Directed by: Joanne Mitchell
Written by: Dominic Brunt, Joanne Mitchell, Tracey Sheals

Happy fall, FlixChatter readers! Okay, technically we still have a few weeks until the best season begins, and yes, it’s still stupidly warm out, but coffee chains and liquor stores are rolling out their pumpkin-flavored drinks, so I’m comfortable jumping into autumn mode.

Of course, that includes watching scary movies, so I’m kicking things off with Broken Bird, which opened this year’s FrightFest on August 22nd and will make its U.K. premiere on August 30th.

Broken Bird follows a soft-spoken, socially awkward woman named Sybil (Rebecca Calder) who takes a job as an undertaker at a small funeral home. The work is lonely, and she struggles to make connections with the living in the real world.

My biggest takeaway from this movie is just how beautiful it is. I love the costuming, especially Sybil’s. The set design is so cozy, especially the bar/cafe where Sibyl attends weekly poetry readings. And the cinematography is stunning, especially the interior scenes; I love how the lighting and coloring are warm and glossy without feeling over-produced. All of the gorgeous imagery is tied together with a lovely, dark, eerie score composed by Emily Rice.

The gorgeous sounds and settings support a truly talented cast. Rebecca Calder gives a genuinely unsettling performance as Sybil, and her interactions with other characters, especially museum employee and love interest Mark (Jay Taylor) remind me a lot of Angela Bettis as the titular character in Lucky McKee’s May: awkward, heartbreakingly desperate to connect with others, but still sinister. Sacharissa Claxton also shines as Emma, a police officer whose professional life and mental health are suffering after her young son’s disappearance; her frayed nerves and broken heart are palpable.

My main gripe with this film is its pacing. I understand the desire for a slow burn in horror and thrillers, but the first third of the movie drags too much to sustain any suspense. I’m not sure if that chunk of time was inflated to develop Sybil and Emma’s individual storylines, but if that’s the case, it could have been accomplished in shorter scenes and provided a better balance between the two characters.

Despite this, Broken Bird is a darkly beautiful and atmospheric film with intense performances. It’s a wonderful way to ring in the spooky season.

Have you seen BROKEN BIRD? What did you think?

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