Bird Box (2018)

A mysterious unknown force causes mass suicides globally. The only way to avoid it is not to make eye contact with it. Into this apocalypse, a pregnant woman (Sandra Bullock) struggles to survive in a house with a small group of random strangers. Based on the novel by Josh Malerman and directed by Susanne Bier. An intelligent thinking man's horror film with a strong performance by Bullock. This is a very intense and visceral roller coaster ride that balances thrills with some some well delineated characters. The latter is important in a movie like this because if you don't care about the characters, their fate mean nothing to you. Bier grabs you right at the beginning and keeps on squeezing you until the film's finale which is borderline mawkish but not sappy enough to spoil the the journey that got us there. I was dubious about the film's premise which sounded suspiciously like the recent A QUIET PLACE but I needn't have been. It's based on a book that came out way before that movie. The stellar cast includes John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Trevante Rhodes (MOONLIGHT), Jacki Weaver, Danielle MacDonald, BD Wong, Tom Hollander and two excellent child actors, Vivien Lyra Blair and Julian Edwards.