Bar a few contrived plot twists – two strangers who give birth within minutes of one another; and the ultimate clanger: the reunion of a doctor with a patient five years after their last consultation – Bird Box, based on the novel of the same name by Josh Malerman, is a gripping, eerie yarn which features a great performance from its lead Sandra Bullock and terrific turns from a supporting cast, most notably John Malkovich and Tom Hollander.

Adapted for the screen by Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Lights Out) and directed by the Oscar-winning Susanne Bier (In A Better World, Serena – though the less said about the latter the better), the Netflix-released thriller charts the story of artist with attitude Malorie Hayes (Bullock) who along with a small band of misfits holed up in a house on a hill in the suburbs contemplate the end of the world when a mysterious force sweeps the land and, when seen, prompts sudden acts of suicide.

Shifting between panic-stricken scenes at the outbreak of the epidemic and a desperate river-bound escape to a secret sanctuary five years later, the sole means of survival is to avoid eye contact with the mysterious force by bolting the doors and blocking out sunlight and, the last line of defence, donning a blindfold. A strategy which proves effective until patience snaps, hunger calls and a rat-a-tat-tat evokes care and curiosity.

Bar a few swirls of leaves and quickly passing shadows, the mysterious force remains invisible throughout, which may test viewers with a preference for spills and thrills. But through a series of charged encounters between the disparate band of survivors who one by one meet their pulseless fate and a sterling performance by Sandra Bullock, attention like breath is held from the gripping opening to the clanger of a contrived ending.

Director: Susanne Bier
Writers: Eric Heisserer (screenplay), Josh Malerman (novel)
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
Peter Callaghan
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