New Year, New JTP. As our blog starts to spread more of its cultural wings, we decided to review Netflix’s brand new thriller Bird Box which has the internet going absolutely bonkers. Bird Box essentially tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where there are these invisible creatures that, when seen, manifest as your worst fear/deepest sadness and you are forced to commit suicide. The story follows a flashback/flashforward format with the main focus being on a character named Mallory who is initially pregnant in the early part of the disaster and then when a flashforward occurs she is taking care of a young boy and girl as they make their voyage down the river to a compound where they will be safe from these creatures.
Before watching the movie, I was surprised with the mixed review this movies got from the critics. Usually I tend to focus more on critics’ reviews more than audience reactions so I was skeptical on the entertainment value and overall quality of the movie going in. However, I was dead wrong.
This movie was, simply put, captivating from beginning to end and kept my heart pounding the entire time, which is ultimately the goal of this genre of film. Sandra Bullock was amazing and perfectly executed with Mallory’s emotional transition from a stubborn, anti-emotional figure to a loving, compassionate mother by the end of the movie.
In addition, key supporting characters like Olivia, Tom, and Douglas really guided the movie in the right direction. Specifically, the relationship between Tom and Mallory was very believable and heartwarming especially when Tom sacrifices himself for Mallory and two children that aren’t even his own.
In my opinion, the biggest plus of this movie is the smooth plot line that grabbed your attention the entire time. There were no down parts and therefore no room for the viewer to lose focus. With that in mind however, the lack of “down” moments took away from some opportunities for strong character development in some of the supporting cast and a deeper dive into the intricacies of the plot(the who? the why? the how?)
Overall, Bird Box was a fantastic movie that I would highly recommend to any moviewatcher
Grade: A
Just The Phacts 