‘Bird Box’ Early Buzz: Sandra Bullock Is A Bright Spot In Netflix Post-Apocalyptic Horror Film With No Vision
Netflix recently made the unprecedented decision to release three of its Oscar contender films in theaters before they hit streaming. Two of which were expected — Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar frontrunnerRoma, the Coen Brothers' anthology WesternThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs— but the third was something of a question mark:Bird BoxstarringSandra Bullockand directed by Danish filmmakerSusanne Bier(The Night Manager). Right off the bat,Bird Boxdoesn’t seem like an Oscar movie, but the theatrical release of the film kind of makes sense: it stars an Oscar winner, is directed by a foreign film Oscar winner, and is a apocalyptic horror film that recalls this year’s smash hit,A Quiet Place.
But is theBird Boxearly buzz actually good? Here is what critics who saw the film at its world premiere at the AFI Film Fest have to say about the film.
VarietydingsBird Boxfor withholding the appearance of the film’s main monster and scoffs at the comparisons to John Krasinski’s acclaimed horror hit, saying the film “has been (misleadingly) compared toA Quiet Place, only that film had real monsters, genuine suspense, and a much more intuitive set of rules for survival”:
ScreenDailycallsBird Box"appreciably bleak but also sluggish, never fully fleshing out the themes at the story’s core," adding:
The Hollywood Reporterwas disappointed that the film was “not all it might have been,” writing:
ButThe Wraphad the one positive review out of the AFI festival, especially praising Bullock’s “brilliant” performance:
For generations, the picture of motherhood has been that of a woman who connects with her child immediately, who is openly loving and soft. Motherhood today is not as simple. There are real dangers that our children face daily, simply by walking outside. There’s no new handbook to teach us how to prep our kids in case their school is taken over by a shooter, nor is there a guide on how to lead our children when we ourselves are uncertain of what the future holds. We’re all fumbling into this new parenthood blindly, hoping that we’re raising smart and strong kids while also allowing them to experience the joys of childhood, and it’s that innate understanding of parenthood that makes Bullock’s performance feel real. It’s equally fascinating and terrifying to watch.
All of the reviews were effusive in their praise of Bullock, who unsurprisingly delivers another gripping performance as a mother struggling to raise her children in a world beset upon by unseen monsters. But they were divided on whetherBird Box’s slow pace was sluggish or atmospheric. For now, it seems likeBird Boxmay not be as a strong Oscar contender asRomaor evenThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which also met a lukewarm reception.
Bird Boxis set to hit select U.S. theaters a week before its worldwide premiere on Netflix onDecember 21, 2018.
