FrightFest UK 2024: "BROKEN BIRD" Is A Beautifully Odd And Captivating Piece Of Psychological Horror (REVIEW)
Loneliness is a serious problem these days. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 30% of US adults say they feel lonely at least once a week, and up to 10% say they feel that way every day. In a world where we are always “on” and “connected,” it has never been harder to find genuine, authentic relationships romantically or for camaraderie. The implications of loneliness are profound, especially for our mental health given human beings are social creatures. The horror genre has used loneliness as a mechanism for character development before and how isolation can turn even the brightest minds into something darker, and more depressing. As the horror genre continues to intertwine the real, psychological horrors we all can relate to with the imagined horrors serving as metaphors we continue to see stories become more emotional and human-centric despite the imaginative and monstrous. Opening up FrighFest UK, which is celebrating its 25th year is “Broken Bird” from Catalyst Studios and actor-turned-director, Joanne Mitchell. Does this tale of loneliness deliver the scares and psychology to compel viewers, or will it leave you feeling cold and alone?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Sybil works at an undertaker's. It's a lonely job, with few perks. So she takes solace where she can.
HOW IS IT?
Isolation and loneliness are common threads with which the horror tapestry is woven. While they are not immediately horrific by definition, how both influence our thoughts and behaviors is quite profound given that human beings are social creatures. Even for those who prefer to keep their company small, the need to connect and interact with others is an essential part of our survival both individually and as a species. In “Broken Bird”, loneliness and isolation are the foundation for a tragic story about not fitting in and the adverse impacts of being estranged from the world around you. It is at times both funny and sad and features complex characters that are both defined by their trauma and held back by it, ultimately leading to murderous conclusions that don’t entirely add up, but still pack a wallop of an emotional punch.
Sybil (Rebecca Calder) is a demure and quiet woman with an oddness about her. Beyond her classic good looks and coy presentation is a person who, like so many of us, is seeking companionship. After tragically losing her parents in a car accident, she grows up to be estranged from reality getting lost in her lucid daydreams while finding it hard to fit in with the world around her. Ultimately, this leads Sybil to take up employment at a mortuary where she befriends the proprietor Mr.Thomas, a recent widower who like Sybil seems to be going through life just waiting for it all to end. Additionally, we meet Emma (Sacharissa Claxton) who not only is recently divorced but also mourning the loss of her son as well as the theft of his body from the funeral. All of this setup is to establish the small, and intimate world that “Broken Bird” takes place in, while the core of the story is about Sybil and her pursuit of the things she desires most; a husband and a family. Sybil is masterfully portrayed by Calder as a disarming and mysterious person who presents with the innocence of a young child trapped in a woman’s body. She dreams up entire realities where she is being swept off her feet by a local museum curator, only to find that the reality of the situation is far more complicated and envious than imagined. For the most part, you feel for Sybil because of how much you want her to be happy despite not being able to connect with others around her. It is very akin to Angela Bettis’ in 2002s “May”, where social awkwardness and shyness are presented so accurately that you find yourself cheering and squirming along with the characters as they attempt to find connection through their personality hurdles. Ultimately, awkwardness transforms into horror as Sybil loses her grip on the world around her and sinks deeper into her delusions.
It is hard to talk in detail about the last third of the film as it gives way to a lot of spoilers, but the subtle innocence in Sybil’s demeanor mutates into a complete break from reality that lends itself to a fiery conclusion. “Broken Bird” is at its best when it is focused on the most pressing story in the stew, in this case, Sybil’s. The more we learn about her past, and how that plays into the finale, the more engrained we become in her story. She is a sympathetic character to a point, and once all is revealed it becomes hard to sympathize and far easier to pity her despite her actions. Where “Broken Bird” struggles is with juggling too many storylines, even if they do come to a reasonable albeit unsurprising conclusion. Take the storyline of Emma and her depression after the loss of her son and divorce from her husband. While this is certainly a secondary plot, it feels almost separate from the film until the very end when everything comes together. Director Joanne Mitchell does a fine job presenting both characters, Sybil and Emma, as unique and interesting, but the narrative shifts between the two are jarring for the majority of the runtime. While “Broken Bird” does struggle some with trying to thoughtfully conclude all the varying threads of narrative, it does come to a tragic and satisfying conclusion that leaves the viewer in a sort of melancholy state of neither sadness nor happiness. There are some questions of believability on the way there, but they don’t stand out too much to take you out of the film. Finally, the look and the sounds of “Broken Bird” are divinely haunting. The cinematography from Igor Marovic showcases the subtle majesty of the rural English / Irish landscape in tandem with the more macabre character and story beats. The score from Emily Rice is both soothing and scare-inducing at the same time, which heightens the mood and tension throughout.
THE GORY DETAILS
“Broken Bird” is a quirky, beautiful, and tragic story about how loss and loneliness lead to isolation and a disconnect from reality. Strong and convincing performances, combined with elegant and masterful technical filmmaking create a bittersweet story that will leave viewers haunted and emotional.
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Where can you watch it?
BROKEN BIRD will open this year's FrightFest and will be coming to UK cinemas 30th of August!
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