Bird Box
"And I am their mother."
First things first, this was way too terrifying considering you never actually see the monsters. I found myself genuinely on the edge of my seat multiple times throughout the movie during the tense scenes of chase or anything adjacent. This was increased tenfold during the film's final act with Tom's sacrifice and Malorie taking the children through the river rapids. Genuinely the final act made the movie so much better.
I did enjoy this, the acting was extremely authentic and real from everyone and I did find myself feeling so sorry for certain characters (or hateful in the case of Gary, Lucy and Felix... who's played by Machine Gun Kelly, which was such a random cameo??)
The plot is quite basic though. World-ending situation happens, many die, few that survive tend to either turn on eachother and prioritise themselves and then of course! You can't forget your fanatical followers who serve as the antagonistic force throughout the movie. Final girl defies all odds with her two children and lives a happy ever after.
This isn't bad perse, but it's basic. The only reason this goes up to a 3 1/2 rather than just a 3 is the final act but also the acting from both Julian Edwards and Vivien Lyra Blair as the children. I was just so on edge everytime they were on screen because I felt so sorry for their situation, and their subtle but emotional faces genuinely ruined me at certain points and I am so glad they do survive and get their happy ending.
A final much needed highlight, John Malkovich. Malkovich is phenomenal as Douglas who is portrayed as a no-nonsense 'asshole' who recognises kindness is not rewarded in the world now inhabited by these monsters. Douglas is meant to be an unlikeable character, and Malkovich excels in making that the case throughout the film. He drinks often, is extremely rude and belittling to almost everyone, and even proposes abandoning half of the cast to starve at one point. Yet by his death scene at the hands of the fanatic, he sacrifices himself in an attempt to kill Gary. Granted it fails and he is stabbed to death, but the Douglas at the start of the film would not have done that, and I appreciate the subtle character development Malkovich gives to this role.
Overall, I think this is a worthwhile film to watch, it's nothing extraordinary but it's unique enough in its premise and cast to be an enjoyable (and sometimes frightening) watch.