Horror has seen quite the year. With major releases like A Quiet Place, Hereditary and numerous others sparking debate among general theater goers and devout fans of the genre, a new movie hit Netflix and is causing quite the stir.
When an invisible force causes perfectly sane people to lose their minds and begin committing evil atrocities and mortal self harm, the world as we know it spins out of control leaving small pockets of mankind to fend for themselves. Having to live in blindness to protect themselves from the malevolent phantasm that awaits them, Bird Box mixes core science fiction tropes with thriller aspects as well as survival horror and apocalyptic drama. Smartly intertwining all these categories into an apocalyptic movie about man's endurance against all odds feels both vital and relevant to our current battle against environmental woes and the invisible elements that may be our long term foe.
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| If we keep running, we can make it to the Quiet Place in about ten minutes. |
Featuring an amazing cast that includes the always amazing John Malkovich, Bird Box is exactly the movie Netflix needed right now. As the quality of their original films seem to be lacking at times, this one ends the year on a brutal note that sets their standards a little higher for the original content provider.
While many of the story points are familiar, the powerhouse performance of Sandra Bullock sets this one apart from the norm, making this one of the better, more thrilling sub-genre films of 2018. Crossing and blending many consistent catastrophe themes, this is definitely a must watch for those that love their entertainment steeped in tension and stress. Also, its unique approach to its subject matter is both endearing at times and completely frightful at others.
As the modern world spins out of control Sandra must survive while her character must protect two children from the finality of a world lost to an uncompromising force of death and pain. Set in two different time frames, this split level movie calls back to the claustrophobic house setting of Night of the Living Dead while also giving us an expansive look at mother nature while the trio of survivors makes their way across a treacherous landscape. Many of the external shots are lined with beautiful cinematography that feels cold, wet, and absolutely merciless.
Capping off the year, this was probably one of my favorites. Netflix once again proves that streaming can do the exact same things that major theatrical films can. Using its cast to their full potential with a smaller budget capped at nearly $20 million, Bird Box could have been a theatrical contender that may have seen it do similar numbers to A Quiet Place. This is non-typical fare for an audience that is constantly craving fresh content that has something different to say. Cloaked behind a cloth blindfold, this one is everything we had hoped for and more. This is the movie The Happening could have been with focus and more creativity.
-Chris George
