Maybe I'm not seeing it...

Rating: 5/10 (17 December 2018)

Hi,
Avert your eyes if you don't want the plot, but not ending, spoiled (no pun intended).
First let me get a purely childish and slightly sexist remark out of my system - Bird Box, where I come from is a euphemism for a lady's private parts. I'm sorry, but I had to say that because I like a lady's private parts and have spent many o' time hidden under a blanket - much like the characters in this film... the difference being, I had much more fun under my blanket.
As others have said, this is much like A Quiet Place and is kind of an 'End of Days' drama wrapped up in a mystery (of sorts) that is never really solved. Sometimes that is a good thing, but dependent on execution, it can be a bad way of writing and/or filmmaking.
If you leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the audience to follow, that ends up leading to a bakery with no ingredients - well, you're going to have to do some re-tracing if you itching for some carbs.
The McGuffin in his is a fairly decent one to use, but is no different to many films that have come in Bird Box's stead - only, it gets a little confusing as to what they are actually running from, as the filmmakers probably assumed that it would be scarier if you didn't see it... (and artistic/symbolic)... enter Jaws twanging on a violin.
Bird Box is based on a novel, and while I haven't read the novel, one shouldn't have to. By that, I mean, I feel that there is some element or plot-point that is missing whereby the audience is given a snippet of information about what the protagonists are really dealing with.
This is an important factor in a film of this type, as otherwise, one will perceive that it was created off the cuff to serve the agenda or message of the writer. And this film, feels exactly like that.
It is set up well and Sandra Bullock is solid as ever - she gets a lot of stick for being wooden - I don't think you'll be surprised to know that whilst she has moments of high-jinx drama and some sturdy acting; she doesn't carry her role as the protagonist as well as say... I don't know... the great Sarah Paulson (who herself has a small part to play).
Act two focuses mostly on the characters and their interactions, but falls short of a few similar films that handle the moral dilemmas that rear their ugly heads when people share the same space during a tragedy/accident. It is here where John Malkovich attempts to steal the show as other characters dote around and pretty much appease each other. It is worth noting that Mr. Malkovich is terribly underused here and his significant skills in acting are cast aside for his ability to play a complete d***.
Act 3 comprises of the journey (which is interlaced throughout the first few acts) and goes on and on where we are slapped in the face with prescient dialogue from an earlier scene, that has special significance here. That being, love and hope conquers all.
The conclusion doesn't feel like a conclusion at all - it feels like a literal moment of 'I seeeeee' - in that... the kind of game that you would play with a child to pacify the little dribbler. It doesn't really resolve anything and it only serves to add to the agenda of the writer - who may or may not have a message, but by the end, I didn't really care... I just wanted to know what was going on and how this all happened.
Which brings me to this final point - this feels like a pilot to a serial; or at least, a desperately seeking serial.
I can't help that Netflix are releasing as much as they can - see what sticks - and look to create a serial from it in the future. It is a torrid strategy if this is true as a lot of these types of films feel as such.
So... in this modern age of big media - if you are short of time and don't want to watch a half-baked film; then do not watch this.
If you have a few hours to spare on a film that does little to challenge you - then give it a go, you might like it.