Bird Box (2018)

For reasons I'm sure you can guess, I've been feeling more inclined to watch vaguely (and explicitly) apocalyptic films, lately. I don't want disease, because... too soon... but zombies and other stuff is fair game. With this in mind, it seemed like a good time to give Bird Box a try, as the initial "meh!" reviews put me off when it first dropped on Netflix. How bad could it be, though? I was still interested enough to chance it.

The first time I heard about this I thought (cw: Harry Potter) "HORROR BOGGART!" and it still stands, to be honest. Directed by Susanne Bier, based on a story by American novelist Josh Malerman (the screenplay by Eric Heisserer) we join the story switching between current day and flashback, meeting Malorie (Sandra Bullock), her sister (criminally under-used Sarah Paulson!) and gradually some other characters in a Dawn of the Dead (2004) type ensemble cast of people stuck together in one location. 

Trope roll call!

• Sexy, tough female
• Tattooed, creepy skinny guy who wants to fuck (it's Machine Gun Kelly but I'm old and don't know who that is *shrug*)
• Grumpy widow (hi, John Malkovich)
• Funny black dude
• Soft-hearted lady who makes dubious decisions
• Competent/kind/hot war veteran

Malorie stands out at the obvious lead here. She's tough, smart, empathetic - and heavily pregnant. She doesn't take shit and doesn't suffer the selfish whims of others gladly. Throughout this flashback we see the incredibly rapid end of the world (as they know it) from weird news stories ("don't worry, it's happening in another country, not here" - gulp!) to people behaving oddly, to full on societal crumble in a matter of minutes.

I am a stone cold sucker for tipping point apocalypse stuff, so this may have been my favourite aspect of Bird Box. The subtlety of the initial weirdness, paving way for the eventual riot and complete destruction of humanity. I dig it, although this stretch of the movie is pretty predictable for anyone remotely aware of the narrative beats of this genre. 

End-of-world ensemble emotions roll call!

• Suspicion
• In-fighting
• Bonding
• Double-crossing
• Loss
• Deception

You know what I'm talking about.

The threat to these characters works well enough; you either lose your mind and commit suicide upon seeing the monsters, or you lose your mind and try to convert others to look at them. There's some not-very-gross-but-still-cool eye effects work, too.

What didn't catch for me were the gigantic leaps in logic and suspension of disbelief required for this story. I've said many times before that when I, Jo, say this, it's a big red flag. I don't usually get this shit stuck in my throat with movies; I'll pick up just about anything you are putting down. However, Bird Box puts down a little too much. Between driving blind from a suburban neighbourhood to a supermarket literally only using the GPS (and said device not functioning the way normal ones do) to lapses in logic when it comes to personal safety when looting... this was a lot for me swallow from a film that was just okay.

It also confirmed something I already knew: I am a horrible person. I turned to my partner and said "I hope one of the kids dies in this". Oops? But I did! I needed something to sink my teeth into! They didn't have the courage to do anything other than mild peril, though.

Speaking of, interestingly (but not surprisingly) the book this was based on had a much more downbeat ending. Malorie reaches her destination, but rather than a paradise of smiling people and a former school for the blind, the book describes a place where the inhabitants have willingly blinded themselves so as not to fall prey to the monsters, and the "sanctuary" offers little more than what the family had already. Points deducted for shaving the sharp edges off of that, Bird Box producers! 

Apocalypse-lite. Streaming on Netflix now.

The Endless (2017)

I was THRILLED to see this one drop on Netflix recently.

It's absolutely apparent that The Endless comes from the same hearts, minds, and imaginations as Spring. This is another beautiful, thoughtful, funny horror from Moorhead and Benson, and I really loved it!

Justin (Justin Benson) and Aaron (Aaron Moorhead)

It feels very shared universe (more on that later), displaying the same over-saturated, dusty, dreamy quality as their 2014 effort. There's also a similar feeling of this dream-like existence being on the cusp of something immense and threatening.

The Endless is a story of two brothers (played with warmth and humour by Benson and Moorhead themselves) visiting the supposed cult they grew up in, after several years trying to have normal lives out in the real world.

What is initially planned to be fleeting visit leads to some shocking discoveries once back within the folds of this group.

❝The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the Unknown.❞  

− H.P. Lovecraft. 

The "cult" members all seem perfectly nice, if a little weird; the oddness and inexplicable occurrences at their camp becoming more frequent and unsettling with a steady pace. From the get-go we know something is wrong, but Moorhead & Benson take their time giving the audience a breadcrumb trail of glimpses and moments as we discover the unbelievable truth along with the brothers.

It feels at once a cop-out and a courtesy to anyone interested in seeing this to speak as little as possible about its major plot points or themes, other than saying I was surprised how much heart it had, ultimately. And like Spring, they struck a beautiful balance here, making this tale at once so intimate and so astronomical.

So yes, if you liked Spring, definitely see this. If you haven't seen Spring then I heartily recommend both! I am really enjoying the work from this team and I must seek out their first film, Resolution, which somehow I'd missed. There is a very definite crossover narrative from that debut to The Endless, but the filmmakers themselves say you don't have to have seen either to enjoy both.

If you have seen The Endless already, may I recommend this podcast episode from The Evolution of Horror, talking to Benson and Moorhead themselves? They seem like such nice blokes, and they have some very interesting and entertaining stuff to say!

Let Us Prey (2014)

There are few things I like more than a nice satanic film on a Sunday night, especially one where the fallen angel in question is an actor I like (and er, fancy) and especially when it ends exactly the way I wanted it to 👏

Let Us Prey has been on my Netflix peripheral vision for a while - mainly for the striking cover art of a hanged little girl.

Starring Liam Cunningham and Pollyanna McIntosh (she's currently the cool leader of that new group in The Walking Dead) this is one of those films I immediately got a strong sense of "YES" about, due to the opening sequence of crashing dark waves, crows and desolate suburbia all to the beat of a nice thick electro score.

This is more end than opening credits, but it's also a gem of a tune. Slow, drowsy, and dark:

The plot takes place over three hours, from around 9pm to midnight, and largely in one location: a small police station in Scotland. PC Rachel Heggie (McIntosh) has her first shift tonight, and it's going to take her places she has tried her whole life to forget.

Rachel is a survivor and fairly obviously the final girl - though not all that sympathetic a character, for the most part. She's hard and tough because she's had to be.

Also all of her new coworkers are twats.

Bonus points also, for this:

Several scenes were rewritten at McIntosh's behest. She saw her character as strong and did not want Heggie to be viewed as a victim or in a sexualised way. The filmmakers were also careful not depict Heggie's background of abuse exploitatively. (from Wiki)

To be honest, no one is particularly likeable in this film, apart from maybe "6" (Cunningham), carrying himself with that sinister ease and who, shortly after he's brought into the building, begins to expose everyone's sins via telepathy and grim flashback. Death and impressive gore flows steadily, once it's introduced, with demises ranging from the absurd to the marvelous... until only the new girl remains.

And man, is there a high concentration of crazy in this place! Douglas Russell is immediately repulsive as a self-hating homosexual/psychotically christian Dahmer-like chap, keeping severed heads in his 'fridge and oh, one more thing: he's the police sergeant. 

Are you all right sir? ...Sir?!

With a climax that initially feels too bombastic for such a low-key film, it soon comes into focus why. To have "6" and Rachel standing toe-to-toe on the front steps as the building burns behind them is such a great image, especially knowing at this point who he is.

He doesn't just want to save Rachel, he wants to make her his partner in vengeance and the soul collection of those condemned to Hell. He is offering her a life punishing those who deserve it, with him by her side.

*dreamy sigh*

Call me a heathen, but I found this so romantic and beautiful ❤ She's a final girl who survives the horror film, but chooses to turn her back on the light.

With a basic concept we've heard a million times before - the old "underestimated newcomer slowly infects the minds and souls of a group of people" - this film could have easily been something unremarkable. But the atmosphere, gore and that twisted kind of romance at the end elevate it to something that really stuck in my mind.

Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday night.

(I'll be in my bunk).