Bird Box: Barcelona (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – After an entity of mysterious origin annihilates the world’s population causing those who observe it to take their lives, Sebastián and his daughter begin their own great adventure of survival in Barcelona.

My Take – Released in 2018, the Sandra Bullock led post-apocalyptic horror thriller, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman, Bird Box was one of Netflix’s earliest true film successes.

Such was the frenzy on the social media that it led to the “Bird Box Challenge”, where antics ranged from silly stuff like people covering their eyes and walking into walls to a 17-year-old girl crashing her car after driving blindfolded into oncoming traffic. Though talks of a sequel quickly followed, it slowly died down as Bullock head into a state of semi-retirement.

However, five years later, we are back into the same world, albeit in the form of spinoff written and directed by the film making duo of Àlex Pastor and David Pastor, known for directing the well-received Carriers (2009) and writing the Ryan Reynolds starrer Self/less (2015).

Set on the streets of Barcelona as survivors try to navigate the dangers of an unknown entity that compels people to take their own lives upon seeing it, the mostly Spanish language feature surprisingly manages to exceed expectations by enhancing the formula to provide 112 minutes of intense, twisted and nasty entertainment.

Yes, it does require at least some degree of investment in the Bird Box world, and continues to leave out the unanswered questions of its predecessor, yet the Pastor brothers manage to utilize the mysteries to the fullest, adding in a few new ones of their own. And by the end I found myself pleasantly and unexpectedly intrigued.

In true franchise fashion we’ll have to wait until the next one to find out more.

The story follows Sebastian (Mario Casas), a survivor traveling with his young daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard), trying to navigate the apocalyptic streets of the city, where looking at invisible mysterious creatures prowling outside will cause you to instantly kill yourself, minus a select few who are turned into murderous raiders instead known as “seers”. So what few survivors remain are forced to blindfold themselves whenever they’re exposed to the outdoors.

However, Sebastian is forced to confront his own inner demons and make difficult choices when he encounters a group of survivors led by Rafa (Patrick Criado), accompanied by his loyal dogs, and consists of Claire (Georgina Campbell), an English psychiatrist; Octavio (Diego Calva), a delivery guy with a background in physics; Roberto (Gonzalo de Castro) and Isabel (Lola Dueñas), an older couple; and Sofia (Naila Schuberth), a young German girl separated from her mother.

And when Sofia shares information about Montjuic, believed to be a safe refuge from the entity, Sebastian joins the group determined to reach the mountain castle.

One of the film’s strengths lies in its unique approach to its bold narrative. It diverges from the original film by introducing new elements, including a blend of horror and mystery, and exploring the psychological effects of the cataclysmic event. The directors craft an atmospheric setting that adds to the tension and do a good job of giving their film its own identity, taking the same concept and building on it in a number of interesting ways.

Successfully maintaining a sense of dread and suspense throughout, the film uses different timelines to add depth to the story, providing insights into the characters’ pasts and their motivations. We see where he was when reports of mass suicides began filling the airwaves. We see him trying to get home to his family as bedlam breaks out across Barcelona.

We see what has forced Sebastian and his daughter to scavenge for their survival, not only evading the murderous creatures but the dangerous and equally deadly humans as well. A set piece in a subway tunnel is superbly directed and one particular sequence in the third act climax will have you gnawing your fingernails down to the bone.

Sure, the problems that plagued the first film are also, at times, even more niggling here, mostly in the cheaply ineffective visuals chosen to announce the presence of the creatures, worsened here by some angelic effects that look like they came from a micro-budgeted faith-based drama.

It also suffers from over-explaining of something that’s best left unexplained, a character’s monologue about the quantum mechanics behind the monsters only adds to the confusion. Nevertheless, writer-director duo Alex and David Pastor deserve credit for genuinely trying to do something different with the spin-off.

While there is no doubt that the 2018 film was helped by having a Hollywood A-lister like Sandra Bullock attached, Mario Casas makes for an impressive lead. Not only does he maneuver his surprisingly layered character he also shares excellent emotionally scarring chemistry with the impressive Alejandra Howard. Barbarian (2022) star Georgina Campbell also brings in a subtly rich performance, adding layers to the story and enriching the overall viewing experience.

In other roles, Diego Calva, Naila Schuberth, Gonzalo de Castro, Lola Dueñas, Patrick Criado, Michelle Jenner and Leonardo Sbaraglia are commendable. On the whole, ‘Bird Box Barcelona’ is a thrilling post-apocalyptic horror thriller that is competently made and narratively unexpected.