Bird Box Barcelona review.
Set in the same universe as the 2018 hit Netflix release Bird Box, Bird Box Barcelona builds on familiar concepts while forging an identity of its own. Unfortunately, it wanders blind, searching for the next interesting moment too often.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Bird Box Barcelona
Directed by Álex Pastor and David Pastor
Written by Álex Pastor and David Pastor
Starring Mario Casas, Alejandra Howard, Georgina Campbell, Naila Schuberth and Diego Calva
Bird Box Barcelona Review
Can you believe it’s been five years since Netflix released Bird Box? Is something I would probably ask had I ever seen the Sandra Bullock lead hit movie. I certainly remember it coming out. It made a bit of a pop-culture imprint. People may not have been “Bird boxing” themselves around town in blindfolds…but they were talking about it. The concept was interesting enough…but the whole things sounded very middle of the road to me. Still, it was nice to have a horror movie register with a large audience. That’s always nice. It’s also unlikely to be the case with Bird Box Barcelona.
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica. Bird Box Barcelona. This in-universe spin-off takes place in Spain. We see the beginning of the apocalyptic event that creates our new universe. That, of course, being the creatures who make you commit suicide if you look at them. It’s such an odd concept that it works. At least, the quick and deadly aftermath of seeing that which cannot be shown does. It’s effective every time. There are also those that look upon the creatures and do not kill themselves. Instead, they are driven mad by it and work to expose others to the creatures. It seems to immediately break the one rule of Bird Box…but whatever.
This is a story about the latter. Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) are trying to stay alive in the post-apocalyptic world. We pick up their story nine months after the outbreak. At least we think we do. The first twenty minutes of Bird Box Barcelona are wild. Full of twists and turns and world building that the rest of the near two hour run time can’t match. Sebastián, it turns out, is one of the latter people. He’s looked at the creatures and is working against humanity. It’s an interesting tactic…placing us on the side of a crazed zealot who seems nice but is working towards evil ends.
Unfortunately, that’s not really the story we get either. At its core, Bird Box Barcelona is a character study. A possible redemption tale for a man who isn’t quite himself. Flashbacks show us how he became the man he is today. We see the world through his eyes…which means we see why he believes he is doing good when we know he isn’t. He believes he is helping souls ascend when he gives them the gift of seeing the creatures. A gift that always ends in instant death for the recipient. We learn that the daughter he interacts with isn’t real. At least, not anymore. She bids him on to expose people to the creatures so that they can be reunited one day. This is all in the first twenty minutes.
It’s mostly downhill from there. Despite great visuals and fine performances…Bird Box Barcelona repeats the same beats repeatedly for far too long. The movie slows to a crawl at more than one point. We do get a respite in the flashbacks. Extended sequences of city-wide mayhem as throngs of people kill themselves at the sight of the creatures. There are inspired sequences in Bird Box Barcelona. They are too often sandwiched between mundane and repeated ones.
The good news is that it is all heading somewhere. Sebastián lies his way into a group of survivors and, like he does in the first twenty minutes, tries to expose them to the entities they live in fear of. Something changes when he meets a little girl looking for her lost mother. Sebastián’s struggle between a redemptive arc and completing his higher mission takes over the story. The group is attempting to reach a castle that they believe can keep them safe…and where the little girl believes her mother may be alive.
When the story feels like it’s reaching its natural conclusion…there is still a half an hour left. That’s the biggest issue with Bird Box Barcelona. The uneven pace makes the payoff to its biggest story feel out of place. Sebastián’s inner turmoil is interesting in theory…but it drags in practice. By the time the story decides what to do with it…you’re ready for it to be over. Also…they blindfold the dogs in this world. Which made me believe that if a dog were to see a creature, we would get to watch a dog commit suicide. Well…a dog sees a creature and that doesn’t happen. I’ve rarely been so disappointed.
I can’t compare Bird Box Barcelona to the original film…but I can tell you that, outside of the opening twenty minutes, it never rises above a decent watch. The pieces are all here for a better movie. The acting is strong, the world feels lived in and looks great. Flashes of action provide spurts of excitement. The overall package, however, falls short too often. Give the opening a look and see if it hooks you enough to finish the ride. But don’t be afraid to close your eyes for a while instead of looking at what follows.
Scare Value
Bird Box Barcelona is a decent movie. You don’t have to see the original to get the ideas at work here. After a fascinating opening, however, the story slows too often to keep any tension. There are some fun ideas at play here within the rules of the world. The lead character’s journey is an interesting one…even if the road it takes is full of rest stops.
2.5/5
Bird Box Barcelona Link
Streaming on Netflix
