between? The story in the house and the refuge, the story on the river?

6. The introduction, Malorie, Sandra Bullock’s performance, her age, art, moodiness, the pregnancy, no father, her sister helping, going to the hospital, the interview with the doctor?

7. The television news, the information about Russia, the mass suicides, the transition to the United States?

8. The Dawn of the Dead scenario, people and their eyes, fleeing, the madness, suicides, car accidents, fires? The eyes of the victims, the sudden change, the rush to kill themselves? The effect for Malorie, her sister driving, her sister being taken over, the crash? Malorie in the street, the woman coming to the rescue, her husband at the door, shouting for her to come back, the effect on her, her glazed eyes, getting to the car and the incineration?

9. The chaos, the people taking refuge in the house, the owner and his selfish attitudes, cynical comments, his reactions to the various people? Malorie, pregnant, hard, her experience, her reactions? Issues of fear? The older woman, her presence, later helping with the births? The couple, the bond between them, the getting out of the house? Tom, his work, taking refuge? The man from the supermarket, his discussions about writing novels, fear of going out? The range of interactions, coping and not coping?

10. The need for food and supplies? The discussions about going to the supermarket? The owner, his reaction to the alcohol in the shop? Covering the windows of the car, Tom driving, the use of the GPS, the bodies in the street, the dangers of driving, the corners? Into the supermarket? The supplies? The author, hearing the noise from the refrigerator, his being trapped and dying?

11. Olivia, coming to the door, her coming in, the different reactions, her pregnancy, her absent husband? Her letting in the man from the institution, his plausible words, interacting with everyone?

12. The man from the institution, his wanting everybody to see, to remove the blindfolds, to remove the blinds from the windows? Olivia and the effect, her leaving out the window? The various escapes? The fights, deaths?

13. The births, the two mothers giving birth, the old woman acting as a midwife? Malorie accepting of responsibilities? Especially after Olivia’s death?

14. Malorie and her task, mothering, calling the children Boy and Girl? The transition of five years? With the children, her severe exhortations to them, the blindfolds, the boat, going on the river, the details of the journey, arriving, Malorie tough, the crash into the wreck, going overboard, Malorie of the rescue? The buildup to going over the rapids?

15. The five years, the sudden introduction of Tom, that he and Malorie and the children had been together, forming family, the love between the two? The persecution by outsiders, the reckless drivers and the cars? Tom confronting, the gun, taking off the blindfold, his death?

16. Malorie and the children arriving at the refuge, the discovery that everyone there was blind, the ability to survive without seeing? The welcoming, the discovery of the obstetrician? The names for the children? A future? A kind of paradise?