Bird Box is very deceptive. So much so that many people like me overlooked it. When I saw the trailer, I thought it was going to be like another recent movie with kids and monsters. Wrong. Once I started watching, I couldn’t look away. I guess when I’m wrong about a movie, I’m really wrong.
Rarely do I tell you a lot about the actual movie, but it is hard not to talk about Bird Box. It is a horror movie mixed with a fairy tale. The storytelling is not what you would expect for an adult, when talking to a child. At times, it was unsettling.
How many times have you seen a bird as a canary in a coal mine? It is something that I’ve seen several times. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t have to be a bird. You have movies where dogs or even cats act as the canary, lots of times. This time, it is actual birds. And the poor birds go through a lot in this movie. But don’t worry, because we all know filmmakers can’t actually hurt the birds. I’m sure they were being monitored. But in some ways, they are kind of heroes.
This movie starts with bad news about an odd string of suicides in a foreign country. It was especially odd, because of the variety of suicides. But do we care about news from another country? Of course not. We’re Americans. So, we go about our lives until things start to get whacky here. And to make it really interesting, someone is pregnant and not happy about it. That’s all I will tell you about the actual storyline. Sorry, not sorry.
OK, so when things get really hairy, you get to choose which character you believe and disbelieve. That’s always fun to try to pick who to believe and who to run from. Oh, and everyone gets to wear blindfolds. In fact, those blindfolds are one of the most-watched props in the whole movie.
The movie does jump in time a little, so expect that to happen and keep up. There are two children who are well trained little blindfolded kids. They know how to get around and you kind of feel sorry for them, but don’t. You will have more to worry about. Now, back to those birds. So far, they have been well kept, but later, they are lucky to not be freeze dried or drowned at one time or another. The kids are in pretty much the same situation.
I admit I’m being a little deceptive, myself. I don’t want to tell you too much, but I am also hopefully telling you enough to give you a reason to watch it. Hmmm, OK, here is a surefire way. Bird Box is on Netflix, like a jewel hidden and just waiting for you. Here are a few more reasons: Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson and John Malkovich. Great acting in this film. What I liked best of all was the deception aspect of the movie. You can never get comfortable, just like in the movie. The minute you do, you will wish your blindfold was back on.