BIRDEATER Review
“A truly unique comedic-thriller that is likely to leave you quite shaken.”
Australia has long had a history of crazy genre films and comedies that defy Hollywood norms, so it’s not surprising to find an Australian film that doesn’t stay in one particular lane or another for too long. Directed by Jack Clark and Jim Weir, Birdeater has such a strange title that doesn’t really give the viewer an idea of what to expect, although it states fairly early that it’s “A Film By Fax Machine,” whatever that means.
As it begins, we meet a young couple, Louie and Irene (Mackenzie Fearnley and Shabana Azeez), who are engaged to be married. Through an extended opening montage, it’s not quite clear whether they have a healthy relationship or not, as he tends to go off to the golf range or to hang with his friends while leaving her at home sleeping in bed. Even odder is that when he and his male friends are throwing a “bucks’ party” (essentially a bachelor party) on a remote island, he invites Irene along to join them. One of his Louie’s best friends Charlie (Jack Bannister) also brings his own fiancée, Grace (Clementine Anderson), and others attending including Louie’s best mates, Dylan and Murph (Ben Hunter, Alfie Gledhill), with the odd man out being one of Irene’s male friends, Sam (Harley Wilson), who Louie is quite suspicious of.
Over the next few nights of debauchery, there’s tons of alcohol and drugs, and the expected toxic masculine ensues, leading up to an awkward dinner where many secrets reveal themselves, making both Louie and Irene question whether their relationship is healthy or not. Even after watching that opening montage, the viewer may not be sure either, though it’s probably best not to know too much more about what happens in Birdeater going into it, since it’s like an onion with the layers slowly being peeled back as it goes along.
At least the first part of Birdeater shows a clear and evident influence from the movies by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg quite a good amount of dude humor, but at a certain point, friction forms between Louie and his mate Dylan, and the latter begins to deliberately screw with his friend. The big dinner at the midpoint of the film is when the revelations begin to unravel and yet, there are still lots of questions in the viewer’s mind, particularly about an incident in Irene’s past that’s left her feeling guilty and taking pills being fed to her by Louie. There’s also that odd but quite prominent red scar on Louie’s head that’s never outwardly mentioned among the group.
Clark and Weir – presumably the aforementioned “Fax Machine” – have assembled an impressive and talented cast of young Ozzies with a number of true standouts, most notably Shabana Azeez. Her character may not be as prone to have as much outrageous fun as others, but it’s a far more interesting role for the fact that she’s almost mirroring the viewer by not knowing exactly what is going on at times. Even more memorable is Ben Hunter, who brings so much crazy comic energy to every scene he’s in, that he feels like someone who will be discovered from his performance as Dylan, and once that happens, he’ll be cast in everything.
The rest of the cast are also good, making this a true ensemble piece that works due to the sum of the parts. At a certain point, it’s just getting weirder and weirder, verging on the point of absolute madness, so eventually, it has to pull back and start resolving things. Which it does.
Overall, Birdeater is strange and often quite funny as it delves into darker and unexpected places. You may not always know what is happening or where things are going, but its crazy mix of genres plays with your expectations, making it a truly unique comedic-thriller that is also likely to leave you quite shaken.
Rating: 7.5/10
Birdeater opens in select theaters on January 10, and it also will be available on most digital platforms.
All photos courtesy of Dark Sky Films.