In Susanne Bier’s post-apocalyptic thrillerBird Box, monsters target sight once you see one, you die.
“They’ll inevitably get compared,” the Danish filmmaker says.
“But I have to admit, I don’t see a lot of similarity.”
Credit: Merrick Morton/Netflix
“It’s a thriller about motherhood,” Bier explains.
“[Malorie’s] very forceful, very uncompromising.
She’s a very contemporary female hero.”
Saeed Adyani/Netflix
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The story juggles a couple of different genres horror, romance, thriller, and more.
What attracted you the most to adapting the novel?
SUSANNE BIER:I was very intrigued by that synergy, by the way they played together.
It’s a scary movie, but it’s also a movie with hope.
I would never have a made a movie that was just going to be [one thing].
How did you think about portraying the characters' disorientation, particularly Malorie’s?
That was the biggest artistic challenge.
At every single point of the movie, I kept asking myself, “How do we track her?
Do we understand where she’s at?
Do we know exactly what she feels?”
Because Sandra is such an amazing actress, youdofeel it and youdotrack her.
The camera also needed to do its work with it, so it was a combination of those elements.
Bird Boxhas a huge supporting cast, including Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, B.D.
Wong, Jacki Weaver, Sarah Paulson, and more.
You’ve said before thatcasting is very important to you as a director.
How did you approach casting with this film?
Casting is absolutely the most important thing at least for me, it is.
I kept thinking about each character, and it doesn’t happen super fast.
At times, I had to convince everyone…
I try not to make obvious choices but clear choices.
You started with casting Sandra.
Why was she perfect for your heroine?
Malorie is tough and doesn’t coddle the children with her.
She calls them “Girl” and “Boy.”
It’s also because she has the courage [to handle the material].
She has a lot of compassion and a lot of love in everything she does.
Most actors would go, “I can’t be this brutal,” but she does that.
It’sreal, it’s very difficult to do what she does, and she does it with an ease.
Imagine playing a reluctant mother.
I have to ask: Whenthe trailer for thiscame out,lotsofpeoplestarted comparing it toA Quiet Place.
Did you seeA Quiet Place?
I did, yes.
What do you think of the comparisons to it?
I thinkA Quiet Placeis a very good film, but I think they are very different.
It’s almost a slight because they are two thrillers with two female leads, they’re compared.
And I don’t think anybody would.
Maybe it’s just a trend, then?
Look, the book [Bird Box] came out way beforeA Quiet Place.
And I really don’t think it’s a trend.
I mean, there are probably lots of movies that deal with sensory experience of something horrific.
But I enjoy them both!
To wrap up, then, what do you hope people take away from the film?
I hope they will be entertained, and scared as well.
Bird Boxmakes its world premiere atAFI Feston Nov. 12, and will hit Netflix on Dec. 21.
