"Bird Box Barcelona" commences with a premise that signifies the relatively trivial challenge of fate the movie will explore. The film is a decent sequel to the apocalyptic sci-fi horror "Bird Box," set in Spain, where we see Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) celebrating her birthday with roller skating. An unexpected ambush by a gang of blind thieves for food and a subsequent encounter with scavengers seeking help set the story in motion.
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Sebastián finds shelter for the night with the group. He discloses his past as an engineer and promises to locate a generator. But the relative safety of their shelter is soon disturbed when their bus is hijacked, leaving everyone exposed. For those familiar with "Bird Box," the threat is invisible creatures whose gaze leads you to suicide. The narrative now ponders whether Sebastián is the savior or the menace. The directors, David and Àlex Pastor experiment with incorporating religious themes into the apocalypse, but the sequel lacks novelty and finesse.
"Bird Box Barcelona" takes a minor element from Susanne Bier's original movie. Certain individuals can gaze at the creatures without succumbing to self-destruction and form a cult worshipping the creatures. As the plot unfolds, we learn that Sebastián had a previous encounter with Barcelona's cult. He perceives the creatures as seraphs.
Claiming to explore themes of grief, the film touches upon the subject in the most basic ways. Sebastián stumbles upon another group, led by British-Spaniard Claire (Georgina Campbell), whose costume resembles Sandra Bullock's from the original film. Other characters include Octavia (Diego Calva), a lost German girl, Sofia (Naila Schuberth), and an elderly couple, Isabel (Lola Dueñas) and Roberto (Gonzalo de Castro). The creatures exploit the loss experienced by these characters by mimicking their departed loved ones.
The script by the Pastors, loosely based on Josh Malerman's novel, superficially deals with grief. The film suggests that intense grief could lead to a loss of rationality or even religious fanaticism. However, the characters don't reflect this depth. The film focuses too much on distinguishing Sebastián's mission from the group to develop the characters truly.
The absence of the original "Bird Box" mystery and suspense further hampers the sequel. The survivors' primary objective is to navigate through Barcelona towards a group of gondolas that could potentially transport them to Montjuic Castle, rumored to house survivors. Sofia's mother might be amongst the survivors.
Sebastián's internal religious conflict lacks the necessary dramatic tension, mirroring the lackluster horror elements of the film. Despite being edited meticulously by Luis de la Madrid and Martí Roca and shot proficiently by cinematographer Daniel Aranyó, the film lacks the thrill factor. The climax, a showdown with a poorly developed cult leader, fails to impress.
While "Bird Box Barcelona" is a competently crafted film with an expected production value, it leaves viewers wondering about the potential of another sequel. The cast lacks the dynamism of Bullock from the original film, and the storyline doesn't match the former's precision. If perception shapes belief, then "Bird Box Barcelona" falls short of leaving a strong impression.
