‘Bird Box’ plays a deadly game of peekaboo

I went into this movie blind (pun intended). No trailers, no bios - just my love for horror and all things Sandra Bullock. What I got was an endearing, terrifying trip that everyone should experience.

Bird Box is mix between The Mist and The Evil Dead - adding its own twist to the “end of the world” genre. The movie bounces back and forth between when an unseen force starts to take over the world to five years later where Bullock and two children fight to stay alive. The blindfolds are a way to combat the invaders and bring a certain kind of trained horror that made A Quiet Place such a hit.

Besides the “Unseen”, the characters really carry the movie. You see Bullock struggle to connect with the children she’s protecting - a powerful performance worthy of all the awards. We also meet multiple survivors and other horrors that both leave us feeling helpless and jumpy everytime someone new comes along.

An added pleasure to Bird Box is its reluctance to use jump scares. Instead, the movie focuses on a narrative that scares you with your own imagination.

Now, not everything is roses here. I did happen to call the ending, which was a little anticlimactic. I also was left wanting more - not as much for a sequel, but wishing they’d did more with the plot.

IN THE END...

Bird Box is the epitome of a good horror movie. It tears away at your sense of sight, leaving you jumpy and anxious. A great performance by Sandra Bullock and several other actors really drives home the terror - but fails to overcome a somewhat lacking plot and ending.

8.3 blindfolds out of 10.