Totally unbelieveable and predictable

Rating: 2/10 (20 January 2019)

I'm not the first to say it and I won't be the last, Netflix's newest high profile release feels like a poor man's A Quiet Place.
Tackling a similar high concept idea as John Krasinski's break out thriller hit, with sight replacing sound this time around, Susanne Bier's mid-budgeted feature fails to capture the heart or pulse pounding thrills that Krasinski found, as lead actress Sandra Bullock tries to survive an apocalyptic landscape without being able to see.
Based on Josh Malerman's hit novel of the same name, Bird Box arrives in our lounge-rooms with enough pedigree behind it, with the likes of John Malkovich, Trevante Rhodes and Sarah Paulson joining Bullock and Brier, but this very much feels like a cheap and nasty attempt at the thriller/horror mashup that features far too many dumb character decisions and plot progressions to have a chance of entertaining.
Bullock does her best to elevate proceedings with Malorie allowing the actress a lot of movement as the lead in the film, a reluctant mother trying her best to find safety for herself and her two young children but everything around the actress is tired, forced and uninspired.
A director more famous for her foreign drama works like After the Wedding and hit TV show The Night Manager, Bird Box sees Bier out of her depth as she tries to unleash the full potential of this tale into a feature length form, but the Denmark based filmmaker feels out of place on this particular instance with no scenes in Bird Box feeling like the set piece the film desperately needed to enliven it.
At the two hour mark you'll be thanking your lucky stars when the credits begin to roll, as 120 minutes in a world featuring stereotypical side characters, unbelievable occurrences (blind driving and boating) and an ending that will have you placing head into palms isn't ideal as Bird Box with its non-scary big bad and lethargic happenings is the very definition of a non-thrilling thriller.
Final Say -
There might be a good film to be made out of Malerman's novel but Netflix's Bird Box isn't it. A lame, plodding and energy free affair, this Quiet Place wannabe is a major flop despite its viral fame thanks to memes and Netflix's clever marketing campaigns.
1 GPS out of 5